World Orienteering Day (WOD) will become an increasingly important activity for the future of orienteering. The interest from many countries is huge and it’s growing everywhere. As you maybe know, Turkey was outstanding last year, with more than 86 000 participants. We are now getting ready for this year’s WOD organised between May 23rd and 29th. The goal is to inspire and implement WOD in such a way that we reach the target of 500,000 participants at 5,000 locations in 100 countries 2018.
An important part of this work is to promote WOD, which we will do in many different ways. Our WOD ambassadors is one of these. We will contact many national team runners in different countries, and ask them if they are interested in being a WOD ambassador.
What does this mean to be an ambassador?
Primary:
• Always have a positive approach when you are discussing WOD with other athletes, coaches, organisers and of course media people. Tell them that WOD is important for the future of orienteering. Tell them that we want to use the WOD as a fun promotion activity of orienteering. We believe that WOD can make the feeling of orienteering more fun and exciting for kids and young people. We want to make orienteering more visible and more accessible so we can attract more people to the great sport of orienteering. We want to open a great connection between clubs and schools so youngsters can try a cool and awesome sport, orienteering.
• If you have the possibility, be proactive and ask orienteers where they are going to participate in a WOD event and if they have done the registration on the WOD website, www.worldorienteeringday.com
• Please use your website or blog to promote WOD and please also use e.g. a slide when you are doing speeches for youngsters at seminars. You will get WOD-logos for this purpose.
• We also want to include you in the WOD newsletter, where we would be happy to quote you what you think of WOD. For this purpose, send a photo of yourself.
Secondary:
To be available between May 23rd to 29th, 2018 (if possible) for local events or one of your National Federation’s events. Maybe running with the students and writing autographs?
Compensation?
As you can imagine, it’s a volunteer assignment, but when you line up on various events organised by the club or National Federation you can ask for a contribution for your participation. Together with Bryzos, we have developed appropriate ambassador clothes (O-top and buff) that you can use in different contexts.
Many of the best orienteers in the world are WOD ambassadors, like Jonas Leandersson from Sweden and Ida Bobach from Denmark, who help us to promote World Orienteering Day.
Be part of something bigger- Colour the world!
Will you join us?
Please send your application “Yes I want to be a WOD Ambassador” to Göran Andersson, byorienteering@gmail.com.