Where there is peace, there is sports; where there is sports

The Olympic champion Kim Yuna, a figure of grace and triumph, once said: “Where there is peace, there is sports; where there is sports, there is peace. Peace is what allows us, especially young people, to dream, go after one's goals and prepare you for the next challenge in life.” In these words lies not only the reflection of an athlete, but the wisdom of a prophetess who has seen the power of the arena to unite what nations and rulers divide. She reminds us that peace and sports are bound together like twin flames: one gives birth to the other, and together they illuminate the path of humanity’s dreams.

This quote reveals the sacred relationship between peace and human striving. Without peace, the fields lie empty, the stadiums silent, the dreams of young men and women cut short by the roar of war. But where peace reigns, the youth run, leap, and play; they cultivate discipline, courage, and hope. In turn, sports become a force for peace themselves, for they bring rivals to meet not in battlefields of blood but in arenas of honor. Thus, Kim Yuna proclaims a cycle: peace allows sports, and sports sustain peace.

History bears witness to this truth. In ancient Greece, the Olympic Truce was declared before every Olympiad, so that warring city-states might lay down their arms and allow athletes to travel safely to compete. For a time, swords were silenced and shields were lowered, because the games were seen as a higher calling, a bond stronger than hatred. In those days, even the proudest kings acknowledged that the spirit of sport demanded peace. Kim Yuna’s words echo this ancient heritage, showing that even in our modern age, the bond remains unbroken.

We can also recall moments of our own age, when sports became the stage for reconciliation. In 1995, after years of racial division in South Africa, Nelson Mandela stood at the Rugby World Cup wearing the jersey of the Springboks, once a symbol of separation. In that moment, sport became peace, and peace became sport. The crowd roared not only for victory but for unity, and a nation was reborn. This is the vision Kim Yuna holds forth: that the dreams of youth, nurtured through sport, can carry the seeds of peace into the future.

The meaning of her words extends beyond politics and nations. It touches the very soul of the young person who dreams of becoming more. Peace gives the space for dreaming—for training on quiet mornings, for striving after goals without fear of destruction, for learning resilience in the face of challenge. In this way, peace is not passive but active: it is the soil in which greatness grows. And sports, with their trials and triumphs, teach the lessons needed for life’s greater battles—discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and honor.

The lesson for us is clear and urgent: we must guard peace, for in doing so we guard the dreams of our children. Every effort we make toward reconciliation, every hand extended instead of clenched, every conflict turned aside, is not only a victory for the present but a gift to the future. And we must cherish sports not merely as games, but as schools of character, proving grounds where the young prepare for the greater challenges of life. To support peace and sports together is to build a foundation where humanity may thrive.

Thus, Kim Yuna’s quote is more than the reflection of a champion—it is a call to the generations. It tells us that peace and sport are not luxuries, but necessities, pillars upon which hope is built. Let us then protect peace, so that the fields remain open, the arenas filled, the children dreaming. And let us honor sport, not only as competition but as a sacred practice that binds nations, heals wounds, and prepares the soul for life’s next challenge. For where there is peace, there will be sport—and where there is sport, there will be peace.