Will event inspiration and leveraging improve sport participation among the games makers? An examination on volunteers of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic games

This longitudinal intervention study tracks sport participation changes among volunteers of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, following their exposure to event inspiration and a post-event leveraging intervention. Specifically, the study investigates whether event inspiration increases sport participation among previously inactive volunteers and if a Transtheoretical Model-based intervention, incorporating event visuals to sustain inspiration, enhances this effect. The study included 408 university student volunteers, with 244 retained after attrition, who were either in the contemplation or preparation stages of sport participation before the Games. Findings revealed significant increases in sport participation both 3 months (T1) and 9 months (T2) after the Games commenced, irrespective of the intervention. However, a notable decline was observed from T1 to T2, with females exhibiting a greater decrease compared to males. Moreover, the intervention was effective in improving attitude towards sport participation among the contemplation group. In terms of originality, while confirming the presence of an inspirational effect under certain conditions within an Asian context, this study demonstrates the untapped potential of a specific event stakeholder group – event volunteers – whose engagement in sport can be significantly enhanced by event inspiration and leveraging initiatives. Further, this study underscores the importance of customising leveraging initiatives to align with the target group’s stages of sport participation, and providing ongoing support for continuing participation post-event, particularly for women. Finally, it illustrates how (winter) sports events can catalyse regular exercise, suggesting future organisers can enhance physical activity and public health by promoting both event-specific and general sports.