Ahrens spreads her wings

Namibia Athletes Commission (NAC) chairperson Gaby Ahrens is competing for one of four positions up for grabs at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission. Ahrens is amongst 30 global candidates who are in the running for the posts voted for by athletes who will be competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics next year.The only other Namibian who had his feet in the IOC's doors is former Olympic sprinter Frank Fredericks. Fredericks was appointed as the chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October 2013. He is both the former chairman of the IOC Athletes' Commission and a steering committee member of the IOC Athlete Career Programme. Fredericks was elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission in 2004 and became its chairman in 2008.Following partially in his footsteps, Ahrens believes she can play an active role in both empowering existing athletes and helping to pave the way for future generations. “Getting a position won't be easy, so I need support from other African countries,” she said.Ahrens explained that only athletes taking part in the 2020 Summer Olympics, commonly known as Tokyo 2020 Games, are eligible to vote for them, as there will be voting stations at Olympic villages next year.She said in previous years the IOC selected the candidates themselves, but that has now changed.She further explained that developing countries find it difficult to send athletes to such games, due to the high qualifying criteria, and that few African representatives at the games might disadvantage her, but that she is hoping for a positive outcome.“This is a great opportunity to spread one's wings and to learn and gain experience, which I can plough back,” Ahrens added. Glittering careerAhrens competed at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics in the women's trap shooting event. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she was the Namibian flag-bearer, the first women from the country to receive this honour. At the 2016 Summer Olympics, she finished in ninth place.Ranked number one on the African continent for many years, Ahrens won two African championship titles in 2011 and 2015, as well as several Namibian, South African and Angolan national titles in trap shooting. She has a masters in sport management, focusing on how sports organisations should be managed and developed, and was also awarded the Namibia sportswoman of the year award in 2010, the same year she won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.She now chairs the NAC and is an executive board member of the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC). She also serves as a member of the Fifa normalization committee, which is currently running the affairs of local football.Ahrens has a keen sense of duty towards athletes. If selected for a role at the IOC, Ahrens will form part of a team of highly skilled sport specialists working to improve the representation of athletes in Olympic decision-making processes, promoting their involvement in these processes, and supporting athletes' development in both their sporting and non-sporting careers. Ahrens aims to positively contribute to the experiences of athletes by utilising her personal insights into the challenges faced by athletes emerging from developing countries. This includes minimising the impacts of the challenges she faced as an athlete, in a bid to ensure all athletes have a positive and memorable Olympic experience. She believes her value to the IOC Athletes' Commission lies in her experience as an elite athlete and Olympian, alongside her involvement in the sport management element of national sport organisations. Ahrens brings a wealth of experience. She has helped establish an active NAC and has engaged with national federations, while organising national forums for athletes in Namibia.She also deals with grievances and participates in board meetings and decision-making processes at high levels. In addition, her approach to leadership focuses on the sharing of knowledge and motivating those around her, to ensure that all progress is a team effort. Ahrens further invests her time in raising awareness of athletes' rights, hosting the National Forum for Namibian Athletes and organised an IOC athletes' career workshop. She continues to establish a presence amongst national athletes at national championships and bringing grievance concerns to the attention of the NNOC board, in order to improve the support given to athletes. LIMBA MUPETAMI

Ahrens spreads her wings

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-26

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Ahrens spreads her wings

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-26

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