Missy Franklin appointed to The Board of Laureus Sport for Good

Missy Franklin Johnson, the youngest ever member of the Laureus World Sports Academy, youngest ever winner of the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, five-time Olympic Gold medal winner and 11-time world champion, has been announced as a Trustee of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

In Missy's role on the Global Board, she will provide oversight and guidance of Laureus Sport for Good's Global work, which includes funding more than 250 Sport for Development programmes in over 50 countries and territories around the world.

"I am truly honoured to be asked to join the Board of such an incredible organisation," said Missy. "Laureus has been a huge part of my life for almost a decade, and I am inspired every day by the impact we have in communities around the world. It is a privilege to be asked to serve in such a crucial role as we continue to grow that impact."

“Sport has been a constant in my life and I’m so grateful for everything it has given me. Spending time at Laureus programmes around the world opened my eyes to the crucial role sport plays, giving youth hope, inspiration, and a path to a better future. I’m excited to contribute what I can in my new role as a Trustee, using sport helping young people overcome inequality and discrimination.” 

Missy has served as a Laureus Ambassador since 2015, joining the Laureus World Sports Academy in 2019. She has visited multiple Laureus programmes around the world and represented the organisation as a spokesperson on many occasions.

Edwin Moses, the Chair of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, said: "Missy will, I know, be an incredible addition to our Board. Her passion and understanding of our programmes is tangible - you can see it when she interacts with kids at our programmes, and you can see it when she talks with her fellow Trustees. 

“As a youth-serving organisation it is important for those of us who have been with Laureus for many years to hear a voice from a younger generation, and from someone who was in the public eye at such a young age. Her commitment to supporting young girls through the power of sport is aligned with our own commitment to true gender equity - from the Boardroom to the fields, courts and pitches on which our programmes do their work." 

In July, celebrating the launch of the Laureus Annual Review, Franklin spoke about her commitment to sport as a tool for gender equity, saying: "I want every young girl to have something to look up to, to aspire to, and to learn from, because we all got to where we are today by standing on the shoulders of those that have come before us. That's what Laureus programmes deliver in more than 50 countries and territories around the world."

Missy takes on her new role with immediate effect.