The SimiSleighs Foundation, founded by history-making Olympian Simidele Adeagbo with the mission to build a better world for girls and women through sport, recently announced its third cohort of the Athlete Grant Program. With athletes across five continents, this is the largest cohort to date, marking a major step in the commitment to expand global access and opportunities for women in sport.
“Being part of this program means opportunity for me,” said South African skateboarder Boipelo Awuah, a 2024 Olympian. “It is a door that has been opened to bring me a step closer to reaching and achieving my goals and fulfilling my purpose as an athlete.”
At just 19, Awuah is South Africa’s top-ranked female street skateboarder and the leading female skateboarder on the African continent since 2020. In addition to training and competing, she leads skateboarding workshops for girls in South Africa, using sport as a tool to foster confidence. She qualified for the Olympics in 2021 but was unable to compete due to injury. She considers her experience in Paris last year to be a blessing.
“My entire experience there was just breathtaking and unbelievable,” said Awuah. “Everything that I thought was impossible for me to be a part of and achieve was taking place every single day — from the moment I would wake up, at practice and when I would go back to the village. My entire Olympic journey brought me closer to Christ and continues to do so. It’s a continuous reminder that the sky’s the limit and that anything is possible if you believe and work hard.”
Another grantee recipient is Alex Klein of Romania, a bobsledder and Olympic hopeful. She is the founder of Group of Grit, set to launch in 2026 to empower young girls and women navigating personal hardships or autoimmune diseases, which Klein herself has battled. Eliana Mason of the U.S. is a two-time Paralympic medalist in goalball, a team sport for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
Pragnya Mohan, a triathlete from India, is an IOC Young Leader dedicated to using sport as a tool for social change. Cindy Ouellet, a six-time Paralympian in wheelchair basketball from Canada, empowers others by sharing her story of resilience, leadership and purpose. Adriana Ruano Oliva is Guatemala’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in shooting, winning trap shooting at the 2024 Games in Paris.
