PWT and PWT Academy was responsible for organizing the O-Ringen Academy 2022, arranged in conjunction with O-Ringen in Uppsala, Sweden, between the 22nd of July and the 31st of July. The O-Ringen Academy is a place for orienteering runners from different countries and on different levels, including beginners, to meet and exchange their experience and learn new. Last time when the O-Ringen Academy was arranged, in 2019, 45 orienteers from 13 countries participated.
This year, there were orienteers from Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Hong Kong, Japan, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Turkey.
The Academy activities consisted of several seminars related to orienteering, held by the PWT and also visiting speakers like Albin Ridefelt. The seminars included topics such as organizing an international orienteering event, map drawing, how to involve more the kids in the schools through orienteering, etc. The Academy participants also joined the Global Development Conference organized by the IOF, which included many interesting workshops about different aspect of orienteering.
During the days, the Academy participants obviously took part in the O-Ringen races while also presenting orienteering maps and activities from their own countries in the Academy tent. The evenings were filled with race analysis, shared dinners, and nice time together. The participants could also enjoy visits of some special quests: Peo Bengtsson shared the memories of his life in orienteering (6046 orienteering races so far!) and how O-Ringen started; and Per Ola Olsson presented how to start to draw an orienteering map.
In the tent, there was also the possibility to buy the PWT 25 years memory book as well as the new Memories of the Winners book, which includes stories from all the WOCs since 1966. The tent was also frequently visited by several world champions and elite orienteers, both current and more experienced ones.
Thank you for all the participants. May our paths merge again soon in the future of Orienteering.
ps. Don’t forget Mauritius 3-days Orienteering in November. Registrations are still open!