LR: Ella Al-Shamahi; Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson; Justin Rowlatt; Ed Leigh
The jury for our Young Athlete of the Year and Athlete of the Year awards includes:
Ella Al-Shamahi
Ella is a researcher, paleoanthropologist, biologist… and a stand-up comic. She has traveled to some of the world’s most hostile and unstable regions on behalf of science, and has seen firsthand the places that are becoming the frontline for the effects of climate change. As a stand-up, Ella uses comedy as a coping strategy, but also to convey science. She believes that clear and humorous scientific communication and empowering local people are the way forward for sustainable development.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson
Tanni is an athletic icon who has won 11 gold medals, four silver medals and one bronze medal at the Paralympic Games. She assumed the title of Baroness Grey-Thompson when she was appointed to the House of Lords in 2010. Tanni is Chair of Ukactive and Trustee of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and sits on the boards of several other organisations. Her broad knowledge and her lived experience in top-class sport, combined with her lobbying work, offer invaluable perspectives.
Ed Leigh
Ed is passionate about nature and its ability to inspire all of us to overcome the challenges we face to live more sustainable lives. A broadcaster and journalist specializing in action and adventure sports, Ed is best known for his work on Ski Sunday and the Olympics for the `. Ed has seen firsthand the impact of climate change on the alpine environment and the challenges faced by winter sports.
Justin Rowlat
As the `’s climate editor, Justin has traveled internationally for the organization and has seen evidence of climate change everywhere. He sees it as the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, and addressing it means changing the way we do just about everything. “We’re rightly concerned and apprehensive about the prospect, but I think we should also look at this as an exciting exploration story and I’m really excited to have been given the chance to ringside,” he says.
Left to right: Mie Kajikawa; Danielle Mulder; Madeline Orr; Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu; Alison Tickle
The jury for our Ambition and Impact & Teamwork Awards includes:
Mie Kajikawa
Mie founded Sport For Smile; the first-ever platform in Japan to harness the power of sport for social change. Mie has worked with the UN and the World Bank, running official side events around the 2018 Fifa World Cup and Tokyo 2020. Her work focuses on influencing and persuading Japanese sports organizations to take action on climate change.
Danielle Mulder
Danielle has worked in sustainability for over 16 years and is Group Sustainability Director at the `, working for the public sector and our commercial subsidiaries. She has experience working with large global clients and projects including Aviva, London 2012, the Commonwealth Games, Sydney Metro, Network Rail and Burger King. Danielle is a Net Zero specialist and runs the `’s Net Zero and Climate Risk programme.
dr Madeleine Orr
dr Orr is a sports ecologist at Loughborough University London. She is the founder and co-director of the Sport Ecology Group – an international consortium of academics advancing climate action in the sport sector through research and public education initiatives. Her research has been reported by several global news outlets such as Time Magazine, The Guardian, Reuters and others. Madeline is considered a global thought leader for sustainability in sport.
Alison Tickle
Originally trained as a cellist, Alison worked with jazz improvisation artist and teacher John Stevens. In 2007 she founded Julie’s Bicycle as a non-profit company that helps the music industry reduce its environmental impact and develop new approaches that address global environmental challenges. Julie’s Bicycle is recognized as a leading organization connecting sustainability with arts and culture. Alison has sat on many awarding panels including the Observer Ethical Awards and the RCA Sustainable Design Awards.
Born Xhaferi Salihu
Lindita is leading the work on sectoral engagement in climate action as part of the wider United Nations work on Global Climate Action. She led the development of multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on decarbonization, including the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action initiative, which aimed to activate sport to reduce its environmental footprint and leverage its platforms, to mobilize society as a whole.
click here to learn more about the different award categories.
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