The programme, an acronym for Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere, will see 53 minority student leaders take part, with the collegiate programme due to be held between July 8 and 18, followed by the high school programme from July 20 to 24 at the US Olympic Training Centre and Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

FLAME is designed to inspire minority high school and college students to pursue careers within the US Olympic and Paralympic movements.

Those chosen to participate have already demonstrated a pursuit of excellence within their own communities and will have the opportunity to further their personal and professional growth by connecting with Olympic and Paralympic athletes, USOC and national governing body leaders.

Participants in this year's programme represent two countries and 22 states across the United States.

During the 17-day programme, FLAME participants will reside and eat alongside US Olympians, Paralympians and hopefuls at the Olympic Training Centre.

The programme will include motivational presentations, leadership seminars, and networking and financial-literacy workshops.

The FLAME Programme is designed to inspire minority high school and college students to pursue careers within the US Olympic and Paralympic movements ©USOC



Speakers in these presentations include two-time Olympic medallist Mark Crear; three-time Olympian Katrina McClain; John Register, US Paralympics associate director of community and military programmes and Paralympic silver medallist; Paralympian Ralph Green; Olympian Cindy Stinger; Wade Davis, former National Football League player and executive director of the You Can Play Project; and USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun.

This year's edition of the programme will also host two banquets featuring two-time Olympic speed-skating medallist Derek Parra and Olympic decathlon gold medallist Dan O'Brien as the keynote speakers.

The 2014 programme will also feature an address from Rosa Gatti, former senior vice-president of communications counsel and corporate outreach at ESPN, as the first FLAME Invited Speaker Award recipient.

Additional activities will include a sport demonstration from 2004 Olympic fencer and FLAME programme alumni Ivan Lee, a Paralympic sport experience, a trip up the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and a hike through Garden of the Gods.

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