The Sports, Istanbul, and Olympism Panel organized by the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Istanbul Rumeli University was held at the Kadıköy Campus Conference Hall. İ. Renay Onur, the General Manager of Sports Istanbul, which operates under the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, participated as a speaker.
Known for his enjoyment of swimming, water polo, running, cycling, triathlon, mountaineering, and skiing, İ. Renay Onur has completed the swimming race that connects the two sides of Istanbul three times, as well as successfully finishing the 15 km and 42 km segments of the marathon 9 and 6 times, respectively.
Moreover, he is the co-founder of a charitable running initiative called "Adım Adım," aiming to provide resources to non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This project has become one of Turkey's most significant sports and volunteering initiatives, bringing together over 100,000 runners, more than 100 NGOs, and over a million donors. He is also the recipient of the 2022 Mustafa Koç Sports Award.
Recognized for creating an innovative model that promotes individual donations through sports in Turkey, particularly with the Adım Adım project, he was selected as an Ashoka Fellow by Ashoka, a global network of social entrepreneurs. He is also a co-founder and board member of the Openly Transparent Association, established to strengthen transparency and accountability in civil society among donors and institutions.
During his speech, Renay Onur addressed significant topics under various headings such as Women and Sports, İBB Sports Istanbul - Sports Schools, Sports Culture, Olympism, 2036 Istanbul Olympic Goals, Physical Activity, and Volunteering. He emphasized the need for 100,000 volunteers for Istanbul to host the Olympics and stressed the importance of collective action. He also mentioned that 40,000 people participate in sports activities daily at İBB sports facilities, highlighting the quality of the instructors and the continuous in-service training they receive.
Furthermore, he discussed the arrangements made for disabled individuals in sports facilities and the various activities planned for them. He pointed out that 120,000 children between the ages of 4 and 8 receive training in various sports branches in the established sports schools and emphasized the need for more women to be involved in the sports arena.
Renay Onur expressed the desire for increased participation of women in sports, an increase in the number of female executives, and a greater representation of women on federation boards. The event received significant interest from students, academics, and guests, and at the end of the panel, Dean Prof. Dr. M. Yavuz Taşkıran thanked Onur and presented him with a plaque in memory of the day.
