Looking towards a bright future today, the International Skyrunning Federation is expanding their horizons after the 2021 General Assembly held on Friday, November 26 at their headquarters in Biella, Italy.
The 14th General Assembly was held via Zoom with 47 participants representing 31 countries who were presented with details of a comprehensive Strategic Plan aimed at relaunching the Federation as well as the appointment of a new Management Committee Member.
ISF President, Marino Giacometti delivered his 2020-2021 Report and illustrated how the ISF was the only federation in the sector to have successfully held two World Championships and one European Championship, despite travel restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Adding to this success was the new VK OPEN Championship featuring eight races in five countries. He further announced the 2022 Competition Calendar kicking off with the new SkySnow World Championships to be held in Spain in February.
The “main course” of the Assembly, as defined by Giacometti, was dedicated to the new Strategic Plan, presented by Secretary General, Alexander Keim, who designed the new road map which will create the base and lead the strategy of the Federation in the short, mid and long term future.
Outlining the mindset, heartbeat and footwork behind the plan, Keim stated, “The purpose of this Strategic Plan is to outline the mission, vision and core values providing high level strategic pillars for the future and to define operational strategy in the mid term as well as to identify an immediate action plan including Members, Board, MC and various Commissions,” he commented. “The final Budget and Financial Plan will summarise the outcome in terms of financial and economical sustainability.”
Keim will lead the working groups to build the future of the ISF, rewrite the Statutes and adapt the Federation to a constantly changing sports world.
The vacant Management Committee slot was filled by Pavlos Georgiades, President of the ISF Member for Cyprus, with a strong majority. His credentials include roles as Member of the Executive Board of the Cyprus Olympic Committee, President of Cyprus Mountaineering Climbing & Orienteering Federation, VP of UIAA Mountaineering Commission, President of the UIAA Youth Commission and Chairman of the IFSC Coaches Commission. He was attaché of the Cyprus Olympic team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
On attaining his MC role, he commented to his new colleagues, “My fellow Management Board members, I am very excited and ready to start working for the improvement of our sport with all of you. As Steve Jobs said: ‘Great things are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people’. I want to bring the expertise I gathered in other Federations to the ISF and help skyrunning become an IOC recognised sport and possibly an Olympic event,” he added.
ISF Vice President, Silvio Calvi, reported on the ongoing agreement with the UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) of which ISF is a unit member, and underlined the collaboration of the IOC recognised body as a way forward for ISF, together with the eventual GAISF (Global Association of International Sport Federations) membership, currently under assessment.
Lauri van Houten, VP, Communication, confirmed that the new Strategic Plan will be uploaded to the GAISF platform together with the documents already in place. A detailed media report was screened, including website analytics and Facebook and Instagram data covering the last year – all showing consistent increases. A communication plan for members is being developed, she added.
News and updates will be issued on these important projects as they develop. Skyrunning continues its upward climb with an ever-stronger federation working for “Less cloud. More sky!”
