Free to Run Wins 2020 Beyond Sport Global Award
We are proud to share that Free to Run has won the Beyond Sport 2020 Sport For Peace & Social Justice Award!
We were recognized for our work in promoting peace and social justice across divides in Afghanistan and Iraq through sport, and for developing female leaders as a force for change to bring people together across cultural, ethnic, and religious lines.
Congratulations to all of the other winners and shortlisted organizations around the world who are using the power of sport to heal and create positive change!
Quotes from the Free to Run team
“Sport is a lesson, it’s a lesson about our body and mind. Winning this award does not just make us happy but it can change our Afghan women and girls’ lives as well as my own. It gives us hope to continue running and to have more achievements with other girls in the sport. I am so excited about the Beyond Sport Award!”
“In my community, sport and supporting a variety of sports programs is a big achievement. In Afghanistan when a female is exercising, it is not just because of her physical health but because she is a fighter. We use sport to change our society and create a positive mindset for men and women. We use sport to bring gender equality, and we use sport for cohesion between different ethnicities and minorities. So, in my view, these tireless efforts are a reward in and of themselves! Thank you!”
“We are so excited and honoured to be recognized by Beyond Sport, particularly amongst such an amazing group of organizations. This award belongs to the women and girls in our programs in Afghanistan and Iraq - they inspire us every day to do more, run farther, and aim higher! I can’t wait to see where this takes us next.”
“I am honored to win such an important award in this critical time. It means a lot to me. I am proud as it’s my first year working with Free to Run. It gives me a great feeling and energy to keep going to achieve more meaningful goals for the girls. I am grateful for the recognition.”
“It has been inspiring simply to be a part of this journey as a two-time Beyond Sport Global Awards Shortlister alongside such amazing organizations. To win this year, of all years, is an affirmation to our Afghan and Iraqi staff and participants that their work matters and motivates us all to fight harder to build peaceful and inclusive societies for our female athletes and their wider communities.”
“Sport is the secret of survival, the drive to achieve what I cannot do. It’s the light in the midst of the darkness of displacement and masculinity which I’ve been forced to challenge them. Regarding my winning of the award, it represents to me a different meaning and an addition to my sports career and in reality, I am overwhelmed with happiness regardless of its value. A feeling of pleasure, hope and optimism. To me, it’s a pride and for all the other Iraqi girls who have gone through cruel conditions.”
About the 2020 Beyond Sport Global Awards
Now in its 12th year, the 2020 Beyond Sport Global Awards celebrate, support, raise awareness and provide funding for ways sport is used to help make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a reality.
This year's Beyond Sport Global Awards Shortlist of 16 standouts covered 36 countries across six continents using more than 25 sports to positively impact communities around the world and to move us all further towards achieving the UN Global Goals by 2030.
Learn more at beyondsport.org/awards.
