For over a decade, Romain Lachens '03 has worked to bring the Olympic Games to Paris. His message to current Saint Mary's students? "The desire to succeed is nothing without the strength to dare!” / Photo courtesy International Olympic Committee
Games Wide Open: Meet the Gael Directing Engagement for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris
Romain Lachens ’03 played a key role in bringing the games to Paris. With SMC grads also competing as players and coaches, here’s how the Games reach communities across Paris—and around the world.
The 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris are about to begin! One Saint Mary’s grad has been involved with preparations for this epic event for years already.
Romain Lachens ’03 is the Director of Engagement for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. For nearly a decade, Lachens has played a key role in bringing the games to Paris—but not only to the City of Light. The games are being celebrated throughout his native France and to France’s territories worldwide.
Lichens competed with the Men’s Tennis team at Saint Mary's and earned a degree in Business Administration. Since returning to France, he has been involved in sports and relationship-building, which also led him to serve as president of the USA Athlete Alumni network for French athletes who studied and competed at US universities.
With the Olympic Games just over a week away, Lachens made time to share insights with the Saint Mary’s community. In the days ahead, watch for more stories on Gaels competing and coaching in the Olympics—in 2024 and across the decades.
What are your responsibilities as Director of Engagement?
I have been working for Paris 2024 since the bid in 2015. At the time, I was in charge of the athletes’ mobilization, which was at the heart of our vision. We wanted our bid to focus on the athletes.
After 2017, once the IOC designated Paris as the host city for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we decided that it should be the Games for all French people. We believed that all French territories should benefit and be able to take part in Paris’ selection as host.
That is why the Engagement department was born, for the first time in the history of the Games. We are not talking about engagement as in corporate social responsibility, but as, “How do we engage all French people and actors in our project?” We’re asking and answering: “How can we bring the Games to the tiniest town in our overseas territories?”
For that we created Engagement programs targeting the different populations we wanted to engage and gather in communities:
- Terre de Jeux 2024, to engage all actors of the French territory. It’s a total of 5,000 entities, including federations, local authorities, local olympic committees, French embassies, etc.
- Club Paris 2024, to engage all people, not only French, who wanted to be part of the adventure. Currently we have 5 million members
- The Ambassadors Program, aimed at key opinion leaders and where we have 500 ambassadors
- “Team France” a programme that aims at promoting the Olympic and Paralympic athletes
What has been your grand vision for these Games?
“Games Wide Open” is the shared slogan for both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, unveiled in July 2022, two years before our Opening Ceremony. Since the beginning of this adventure, this has been the ambition that drives us and inspires each of our actions. It’s an invitation to the world to come and experience new emotions together.
Our Games are a commitment to new experiences and big thrills. That includes new disciplines, outdoor competitions held in the heart of Paris, and a mass event marathon. We want to open these to all people all around France.
To those who have a ticket, we are offering privileged experiences: Be part of the Fan sections, live a unique experience in the stadiums, witness the first out-of-the-stadium Opening Ceremonies.
To those who do not have a ticket, we want them to be able to enjoy the Games and live the emotions of the Games wherever they are. Through the celebrations, bearing the Torch in their hometown, celebrating the athletes, having the opportunity to become a volunteer, running the Marathon Pour Tous (“Marathon For All”) or attending the Opening Ceremonies for free.
How does it feel to be a senior leader for these games in your home country?
It’s a once in a lifetime experience. I have been working for more than 20 years in the sport industry, so having the opportunity to be in the heart of this project is a unique chance.
I met Tony Estanguet, the President of Paris 2024 Games (and three-time Olympic champion) and Michael Aloisio, the Deputy CEO at the ESSEC (a French Business School). So, sharing this incredible experience with them is a lot of pressure but at the same time an enormous pleasure.
Is there an element of the Games you're most looking forward to?
There are many! But there is one that we set up especially for Paris 2024—the Marathon Pour Tous (or “Marathon for All”). For the first time ever, the legendary Olympic Marathon event will be open to the public. A total of 40,048 runners will take part in one of the two races offered (20,024 each). They’ll either run on the same spectacular and demanding course as the Olympic Marathon or on a 10k course in the heart of Paris, for those who prefer a less demanding format. More than 400,000 people have been trying to win one of the 40,048 placements over the past four years.
The big Marathon Pour Tous party will also feature a connected race for anyone who’d like to join in from wherever they are around the globe. So let’s be part of the Games, Gaels!!
The Marathon Pour Tous will take place on August 10.
Can you tell me about your Saint Mary’s experience, as a student and a student-athlete?
My experience at SMC was definitely the best of my life. It has really been a game changer for my personal and professional life. Everyone was very supportive and caring, from the professors to the faculty advisors for international students, coaches...everyone.
I had the chance to have the best tennis coach in California in Michael Wayman, who was the men’s tennis head coach while I was at Saint Mary’s. Thanks to him, I really improved on the technical and physical sides but Michael managed to make his players grow. I miss him and I often think about him.
I lived for one year on campus with one of my teammates, Michael Green ’05. He has been like a brother to me. He tried very hard to change my accent and my French expressions, but he finally gave it up! My classmates used to call me “Frenchy” and, unfortunately, I still have the same strong accent!
How did Saint Mary's play a role in your professional career?
The most important part is the confidence that Saint Mary’s gave me. It helped me believe that everything is possible, to dream big, but at the same time to keep fighting like a Gael every single day.
So that is also my message to all students: “The desire to succeed is nothing without the strength to dare!”
As soon as I came back to France with Saint Mary’s College diploma, I created my own company, which aimed to help high-level athletes after their career.
Is there anything in particular you’d like for the Saint Mary’s community to know?
I have two incredible kids, Gabriel, who is 13 years old, and Lily, who is 15 years old. My dream is for them to have the chance to live a similar experience at SMC in a few years… but no pressure!
