Volleyball and beach volleyball experts from around the world are staging clinics on Copacabana Beach in Rio, Brazil, for the communities’ poorest families to inspire children to become Olympians.
Australian beach volleyball star Bo Soderling, who narrowly missed out qualifying for the Olympics, has continued on the road to Rio as a mentor, passing on his skills to the children of the favelas.
“I’ve been playing beach volleyball for 20 years so I want to give back to the sport, and of course I don’t have to do this, but I’m enjoying giving back to the sport and now I’m here.”
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Ten-year-old Peter from the Complexo do Alemão community said he was enjoying the experience.
“I would like to train for the Olympics, and learn to do all the tricks,” he said.
While 10-year-old Jennifer is hoping to be Brazil’s next favelas to fame story, walking in the footsteps of Rio gold medal judoka Rafaela Silva.
“This is a dream for me, I’m enjoying this a lot,” she said at one of the clinics. “I’m glad I had the opportunity to be here today.”
Kids from Brazil's favelas play volleyball. Source: SBS
'It's possible to do anything they want'
Despite residing in the hills, less than an hour from Copacabana, at least half of the participants have never set foot in the sand.
But Yannick Struijk, the cofounder of Educate the Favelas that organised the beach volleyball clinic, said he wanted the initiative to change that.
He said parents worked around the clock to pay for food and rent, leaving the children little opportunity to leave the favelas.
“Unfortunately most of them cannot afford a metro ticket, or it’s simply too unsafe to leave the neighbourhood because of the violence out on the streets.
“So today we brought them here on a bus and this is a really amazing experience for them.”
Cofounder Lohran Santas said the program had been designed to inspire the children.
"We see violence every day so sometimes we don’t think things are possible. Like I never thought I’d speak another language and today I speak three other languages," he said.
“It’s to show them that it’s possible, it’s very possible to do anything they want."
Olympic stars pass on their volleyball skills to the next generation. Source: SBS
