I am the captain of my own boat: IOC Young Leader Toms Ser is helping young people in Buenos Aires navigate life through sport

15 July 2025 – Tomás Seré has always believed in the power of sport to shape lives. Inspired by his parents’ volunteer work in a local orphanage and his own experiences growing up in Argentina, he’s now putting that belief into action as part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Young Leaders Programme.

Seré’s project, “Proyecto En JueGo”, is a grassroots initiative that uses sport to equip young people with essential life skills. Working with underserved youth in Buenos Aires, Seré and his team help participants build confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging. On World Youth Skills Day, his story highlights how sport can provide a pathway to opportunity.

While Seré never aimed to become a professional athlete, sport has always been part of his life.

Sport changed my life. I am who I am because of sport. I made friends through sport, it’s how I formed my identity. I am the leader I am because of sport.

Tomás Seré, IOC Young Leader

That passion deepened in 2018, when he joined the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires as part of the Young Reporters Programme. Seeing the Olympic values in action, he knew he wanted to be part of something bigger.

Helping those most in need

Years later, while finishing university and unsure of his next steps, Seré came across the IOC Young Leaders Programme. He applied, was selected, and began shaping “Proyecto En JueGo” – inspired by childhood visits to a local orphanage where his parents volunteered, and where he saw first-hand the power of sport.

“We were bringing the kids to football classes,” Seré recalls. “I saw that they were enjoying it a lot, socialising with other kids, feeling what I felt with sport. I saw that sport was this happy moment that was super good for them. That’s when the idea came.”

Launched in 2024, the “Proyecto En JueGo” project complements school curriculums with physical activity and lessons inspired by the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP), promoting respect, effort and friendship. It has worked with two foster houses, offering twice-weekly sessions for children between 6 and 13 years old, along with weekly judo classes at a local club.

“We want to be role models for them,” Seré says. “We are the ones giving them trust and confidence. We are building something that stays with them. Maybe tomorrow, when they’re adopted or go back to society, they’ll remember that club. They’ll know they can go back there and that someone will help them.”

Last month, Seré presented his project at the Olympism365 Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland, and shared his vision with IOC President Kirsty Coventry and IOC Honorary President Thomas Bach at the IOC Young Leaders Roundtable. There, he reiterated a phrase that has become central to his mission: “I am the captain of my own boat,” Seré says. “I’ve never been a professional athlete, but my dream was to go to the Olympic Games, and I’ve already done two. You can choose your path. What we’re doing is giving young people the boat – the tools – to navigate this world. We’re helping them sail forward.”

Offering youths different paths

What began in foster homes has grown into a much wider initiative, with “Proyecto En JueGo” now supporting children and adolescents in favelas, as well as people with disabilities. In two neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires (Fraga Chacarita and Moreno), Seré and his team have introduced structured basketball and boxing programmes. The goal is to keep young people off the streets and help them develop interpersonal skills that will serve them in life.

“We’re not just creating teams,” he explains. “We want them to believe in themselves, to be tolerant, learn how to lose and see sport as a space to develop professionally.”

The programme also encourages teenagers to explore different roles in sport – from playing and coaching to refereeing and organising – opening up new possibilities in communities where options are often limited.

“This is also about crime prevention,” adds Seré. “They’re living in difficult situations. Through sport, we give them a different perspective, something to focus on, a team they can belong to.”

Recognising sport’s role in promoting inclusion, “Proyecto En JueGo” also partnered with a local foundation, “Fundación Socialmente”, to run sessions for people with Down’s syndrome or similar intellectual disabilities. Highlights from these sessions include a tennis event held at the Argentina Open, a visit from England’s men’s rugby team, and a special session with Juan Pablo Castet, Argentina’s Down’s syndrome table tennis world champion.

Building for the future

In its first year, “Proyecto En JueGo” reached over 120 children, expanded from working with one orphanage to seven active programmes across Buenos Aires, and built a volunteer team of over 25 people. Now, Seré is focused on ensuring the initiative can continue to grow sustainably.

To support that goal, “Proyecto En JueGo” is now registered as a legal NGO in Argentina. The team is actively fundraising and working to develop stable roles within the initiative. They are also adding sailing to the sports available, giving participants the opportunity to become captains of their own boats in every sense.

IOC Young Leaders Programme contributing to Olympism365 days a year

Launched in 2016, the IOC Young Leaders Programme empowers young people to leverage sport to make a positive difference in their communities. The programme contributes to Olympism365, the IOC’s strategy to use sport as an important enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).