Athlete Role Models Look Forward to Innsbruck 2012

(ATR) Olympic skiers Shannon Bahrke Happe andMarco Buechel tellAround the Ringsthey can't wait to serve asAthlete Role Models for January’s inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games.

"I want to inspire the next generation of athletes and thought this is the perfect opportunity to do that; to be at the venue when they are competing and be there before that big moment when they step into the gate with all those nerves and really help them out," former freestyle specialist Bahrke Happe tells ATR.

The three-time Olympian, 30, skied to a silver medal in moguls in Salt Lake City 2002 and added a bronze in Vancouver 2010. The Salt Lake City resident now runs her own business, Silver Bean Coffee, after retiring in 2010.

"I’m really excited about this opportunity," she says. "I have had both disappointment and success at the Games and I really want to impress upon these young athletes these critical moments that had a big impact upon my career and share that with them."

Bahrke Happe is among 15 prominent winter sports athletes and past Olympians selected last week by the IOC to serve as Athlete Role Models for Innsbruck 2012.

The ARMs will join 15 members of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and two WYOG Ambassadors – ski racers Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. and Benjamin Raich of Austria – in mentoring the 1,000 young athletes who will compete in the 1964 and 1976 Olympic city from Jan. 13 to 22.

Liechtenstein’s Marco Buechel, an alpine skier who first competed in the 1992 Albertville Games and retired in 2010, is the most experienced among the group of ARMs.

"I have participated in six Olympics, and every one of them was a unique experience," Buechel, 39, tells ATR. "The Olympic spirit caught me from the beginning, and it was fascinating to meet all these different athletes from different nations and sports.

"I would love to share some of my experiences," he says. "It’s a unique experience for every athlete and I want these young athletes to enjoy it. Personally, I hope to feel that Olympic spirit once again."

Roles and Responsibilities

The ARMs will attend competition, spend time with athletes at the Youth Olympic Village and offer insight as well as perspective into their own experiences, dreams and hardships during scheduled forums in Innsbruck.

They will also participate in the Culture and Education Program, which will focus on Olympic values, skills development, healthy lifestyles, social responsibility and expression through social media.

Bahrke Happe says she received a 30-page outline from the IOC in addition to daily emails pertaining to what is expected of and planned for the ARMs during the 10-day winter sports showcase.

"I want to do as much as I can, whether that’s onsite at events cheering them on, answering questions or concerns, talking to them about nutrition, or what to do about PR and talking to the media," says the two-time Olympic medalist.

"Basically, just giving them a taste of what it is going to be like when they get to the biggest stage, which is the Olympic Games, and how to drive their careers up until that point."

IOC First for Winter Athletes

The retired mogul skier also stresses the value and benefits to these young athletes of having somewhat of a dress rehearsal for the Olympic Games.

"As an Olympic athlete, one of the biggest disadvantages is that we don’t get that feeling of standing on that big stage, competing in front of lots of people when it means a lot and there is a huge amount of pressure on you," says Bahrke Happe.

"I think the Youth Olympic Games are a huge step in the right direction to feel what it is like to be in that pressure cooker scenario, and I’m really happy that the IOC is putting this much emphasis on a youth event because I think it could really pay dividends for youth athletes in the future."

Buechel, who reached 18 world cup podiums during his lengthy career but never won an Olympic medal, echoes that sentiment.

"I think it’s perfect for young athletes to get to experience the Olympic spirit," he says. "The Olympics are very unique and different rules apply. This is a great way for them to gain experience on another level so they know what to expect when they are part of the ‘big’ Olympics."

Joining Bahrke Happe and Buechel as ARMs for Innsbruck are Samppa Lajunen of Finland in nordic combined; Petra Majdic of Slovenia in cross-country; Nicola Thost of Germany in snowboarding; Andreas Küttel of Switzerland in ski jumping; Vincent Defrasne of France in biathlon, Jennifer Botterill of Canada in ice hockey; Ivo Rüegg of Switzerland in bobsleigh; Kerstin Szymkowiak of Germany in skeleton; Alexander Resch of Germany in luge; Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland in figure skating; Jeremy Wotherspoon of Canada in speed skating as well as Eve Muirhead of Great Britain and Ulrich Kapp of Germany in curling.

Written by Brian Pinelli.