Kalle Voolaid, the Secretary General of the Estonian Olympic Academy, unexpectedly passed away on 11th November 2022 at the age of 53. He was an established sports historian known for his outstanding engagement as a museologist in the Estonian Sports and Olympic Museum.
Kalle Voolaid started serving as Secretary General for the Estonian Olympic Academy 20 years ago. Not only was he active in this position, but he was also a committed member of the EOA Olympic Heritage Commission. He contributed to the Olympic Movement by writing several publications for a young audience, helped to spread the Olympic Idea and to preserve the Olympic Heritage.
Besides his engagement in the Olympic Movement, he was a museologist, taught about sports history at the University of Tartu and collaborated with the Estonian Society of Sports History. Having started as a technician at the Estonian Sports Museum, Voolaid led the museum’s research on various matters regarding sports history and the Olympics, especially before WWII.
His passion and interest in sports began at a young age when he started playing basketball and athletics. He turned his focus mainly to sports history throughout his studies at the University of Tartu and his entry into the Sports Museum.
The European Olympic Academies and the Olympic family are grieving the loss of Kalle Voolaid. His deep passion for sports history will be cherished, and so will his warm-heartedness and sincerity, which were the hallmarks of his memorable personality.
Sad news. I met KALLE VOOLAID back in 2000 for the postgrad session at in the International Olympic Academy in Olympia. Nice man . Knowledgeable about Olympic history . Always smiling with warm voice . RIP.