London: Laureus Academy Member and Olympic swimming star Missy Franklin has vowed to support the young girls from the Laureus Sport for Good Award winning Yuwa programme in rural Jharkhand, India.
Missy, who won four gold medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games, was elected into the Laureus World Sports Academy at the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco. Her first duty in her new role was to present Yuwa with the prestigious Laureus Sport for Good Award.
Missy was so inspired by the girls from Yuwa and the work organisation does, using football to empower young girls to overcome violence and child marriage and choose their own futures. Following the Awards, Missy kept in contact with the team at Yuwa and was invited to join their board. Her ultimate goal is to build a permanent school there.
“I’m so excited to say I’ve accepted so as well as being a Laureus Academy Member I am also now a board member at Yuwa and doing a lot of work with Franz and Rose for their community out there and for the school that they have for young girls,” said Missy.
“Laureus bought me to that, it gave me that opportunity and now I have whole another project that I am just so passionate about because of Laureus.”
In her early career, Franklin won five Olympic gold medals and eleven World Championship titles, before retiring at the age of 23 due to injury. Her drive and determination in the pool has spilled into her life out of the pool and she is determined to use the power of sport for good in her role as the youngest member of the Laureus World Sports Academy.
“It’s a dream come true,” said Missy. “I’m just so passionate about it. I have time for this now, I get to do this and I still have all that passion that I had for swimming, but in so many different areas of my life now that I really get to pursue.”
Given the current global situation, Franklin’s support so far has been virtual, but she intends to make an effort to visit India and the girls at Yuwa when circumstances allow.
“Ultimately, our plan is to build a permanent girls school there,” says Franklin “It is unbelievable what they’re doing, and so I’m really, really hoping I can get out there in the future to see everyone and see the girls, and learn a, a few football skills cause I’m a little lacking in that area!”
Franklin, who is currently in quarantine in her home in the United States, believes the Laureus vision and Laureus Sport for Good can have a positive impact in the fight against Covid-19.
“Laureus has shown through the power of sport, that lives can be changed and impact when we come together, when we all put our hearts and souls behind a cause, for a much greater purpose than just our own.
