Deputy Mayor Graham, Principal Ross,

Dear students, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for inviting me to your school.

I knew I wanted to come to Simon Elementary School when I heard that you like sports. I like sports too. Soccer is my favorite. I play soccer every week.

But I also enjoy and admire other sports. My friend here, Johann Olav Koss, has won four Olympic gold medals in speed skating. You can imagine that Johann is a big hero in Norway.

When Johann retired from speed skating, he did something else that I also admire. He used his position as a sports-hero to set up an organization called Olympic Aid. Olympic Aid is based on the idea that we can use sports to reach out to children that need our help. Johann has shown us that sports can give hope and joy to children that otherwise have very little in life.

If you think about it, this makes sense. Sports can give you so much. If you are tired, it gives you energy. If you play on a team, you learn how much can be achieved by joining with others. You can discover your own strengths and weaknesses. And when you meet your opponents, you meet at a level playing field. In the tracks and on the fields, we meet as equals and we enjoy fair play.

This is true at the local community level. But it is also true at the international level. Even the Olympic Games are not only about sports. The games are also a celebration of contacts and friendship between countries and peoples of all backgrounds and cultures.

Soon the United States will host the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. I know that Salt Lake City will be a big event for Norwegians. Winter sports are very popular in Norway. And even if “winning isn’t everything”, I also know that medals are extremely popular in Norway, as in all other countries.

We often say that Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. This is because most Norwegians start skiing at an early age.

But we should also remember that we are never too old to start to play sports. For many children, school is a good place for learning and enjoying sports. I have therefore brought you a gift to help your school provide the necessary sports facilities for you.

Deputy Major Graham, will you please step up here?

Thank you again for inviting me.

And if you allow, I would like to join you for some soccer practice afterwards.