Paralympian Hee-jin Kim and the Czech-Slovak Solve for Tomorrow Team Discuss Overcoming Obstacles

High school students from Solve for Tomorrow in the Czech Republic and Slovakia met with an athlete at the Paralympic Games in Paris. They had a conversation with South Korean goalball player Hee-jin Kim about their activities and aspirations.

Samsung shares the Paralympic movement's vision and has been a global partner since Turin 2006, committed to breaking down barriers in sports and beyond. Since then, both the Paralympic Games and technology have advanced significantly, and at this year’s Paris Paralympics, Samsung’s mobile technologies offered athletes and fans unique experiences and opportunities.

Samsung’s slogan for this year’s Paris Games was ‘Open Always Wins.’ The company believes that with an open mind, every new experience becomes a meaningful achievement, and the outstanding performances of athletes reflect this belief. Samsung also sees modern technology as a powerful tool for creating a more inclusive world.

Solve for Tomorrow, which empowers students with new possibilities, aligns with this vision. It is an initiative for high school students with innovative ideas who aim to improve lives through technology. Over eight months, they participate in expert workshops and receive mentoring to help turn their ideas into prototypes or services.

"Solve for Tomorrow operates on the same principles as our partnership with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Technology can unlock both major achievements and small, everyday victories. At Samsung, we aim to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from these innovations," explains Zuzana Mravík Zelenická, CSR Manager at Samsung Electronics for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Students Want to Help the Visually Impaired

Both visions came together at this year’s Paralympic Games in Paris, where the winners of the previous Solve for Tomorrow edition presented their project aimed at helping visually impaired people in their daily lives. The project’s creators, Jakub Aldorf, Patrik Švoma, and Jakub Kužel from the Vocational and Secondary Industrial School in Žďár nad Sázavou, developed a solution to address one of the biggest challenges for the visually impaired: navigating unfamiliar environments. 'Thanks to our project, they can have much better awareness of their current location,' explains Jakub Aldorf.

Paralympian Hee-jin Kim Praised the Students’ Dream

When Hee-jin Kim learned about the students’ project through Samsung’s development program, she was deeply impressed and gladly offered the creators valuable feedback.

The South Korean goalball player and ambassador for the Samsung Galaxy team tirelessly advocates for inclusivity and better accessibility, both in sports and society in general. Her perseverance and determination help her achieve not only her own goals but also inspire many others to pursue their dreams with the same intensity. Her vision was impaired by glaucoma at a young age, but Hee-jin never gave up on her dreams—she became a singer and later an actress in musicals. During high school, she started playing goalball, a game designed specifically for blind or visually impaired athletes. Today, she is the captain of the South Korean team, which she led at the Paris Paralympics, where South Korea qualified for the first time in 28 years.

"The purpose of Solve for Tomorrow truly resonated with me, and I was happy to meet the students," said Hee-jin Kim. "Technology plays a key role in building an open and accessible world, something I’ve experienced firsthand as both a Paralympian and in daily life. I believe Solve for Tomorrow has immense potential."

She added, "The Paralympic movement aims to empower disabled athletes to achieve excellence while driving societal transformation. It’s inspiring to meet the next generation of innovators, supported by Samsung, as they work to create a better, more inclusive world."

Solve for Tomorrow Proves That Anything Is Possible

According to the students, Solve for Tomorrow gave them the push they needed to take their original idea to the next level. For instance, they were introduced to the Design Thinking method for the first time. "It took us some time to understand how it works and how to apply it. Design Thinking is a powerful and effective approach to problem-solving. We were also inspired by the incredible, talented people we met through the program. It showed us that anything is possible if you’re determined," concludes Jakub Aldorf.

Next Edition of the Program Starts in the Fall

"The purpose of Solve for Tomorrow is to promote socially impactful innovations and ignite young talent’s interest in technical education. The success of recent projects shows that the program can bring ideas to life that might otherwise stay as thoughts in their creators' minds. I’m excited for the next edition, where we’ll undoubtedly see even more inspiring and innovative projects," says Zuzana Mravík Zelenická.

The theme for the upcoming edition of Solve for Tomorrow for the 2024/2025 school year is "The Path to a More Sustainable Future." High school students from the Czech Republic and Slovakia can apply until November 15, 2024.

Reference

• Samsung Electronics Newsroom (Czech Republic): Paralympionička Hee-jin Kim a tým česko-slovenského Solve for Tomorrow od Samsungu si povídají, jak překonávat překážky