Marching from a community in Bogota to the OlympicGames: experiences of a sport for development and peace program.

Abstract

This study contributes to the advancement of thefield of sport for development and peace (SDP) research inLatin America and the Caribbean (LAC). There are still few studies on SDP programs in this region and it is important todocument and understand the impacts of these programs onparticipants. The present study is the result of a collaborativeresearch that aims to describe the experiences and perceptions (1.To describe how works the SDP program and 2. To understandand document the perceived effects of the DDP program ofColombian youth) of Colombian youth who participated ina SDP program that took them from a local sports club tothe Olympic Games. Seven semi-structured interviews wereconducted with key actors (administrators, coaches and athletes) who participated in a triple and transversal (local, district andnational) Olympic walking training program from a communityin Bogota to the Olympic Games. The results provided abetter understanding of the coordination, organization andinvolvement of the local community of Ciudad Bolivar, theDistrict Institute of Recreation and Sport and Coldeportes. The interviews showed the short- and long-term effects perceived bythe actors of the process on their development, education, healthand professional careers. Recommendations are made for officialSDP organizations in LAC. Future studies should continue toinvestigate the SDP initiative in LAC to understand how sportcan help development and peace building in this region.