Worldwide Olympic Partner P&G awards latest Athletes for Good charitable grants ahead of Paris 2024
Ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Worldwide Olympic and Paralympic Partner P&G has chosen 20 athletes who will be honoured in the latest edition of the Athletes for Good programme, which awards grants worth USD 24,000 to charitable organisations supported by each athlete.
As the world counts down to the Games, these athletes from around the globe are not only dedicating themselves to training and preparation for one of the most meaningful events of their careers – their pursuit of greatness also extends beyond the field of play and out into their communities as they champion the causes they care about.
Inspired by these incredible athletes doing good in their communities, P&G, in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC), launched the Athletes for Good initiative in 2020 to celebrate the efforts of athletes who partner with causes to serve their communities in areas such as equality and inclusion, sustainability and community impact.
According to a recent survey conducted by the IOC, more than 90 per cent of athletes said they care about social causes, but many of them face barriers when trying to support these causes, such as lack of funding, time, or a big enough platform. The Athletes for Good programme aims to bridge this gap by providing financial resources directly to the community impact partners important to athletes, to fuel the positive work they are doing together.
Whether they're mentoring the next generation of athletes, increasing accessibility to sport for people with disabilities, or providing resources for those struggling with mental health issues, P&G aims to help athletes continue to make a meaningful impact beyond the sporting field of play.
More than 100 athletes from around the world applied for grant funding through the Athletes for Good programme for Paris 2024, with the 20 recipients being selected based on several criteria, including their passion for and personal impact on their chosen charity partner.
The recipients represent 11 different nationalities across 12 sports, including Olympic and Paralympic medallists, elite athletes, and Paris hopefuls, with each of their chosen charity partners receiving a USD 24,000 grant.
Recipients include US surfer Griffin Colapinto, who started supporting To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) – a non-profit that supports young people struggling with depression, addiction, suicidal ideation, and self-injury – after dealing with his own mental health issues. The grant will provide 96 high schools with TWLOHA’s week-long mental health curriculum.
Three-time Olympian representing Great Britain in athletics Eilish McColgan will also receive a grant after founding Giving Back to Track – a non-profit that provides support to young people to alleviate the financial burdens of competing in athletics. The grant will enable the expansion of its free after-school clubs and start a fund to source trainers for deserving athletes.
The recipients also include Italian Paralympic swimmer Carlotta Gilli, who joined forces with ToSwim, whose mission to enhance swimming accessibility for the underserved and people with disabilities inspired her to become an ambassador for the company in 2019. ToSwim is an integrated SuperApp that digitises the world of swimming and creates a new experience for all swimmers by involving them in a community where they can communicate, inform, play, compete and become active fans in competitions and aquatic events. The grant will allow ToSwim to install LED systems – which induce stimulation through sensory channels and facilitate the psychological, psychotherapeutic, and rehabilitative well-being of people with physical and or mental disabilities – in six pools, impacting 600 people per week, per pool.
To highlight the philanthropic efforts of their chosen charity partners, P&G will tell the stories of the Athletes for Good recipients in the lead-up to Paris 2024 in local markets around the world through brand partnerships, social media, and retail partner activations.
The Athletes for Good initiative supports the Olympic Agenda 2020+5 recommendations, which call on the IOC to continue to develop programmes and platforms for the direct benefit of athletes, and to work with the Worldwide Olympic Partners to develop mutually beneficial purpose-led partnerships, recognising the role of sport as an important enabler for the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.