Laureus is proud to launch the Real Heroes campaign, an inspirational series of human interest stories, which prove that sport has the power to change the world.
16 years after Laureus’ Founding Patron Nelson Mandela said “Sport has the power to change the world” at the first Laureus World Sports Awards, Mandela’s words continue to ring true in some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities around the world. This has become the philosophy of Laureus and the driving force behind its work.
Ahead of the Laureus World Sports Awards, which take place in Berlin on Monday, 18 April, the Real Heroes stories will showcase the incredible work of Laureus Sport for Good to transform the lives of individuals and promote the power of sport as a development tool to combat challenging social issues.
Discover the new Laureus Storytelling
The new Real Heroes campaign uses a storytelling approach and focuses on all the inspiring stories of the projects supported by Laureus Sport for Good. This campaign focuses on meaningful content that could inspire people and educate them on the work of Laureus Sport for Good, which uses sport as the means to promote social change.
The objective of the Real Heroes campaign is to tell stories which are genuinely surprising, with the endorsement of top athletes, creating truly engaging and emotional narratives. Ideally, they will engage followers to think that thanks to sport, the world is a better place.
Real Heroes launches with stories from three continents, all using different sports to support young people who need it most. From youngsters in a Cape Town townships who are using skateboarding and surfing as a source of therapy and support, to an organisation highlighting the power cricket has to shift perceptions of young people with a disability.
Laureus invites sports fans to discover our brand new Real Heroes website with unique content presented through interactive long form feature articles with a fully responsive design including impactful photos and exclusive videos to bring our stories to life.
The work of project leaders and participants which is highlighted in Real Heroes, has impressed Laureus ambassadors and academy members like skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, Paralympic legend Tanni Grey Thompson, big wave surf champion Sebastian Steudtner and Spanish football icon Raúl González.
Charl Jensel uses skateboarding to provide a pathway out of trouble for youngsters living in the township communities of Cape Town and works for Laureus’ supported project the Indigo Youth Movement.
“These kids would honestly have been lost, they would have had nothing without this program, now they have hopes, dreams and a way out,” says Jensel.
Meanwhile in India, Sneh Gupta is helping to integrate youngsters with disabilities into a society which traditionally doesn’t accept them. Using a variety of sports and games, the youngsters are given a chance to express themselves and develop skills to compete with able-bodied athletes in cricket matches.
“There was this one kid who was a double-amputee, just below his bottom. He was flying through the air, just moving on his bottom using his hands. They were so happy, there was no reason to pity them because they were so full of life and happy,” says Gupta.
Collectively, the Real Heroes represent a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good.
González, who had visited the Fight Back project in New York’s the Bronx, was inspired by the real heroes he met. Reflecting on his visit, he said that the project is led by local instructors from the area, who know and understand the kids and that this really is the way to change lives and make a difference.
Sport fans are encouraged to spread the word and embrace the power of sport by using the hashtag #RealHeroes on
Twitter.
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