Beschermvrouwe van de Societeit Olympisch Stadion, Erica Terpstra, is onderscheiden door het IOC met de IOC World Trophy! (Lees hieronder het originele artikel)
On the occasion of Olympic Day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic family today celebrated the 2010 Women and Sport Awards. Five continental trophies and one world trophy were given to exceptional personalities who all have made a significant difference to boosting the development, participation and involvement of women and girls in sport around the world.
The official ceremony was held at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, in the presence of IOC President Jacques Rogge; Anita DeFrantz, IOC member and Chairperson of the IOC Women and Sport Commission; the members of the IOC Women and Sport Commission; IOC Executive Board members; and guests invited to take part in the Olympic Day celebrations.
The winners of the 2010 Women and Sport Awards – five women and one man – include former Olympic medallists, sports leaders and political decision-makers.
National Olympic Committees (NOCs), International Federations (IFs) and Continental Associations were invited to submit candidatures, and the winners were selected by the IOC Women and Sport Commission. This year, the trophies were awarded as follows:
– IOC World Trophy: Erica Terpstra (Netherlands)
– IOC Trophy for Africa: Germaine Manguet (Guinea)
– IOC Trophy for the Americas: Leslie McDonald (Canada)
– IOC Trophy for Asia: Yuko Arimori (Japan)
– IOC Trophy for Europe: Grete Waitz (Norway)
– IOC Trophy for Oceania: Susan Simcock (New Zealand)
Addressing the winners and the audience, President Rogge said: “It is fitting that our celebration of Olympic Day this year includes the presentation of the 2010 IOC Women and Sport Awards. For all the progress that society has made, we still need to improve the access of girls and women to sport around the world. The recipients of the Women and Sport Awards are role models who are opening doors to gender equality on the field of play, within coaching staff and in sports administration.”
Speaking at the ceremony, Anita DeFrantz said: “Olympic Day is about getting everybody to move and about moving together – regardless of age, athletic ability and gender. It is meant to be a truly inclusive event that can be celebrated by everybody, everywhere. Today’s award winners have all embraced this philosophy.” Speaking about achievements, she declared: “On the field of play, we are moving closer and closer to men and women competing in even numbers on the world’s greatest sporting stage. This year, more than 40 per cent of the athletes taking part in Vancouver 2010 were women, a new record for women’s participation in the Olympic Winter Games.”
Information on the winners:
Erica Terpstra (The Netherlands)
Twice an Olympic medallist in swimming, Erica Terpstra participated in Rome in 1960 and Tokyo in 1964. After her athletic career, she went on to serve sport. Her term of office as President of the Netherlands Olympic Committee has just come to an end. In this function, she used her influence and position to involve all members of Dutch society in sport and to promote a tolerant and equal environment in sports associations throughout the country. Throughout her career, Erica Terpstra has supported initiatives targeting disadvantaged communities and people with disabilities in and outside the Netherlands. In her activities, she has always highlighted the challenges and achievements of girls and women in particular. For instance, she supports the NGOs Women Win, which promotes sport and physical activity as instruments for social change and women’s empowerment in developing countries, and Lady Fit, a fitness club for migrant women in the Netherlands. Furthermore, she managed the Female Managers Network of the Netherlands and helped create the Fanny Blankers Coen Award, which pays tribute to one of the greatest women athletes of all time by rewarding sportspersons in the Netherlands for outstanding achievements, both sporting and non-sporting.
Erica Terpstra, a former sports journalist, was a member of the Dutch parliament from 1977 until 2003, including a term as Minister of Sport. She headed the European Year Against Discrimination and made a high-profile stand against age discrimination by companies and organisations in the Netherlands. Erica Terpstra attends countless events each year, including walks or runs raising funds for women, tournaments for girl athletes, or other related good causes, and her presence invariably attracts greater numbers of participants.