“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”, Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.Olympism and its tremendous impact on societies has been widely demonstrated, since the ancient times, in periods of crisis, wars, political conflictsand instability. In these harsh moments our planet is experiencing, where people are being overwhelmed by discouraging emotions, in total contrast to their human nature, where reconnection seems a concept floating in the distance, Olympism’s dynamic dimension is being reflected, once more.The National Olympic Academies, with their active and high-spirited presence in the 16th IOA on-line Session for Directors of NOAs, which was held from 11 to 17 September 2020, proved vividly that the Olympic spirit, luminous and vibrant, can never fade away and that it is now the moment to go against the stream and excel ourselves.After all, as the great spiritual and political leader, Mahatma Gandi, once said, “Adaptability is not imitation. It means power of resistance and assimilation”.The first ever online Session for NOAs, with the participation of 52 NOAs and 12 observers from the International Pierre De Coubertin Committee and schools, the IOA Development Working Group and the NOA of Colombia, was structured upon a well-designed platform, operating in two languages and providing all the required material for the delegates.This virtual “meeting point” took life every day at the same time for a week, penetrated with a warm atmosphere, strong vibrations from the nostalgic days in Olympia and inspirational discussions among all the people involved in this digital journey.The scientifically-based approaches of the 7 thought provoking lectures around the Session’s special subject “Human Rights in Olympic Education Programmes” provided considerations from every conceivable angle on how Olympism and Sports foster humanism and defend human rights. In particular, in what way Olympic Education promotes human rights awareness. The topics explored covered issues such as the significance of interrelationship between the sport and human rights within the states and sports organizations by Dr Alexandre MESTRE (POR), Sports Lawyer, in the lecture, “The Role of the Olympic Movement in the promotion of Human Rights”, the main idea behind the revival of the Olympic Games by Pierre De Coubertin which related to the actual safeguarding of human rights by Dr Dikaia CHATZIEFSTATHIOU (GRE), Canterbury Christ Church University, with the lecture, “Pierre de Coubertin and Human Rights: Sport as Human Right”, the protection of children and youth’s rights participating in sport and the hard cases of abuse of young athletes, by Associate Professor Dr Gabriella I. TYMOWSKY-GIONET (CAN), University of New Brunswick, under the title, “Protecting Children and Youth Athletes in Sport”.Moreover, Dr Alberto CARRIO SAMPEDRO (ESP), University Pompeu Fabra, with his lecture, “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and Neuro Device in Sport”, explored the aspects, both positive and negative, of Artificial Intelligence in Sports and Ms Miki MATHESON (JPN), IOC Olympic Education Commission Member and IPC Education Committee Member, presented the official Paralympic Education programme I’mPOSSIBLE, in the presentation, “The Paralympic Educational Tool Kit ‘I’mPOSSIBLE’”, which aims towards the dissemination of the Paralympic Movement values to the youth, with or without disability, around the world. Finally, the consequences of civil wars and conflicts on disabled youth and the benefits of sports to such contexts was analyzed by Assistant Professor Dr Ian BRITTAIN (GBR), Coventry University, in his lecture “Youth Disability and the potential use of Sport in Post-Conflict Zones” and the role of youth sports in contributing to the realization of human rights was explored by Dr Vitaly MELNIKOV (RUS), Vice-President, NOA of Russia, in his presentation “Human Rights and Youth Sports”.The well pointed comments and fruitful discussions followed by each lecture enriched a debate and provided a fertile context to share and think of different perspectives. The excellent guidance of the coordinators has also contributed to such inspiration and further exploration of the topics that were developed through the amazing working groups, which presented their recommendations in two cycles. These highly important recommendations involved issues such as:• The IOC’s role as the supreme leading authority in promoting and defending human rights. • The official recognition of the importance of Paris call document.• The need and the way of developing Olympic Education programmes in order to promote the inclusion of human rights.• The connection between the sports movement and the political institutions.• The revision of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.• The IOA’s upgraded role within the Olympic Movement.• The Olympic Games through Covid-19 period.• The Olympic Education programmes as a means of preventing abuse among young athletes.• The human rights being the Olympic Movement’s top priority in the framework of Olympic Games.• The empowerment of e-sports in covid-time.Within this ‘virtual’ framework, the delegates had also the opportunity to attend a virtual tour of the Museum of the History of the Olympic Games of Antiquity in Ancient Olympia, by the archaeologist, Mr Konstantinos Antonopoulos and additionally, they participated in a social networking activity, discussing on ways to deal with the current situation our societies are facing, through Olympic education initiatives.As the IOC President, Dr Thomas Bach, stressed in his message on Olympism at the outbreak of this unprecedent situation, “Let us take this opportunity in a way of unity and creativity, to emerge from this crisis even stronger than before”. And this was, in essence, demonstrated in the NOAs’ participation in this historical Session. They have put their own landmark in proving that challenges create opportunities to thrive oneself.