Sylvain

A self-described "relentless globetrotter whose objective is to travel in 100+ countries and to become a better person through connections with other cultures”, Sylvain Leclerc’s passion for travel in undeniable.

To date, Sylvain has lived, studied, and worked in over 15 countries, and has visited many more thanks to his lengthy career with the Olympic Movement.

Currently based in Paris for the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, Sylvain is working as a consultant and spokesperson, implementing Games-related initiatives and projects. Sylvain’s work centers him at the intersection of international sports and government relations. His experience and expertise make him a sought-after speaker, and he offers a specific conference on the hosting of the Games in Paris, where he covers the impacts, benefits, and challenges of the Games, as well as the functioning of the Olympic Movement.

Upon a thoughtful reflection of what inspires his love for his work, Sylvain explained how "being involved in large scale international events and working abroad allows me to learn about the countries I base myself in and their respective culture and history". Notably, he pinpoints that meeting people from all around the world and learning about their countries is also a significant source of inspiration for him. A few of Sylvain’s favorite destinations so far have been Hong Kong, Barcelona, Kuala Lumpur, Lausanne, Tokyo, and Vancouver. Through his work with the Olympic Movement, he has also traveled to Argentina, Bosnia, Brazil, China, Croatia, Denmark, France, Greece, Kosovo, Latvia, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, the UAE, the UK, and the US.

Since Paris has been his base for several months now, so when asked what he's learned about life in Paris since arriving, Sylvain playfully retorted, "people here like to enjoy life and go on strike”. He continued by praising the city's culture and gastronomy, specifically describing, "the omnipresence of culture in Paris (museums, galleries, street art, shows… it's everywhere!) makes this place unique. French gastronomy doesn’t need any presentation. French people take great pride in the quality of the food they grow and eat".

Sylvain's top five favorite things about living in Paris…? Eating some of the best food in the world, visiting all the free museums in town, reading in the numerous city parks and gardens, walking for hours without a clear objective, and the events Coco puts on. He adds, "my experience in Paris would have been considerably different (and way less cool!) without Coco. Having the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and sharing moments and experiences with them has been amazing”.

You can learn more about Sylvain's interesting work or connect with him here.