A University of Stirling student, Claudia Gasparino, has been selected to cover the Winter Youth Olympic Games (WYOG) in South Korea as part of a special training scheme.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chose 14 aspiring journalists to take part in their young reporters programme in Gangwon. The scheme will combine practical training with mentoring from seasoned Olympic reporters, providing first-hand experience at a major sporting event.
Other participants in the programme include eight young journalists from South Korea and two representatives each from future Olympic host nations France, Italy and Senegal.
Running from January 19 to February 1, Claudia will be reporting on the events she has been watching since she was a child. While waiting for her connecting flight to Seoul, Claudia told Brig how she discovered her interest in sport:
“I grew up surrounded by sports, my family was always interested in it and I played different sports myself, so it’s kind of always been around. After attending different events in person, I decided I wanted to work in that sector and have real contacts with the athletes and the people who work in sports.”
After discovering the scheme on Instagram, Claudia said that WYOG looked like a great opportunity, and also a step in the right direction:
“I want to be a sports journalist and cover events as big as the Olympics, so I decided to try this smaller – but not so small – opportunity to get started.”
While this may feel new to Claudia, it isn’t her first foray into sports journalism. The fourth-year student previously completed a work placement at the European Volleyball Championships this summer.
“At the European Volleyball Championship, I experienced for the first time what it means to work in a fast-paced sports environment and to deal with all sorts of inconveniences and changes of plans,” she said.
“I am definitely better at working under pressure and at dealing with unexpected situations, so I’m sure that will come in useful at the Youth Olympics.”
Before boarding her flight, Claudia admitted she was nervous but ultimately looked forward to the experience:
“The expectations are high and I’m afraid I might not live up to them…I’m still really excited and deep down I know it’s going to be amazing, but still, that fear is there.”
Featured Image Credit: University of Stirling
Film and Tv Editor at Brig Newspaper. Currently studying Journalism and English at the University of Stirling
