SSH Young Leaders Mentoring Program presented by ISPS Handa

ANJELINA NADAI
South Sudan/Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya

Anjelina is a track runner from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. Born in South Sudan, Anjelina’s family was forced to flee their country to escape the civil war. Anjelina was a member of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. She loves sports and intends to continue training and competing when she goes to college. Anjelina is currently pursuing a diploma in social work but dreams of getting a degree in International Relations so she can engage with other people.

CHANTAL SATHI
Toronto, Canada

Chantal is a Canadian of Sri Lankan Heritage who was a kickboxer for Oxford University. This over-achiever has a Bachelor of Science Honours in Kinesiology and Health Studies, a Masters of Theology in Urban and International Development, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Theology from Oxford University. She enjoys travelling the world, playing the piano, cooking various cuisines, and training in gyms daily. One day, Chantal hopes to become the president of an international sports organization so she can change the world by using the combined power of faith and sport. Her inspiration comes from her family, friends and mentors who believe she can “defy gravity”. #ThatOxfordChick

JOHN PAUL MASUBAY
Tacloban, Philippines

John Paul is a football player, coach, mentor and youth leader from Tacloban, Philippines. Five years ago, John Paul’s community, including his family’s home, was completely wiped out by Typhoon Haiyan. Sport brought hope to JP and allowed him to continue to dream. Now, he is a football coach and mentor to other children in his community. He hopes to use his influence as a football coach to encourage communities to be involved in utilizing sport as a positive tool for youth development. He says he owes his inspiration and drive to football, and his desire to replicate the good of sport off the playing field.

SHAHID BISHARA
Arab Town, Israel

Shahid is a Muslim Israeli who was born in Tira, an Arab town in Israel. She started playing squash at the age of 10 when she was chosen to participate in a project aimed to help bridge gaps between Arab and Jewish cultures in Israel using sport. Through Squash Bond, Shahid has met and made many Jewish and Arab friends. Shahid’s dream is to be a squash coach and build a squash center in her town. Shahid is an open-minded social person and likes to make friends from different cultures and backgrounds. She wishes to be a global citizen and is ready to do her best to develop this citizenship.

HRH PRINCE FEISAL AL HUSSEIN
President, Jordan Olympic Committee Founder & Chairman, Generations for Peace

HRH Prince Feisal is a man of sport with a stellar sports administration background. An IOC Member since 2010, he has been a key part of numerous IOC Commissions for over a decade. HRH Prince Feisal became President of the Jordan Olympic Committee in 2003. He has transformed the sport structure in Jordan over the past 15 years, and his latest initiative – the introduction of the National Strategy for Sport in January 2017 – is already having a significant impact on the development of grassroots and elite sport. HRH Prince Feisal also founded Generations For Peace, a leading global not-for-profit peace-building organization that empowers volunteer youth leaders to promote tolerance in communities through sport, art, advocacy and dialogue.

JON TIBBS OBE
Founder/Chairman, Jon Tibbs Associates (JTA)

Jon Tibbs is Chairman and founder of JTA, a leading international relations and communications agency specializing in the area of international sport and particularly clients linked to the Olympic Movement. Founded in March 2008, JTA works with NGOs, International Sport Federations, National Olympic and Paralympic Committees, sponsors, athletes, event organizers and many other stakeholders in global sport to ensure that they achieve their individual goals. In 2017, Jon was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty, The Queen for his services to International Trade in the Sports Sector.

RENATA SIMRIL
President & CEO, LA84 Foundation

Ms. Simril is the President/CEO of the LA84 Foundation, a legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games. The Foundation is a nationally recognized leader in support of youth sport programs and public education and advocates for the important role sports participation plays in positive youth development. Under her Presidency, LA84 has embraced the guiding Principles of SSH; the ideals of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement; and are leaders in the #PlayForAll Movement. Ms. Simril coined the term, Play Equity, to describe a national crisis hiding in plain sight, that play is a basic human right and all youth deserve equal access. She is regularly listed as one of the most influential leaders in the civic realm and sports industry. She is also an in-demand public speaker among national and local organizations seeking positive solutions to the problem of play inequity.

VICTOR MONTAGLIANI
FIFA Vice President; Concacaf President

With a lifelong commitment to football, as a player and administrator, Mr. Montagliani’s passion for the game has led him to become a leader within the sport. As part of his ONE Concacaf vision, Montagliani’s aim is to define the relationship with all Concacaf Member Associations and every member of the football community, by service and not by power. On his passion for the game, Mr. Montagliani states: “Football is my life, I have spent my entire life with a football at my feet, in my mind, and in my heart. I am humbled to serve Concacaf while leading the evolution of the region’s game.”

GERALD MBALLE
Cameroon, Central Africa (currently residing in Torine, Italy)

Gerald Mballe is an active spokesperson for the Special Olympics movement and promotes the Special Olympics inclusive sports programme called Unified Sports. Gerald is a refugee from Cameroon, who fled violence from Boko Haram in the northern part of the country and moved to Italy.  Gerald is an aspiring university student who recently graduated high school and now intends to dedicate himself to International Studies, Development and Cooperation starting in September 2019. Gerald most recently competed as part of the Special Olympics Italia Unified Football team at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March 2019. Gerald envisions a world where individuals with intellectual disabilities lead the way in educating the world on what it means to celebrate differences, inclusion, and mankind’s common bond.

KHALIDA POPAL
Kabul, Afghanistan (currently residing in Copenhagen, Denmark)

Khalida is a women’s rights activist and former captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Football Team. In 2011, facing serious death threats due to her activities for women empowerment, Khalida was forced to flee from her homeland. In 2014, she founded Girl Power – an organization that uses the power of sport to empower girls, women, refugees and minorities. Her hard work and dedication earned her a Champion of the Year award from Peace and Sport. Currently residing in Copenhagen, Khalida now works at FC Nordsjælland Danish Premier League Club, Women’s Football Department. She also travels around as a guest speaker at various events including UN Women, FIFA, World Football Summit, among others.

MARTIN “CUCHU” ROJKES
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Martin is a youth leadership counsellor, informal educator, football player and football coach who is currently studying industrial engineering at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Martin or Cuchu, as he is fondly called by his friends and family, has been involved in informal education for about 9 years, starting as a madrich (young counselor) and now serves as Coordinator for the School of Leadership for Young Counsellors. In sports, Martin coached a team of 10 year-old kids who competed in the National Maccabi Games 2010 and since 2014, has served as Captain of a football team competing at the Intern Tournament.  In 2015, he created and launched a campaign themed around Respect on and off the playing field – “Ninguna camiseta es más importante que un compañero” which means, “No shirt is more important than camaraderie”.

MPAI TSHIDISEGANG TSHWARO RAMPOU
Cape Town, South Africa

Mpai was born in Mafikeng, South Africa.  She has recently completed her Masters in Sport Recreation and Exercise Science, at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa and leads youth groups in sport and recreation activities at the Annual Youth Peace Heritage Games with the Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace. She was a NRF Collaborative Post-Graduate Training Grant recipient and Sports has always been a very important part of Mpai’s life for as long as she can remember. Mpai is also currently working as a Marketing Assistant for Grandstand Management, who are responsible for organising the Absa Cape Epic and FNB Wines2Whales. Mpai’s message to South Africa’s Youth and all Youth: “No matter how difficult your circumstances are, don’t give up. Everything happens for a reason and your time will come!”

RABBI CARLOS A. TAPIERO
Deputy Director General, Maccabi World Union

Rabbi Carlos Tapiero is the Deputy-Director General and the Director of Education of Maccabi World Union, an organisation with half-million members in 400 branches across 70 countries, which utilises sports to bring Jewish people of all ages closer to Judaism and Israel. For a dozen years, he served as CEO and Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Guatemala. Tapiero lectures on numerous topics in the USA, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Israel, and his experience ranges over much of the theoretical and practical nexus of modern Jewish community organisation and sports: community and institutional direction and organisation; network building; Judaism as culture; writing and implementation of educational curricula for all ages and endowment funds.

CHARMAINE CROOKS, C.M.
Five-Time Olympian, Olympic Silver Medalist, Entrepreneur

A five-time Canadian Olympian and Olympic silver medalist (athletics), Charmaine is a Member of the Order of Canada (C.M), entrepreneur, director, speaker, and advocate for sport. She is Founder of NGU Consultants, a global consultancy and management firm and co-founder of the 365 International Sport Foundation dedicated to bringing communities together through sport. She is also a global Champion for Peace with Peace and Sport and founding member of Right to Play International Board. A former elected Member of the International Olympic Committee, Charmaine served on the Athlete’s Commission, Press Commission, Culture and Education Commission, New Media working group, IOC 2000 Reform Commission and the founding IOC Ethics Committee. She was a founding board member of 2010 Olympic Winter Games (Vanoc), currently member of the Canadian Olympic Committee (Olympians Canada), Canadian Soccer Association and the Organising Committee for FIFA Competitions.

GEORGE PYNE
Founder & CEO, Bruin Sports Capital

George Pyne is CEO of Bruin Sports Capital which he founded in January 2015. Bruin specializes in developing high-growth, high-yield global businesses in the technology, sports, media, live events, marketing, and entertainment sectors. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of Courtside Ventures, an early-stage fund launched in 2016 devoted to entrepreneurs transforming the intersection of sports, media, and technology. Multiple prestigious publications and organizations have recognized Pyne as one of the great sports industrialists of the last quarter century. He is a Board Member of the National Football Foundation and the National Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of New York and was previously on the Board of 24 Hour Fitness. Pyne is a graduate of Brown University where he was also Football Team Captain and an All-Ivy League, and All-New England honoree.

MARIA VALLES SEGURA
Director General, FC Barcelona Foundation

Maria Valles was appointed Director General of FC Barcelona Foundation in May 2016, with a mandate to give a new impetus to the development of program focused on educating children in values ​​through sport. Prior to FC Barcelona, Vallès has been the director of external management at the Vicente Ferrer Foundation since 2012. With more than 18 years of experience in the non-profit sector, she was also in charge of communication and advocacy for ISGlobal, executive director of the AIDS Foundation and responsible for Fundraising and Communication for Doctors Without Borders. Maria has also coordinated various humanitarian aid and development programs in Kenya on Africa (Africa) and in Guatemala (Latin America).