IPC and IOC team up again with Airbnb to offer 1,000 Athlete Travel Grants

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have once again partnered with Airbnb to renew the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grants programme, providing athletes with the opportunity to apply for a USD 2,000 grant to cover their travel and accommodation expenses. 

This year, there are 1,000 grants available – double the number offered in previous years.

The initiative, which was first introduced in 2021 to support athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to provide athletes with flexibility and funding to help them with their travel costs as they train and compete in preparation for the upcoming Paralympic and Olympic Games.

Airbnb has committed USD 8 million in funding to the programme, which will run for nine years.

Applications for the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grants are open between 25 April and 25 May, and any athlete training towards an upcoming Paralympic or Olympic Games are to apply via Athlete365. 

The grants allow athletes to find Airbnb accommodations that suit their unique needs, enabling them to stay close to their training or competition venues.

Among the athletes to previously benefit from the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grants was Belgian Para triathlete Nicolas Dewalque. The financial support he received helped him find accommodation that met his needs as an athlete with a vision impairment.

“Accommodation is one of the big considerations when I’m deciding whether to attend a race. As a visually impaired athlete, I race with a guide, which means I always travel with at least one other person,” Dewalque said.

“I used my Airbnb Athlete Travel Grant to help me compete at the World Paralympic Duathlon Championship in Aviles in Spain last November, and we had a really great experience. We found a lovely Airbnb in a nearby small fishing village, where Jonathan – my guide – and I could relax and fully prepare for the competition. It allowed us to compete in peak condition, and we ended up having a fantastic race and finished third.”

In addition to the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grants, the IPC and IOC’s partnership with Airbnb has previously resulted in the Airbnb500 travel grant, which was offered to all athletes who competed at Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022.

More than 8,500 athletes received the Airbnb500 grant, providing them with a USD 500 Airbnb travel credit to celebrate their accomplishments and use towards unwinding after the Games or pursuing their next goals.

You can find more information about the Airbnb Athlete Travel Grant here.