Chris Marshall is the founder of G Tennis & charity Young Champs. His main drive and passion is creating opportunities for children from underserved communities to play and access Tennis coaching.

Young Champs provide free Summer coaching and equipment for local children, as well as training and mentoring for older teens on a pathway to becoming coaches. The charity also support a local rising star who came through their programme and has represented the county at Tennis. Chris’s work blends sport with social impact, using tennis as a platform to build confidence, open doors, and drive long-term change.

Young Champs aims to change the perception of tennis through being inclusive and making the sport accessible to all children, regardless of their background.

Links:

KidSport Canada 2024 Annual Report: https://kidsportcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/Annual-report-2024-ENG-combined.pdf

KidSport Calgary: https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/calgary-kidsport-sees-demand-spike-due-to-inflationary-pressures/

G Tennis: https://www.g-tennis.com/

Young Champs: https://www.youngchamps.uk/

KidSport Canada: https://kidsportcanada.ca/our-impact/

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Polona Fonda is the communications officer for ENGSO and ENGSO youth and collaborates with other sport entities and experts such as Tine Vertommen (ARCH Safeguarding), Sport Union of Slovenia and orhers.

With over 12 years of experience in values-based digital and project communications, including creation, design, and management, Polona has worked with international, European, and national organisations, universities, and experts in the fields of sport, health, and sustainable development.

Her expertise lies in values-driven digital communications, with a particular focus on content creation and design that champion inclusion, integrity, equality, and diversity. In an era marked by disinformation and emotionally charged clickbait, she advocates for online diplomacy, safeguarding, and the cultivation of respectful dialogue. Her work is inspired by her childhood, where competitive alpine skiing and a deep connection to sport helped her overcome health challenges. This journey empowered her to become a passionate advocate for sport as a tool for development, with a particular focus on well-being, nature, and gender equality.

In 2022, she co-founded Institut Impact and the Move4Nature initiative, which uses outdoor sports and physical activity to educate people of all ages about the importance of environmental protection.

The Erasmus+ funded Move4Nature project is a network of local events across Europe. Each event features a hike paired with a trail clean-up. With the support of sports organisations and active Europeans, move4nature is collecting kilometres and kilograms of waste with the ambitious goal of making our continent cleaner, more active, and healthier.

Through hiking and physical activity in nature, the MOVE4NATURE project also promotes healthy lifestyles, inclusion, and intergenerational exchange. The project uses outdoor sports, particularly hiking, as a tool to teach youth, and adults, about the importance of environmental protection and climate action.

Links:

Move4Nature: https://institut-impact.si/move4nature/

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠

Jane Roos is deeply passionate about ensuring Canadian athletes have the resources they need to succeed on the world stage.

Before founding CAN Fund, Jane was a promising track athlete whose career was cut short by a devastating car accident at the age of 19. This life-changing event inspired her to help other Canadian athletes who face challenges, not only with their training but also with the financial burden that comes with competing at the highest levels.

Jane’s achievements extend beyond her work with CAN Fund. She’s been honored with the Live Olympic Award, an international recognition given to only 20 people, and has been named one of the most influential women in sport by CAAWS, now called Canadian women and sport. The Globe & Mail also selected her as one of the Most Influential People in Sport, and she received the Leadership in Sports Award at the 36th Canadian Sports Awards.

Under Jane’s leadership, CAN Fund has raised over $40 million and has directly supported 80% of Canadian athletes who have competed at the Olympic and Paralympic Games from Athens 2004 to Paris 2024.

For over 20 years CAN Fund has been providing crucial financial support to the best athletic talent in Canada, helping them cover costs for training, coaching, nutrition, equipment, travel and basic living expenses. CAN Fund is a charity that offers 2 applications a year to which summer, winter, able-bodied and para athletes representing Canada on the world stage can apply.

Links:

CAN Fund: https://canadianathletesnow.ca/

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠