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August 30, 2024
We’re thrilled to recognize and celebrate the first-ever Ignite365 Awards recipients – five projects using unique ways to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through sport. The Ignite365 Awards are the first initiative of the Olympism365 Innovation Hub, a collaboration between the IOC, Beyond Sport and Women Win to advance new ideas and technologies to maximize sport’s impact.
The awardees include Fenikks (Argentina), Grass Skirt Project (Papua New Guinea), Never Stop Playing Sports (Japan), touch2see (France) and WeSwim CIC (UK). Selected for their inventive projects that are reducing plastic waste, creating sustainable sports facilities, educating student-athletes on menstrual health, making live sports more accessible and helping people with disabilities stay active, each will receive a $10,000 grant to support their work.
In celebrating their achievements, the new annual award aims to inspire further innovation and collaboration in sport for sustainable development, driving positive change in communities worldwide. Additional funding opportunities will open later this year including for Collective365 and Tech365. Learn more here.
“As a consortia, we’re thrilled to support concrete solutions to complex global issues through cutting-edge sports initiatives that are already uplifting communities around the world. This is just one part of our efforts as the Olympism365 Innovation Hub to impact thousands of people through thought leadership, investment and collaboration by 2026,” shared Beyond Sport Executive Director, Fred Turner and Women Win GRLS Director Nicole Matuska.
The Ignite365 Call for Innovations in Sport for Sustainable Development received more than 200 applications from 86 countries. All submissions were reviewed through a shortlisting process and by a participatory Review Committee inclusive of five experts representing sport for development, social enterprise, technology and youth leaders in the sector to finalize these five innovators.
“The Ignite365 Awards celebrate innovators whose creative solutions use sport in new and impactful ways to address key challenges faced in their communities such as accessibility, inequality and discrimination and plastic recycling. In doing so, the Ignite365 Awards aim to not only support their work but to inspire further innovation and collaboration,” said IOC Olympism365 Associate Director, Ollie Dudfield.
The funding will support existing projects that are pioneering new technologies, inclusive program designs and climate-positive models that have not typically been seen or implemented in the sport for development sector. They will also join the Olympism365 Innovation Hub’s growing network of collaborators, contributing to its impact while benefiting from opportunities for knowledge-sharing.
MEET THE 2024 IGNITE365 RECIPIENTS
Fenikks – Argentina
Fenikks transforms plastic waste into football shin guards. For each pair sold, another pair is given as an incentive for responsible environmental action to clubs in neighborhoods in need. So far, they’ve donated 3,000 pairs of shin guards made of recycled plastic. Fenikks also provides collection points in 56 neighborhoods across seven regions of Argentina to help cut down on plastic waste and pollution. Their next step is to create football boots from plastic waste and continue donating a pair for every pair sold.
“For me, being recognized by the Olympism365 Innovation Hub means an opportunity to broaden our impact and movement, which believes that sport can transform reality. It’s a huge step in our career and we’re really excited to start connecting with each other,” said Tomás Machuca, Fenikks Founder and CEO.
Grass Skirt Project – Papua New Guinea
The Grass Skirt Project (GSP) is dedicated to leveraging sports to drive social change in Papua New Guinea. GSP empowers youth, particularly women and girls, by promoting gender equality, health and leadership. Their innovation, Gymbox, repurposes shipping containers to provide mobile and sustainable fitness facilities, health education and community engagement opportunities. In just two years, the program has grown from 3,500 visits to 7,500 visits, and impacted communities have seen improved health outcomes, reduced crime rates and positive shifts in attitudes toward gender equality.
“Being selected for the Olympism365 Innovation Hub investment empowers Grass Skirt Project to enhance Gymbox and ten million strong leadership programs, aiming to create one million youth leaders by 2050, fostering safer communities and gender equality through sports,” said Tahina Booth, Grass Skirt Project Managing Director and Founder.
Never Stop Playing Sports – Japan
Never Stop Playing Sports launched in 2020 as a project for student-athletes who were unable to play sports during COVID-19. Their innovation, the 1252 Project, is Japan’s first educational program that provides menstrual health education and support for student-athletes to ensure they can keep playing. The initiative supports youth through educational platforms that provide reliable information, advice and guidance about menstruation, as well as an online textbook designed to increase community outreach and engagement.
“We feel honored to be selected for the Olympism365 Innovation Hub investment.
By utilizing this opportunity and grant, we aim to disseminate the knowledge of physiology and sports all over the world through the collaborative efforts with global partners,” said Hanae Ito, Never Stop Playing Sports Chairman.
touch2see – France
touch2see is developing a touch-sensitive tablet that helps the visually impaired to follow live sporting events. Using technology initially developed for sports broadcasters, coaches and journalists, the real-time sports data transmits the coordinates of the players and the ball, as well as contextual match data to the tablet. The tablet provides automated audio description and transmits the position of the ball via a magnetic cursor, with vibrations to translate the intensity of the game. This innovation enables live sport to be more inclusive and accessible to visually impaired fans.
“For us it means placing touch2see onto a global framework for policy development that will help us supercharge accessibility for visually impaired sports fans not just in France but all around the world,” said Arthur Chazelle touch2see Founder and CEO.
WeSwim CIC – UK
By creating communities around our swimming clubs, WeSwim provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to be active and connect with others. Volunteers offer personalized support, enabling participants to perform physiotherapy exercises, learn to swim or simply gain confidence in the water. A community-centric, volunteer-driven approach is at the heart of WeSwim’s innovation, ensuring sustainable and inclusive access to physical activity for disabled people.
“I am truly honored to have WeSwim’s innovative work recognized, the support will enable us to expand our program to help more disabled adults enjoy the freedom of movement in the water and the motivation to stay active,” said Tash Fleming, WeSwim Founder and Director.
Get to know more about the 2024 Ignite365 Award winners over the coming weeks starting with Fenikks.
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