• Ronald Agenor, International Tennis Player, Haïti

Known as the Haitian Sensation since his début in 1983, Ronald Agenor has marked the memory of international circuits with his style and energy. Thanks to historic victories against stars like Andre Agassi and Mats Wilander, he climbed into the Top 20 of ATP’s rankings in 1987. Along with Jimmy Connors, he is one of the few professional players to still be ranked in the Top 100 35 years later.

Ronald has since created the Ronald Agenor Tennis Academy in Los Angeles, and remains very involved in sports development in Haiti.

• Isaac Angbo, African Judo champion, Côte d’Ivoire

Isaac Angbo was one of the greatest middle-weight judokas in Africa. Champion of Africa in 1992, the same year he also took part in the Barcelona Olympics with the support of Olympic Solidarity.

Since he has become president of the Ivorian Judo Federation, Isaac has been very keen to use judo’s values and moral code to help street kids in his country go to school and reintegrate into society. With Peace and Sport’s help, he renovates judo halls in many vulnerable regions in Cote d'Ivoire.

• Serge Betsen, Rugby Champion for France, Cameroon

Voted best French player of the 2002 championship, Serge Betsen has stood on many podiums over the course of his career: Champion of France in 2002, 2005 and 2006 with Biarritz Olympique, he played in the winning team of the Six Nations in 2007, Serge has been selected to play for France 63 times. He is considered to be the best flanker in the world by many rugby specialists.

In his native country Cameroon, Serge Betsen founded “Serge Betsen Academy”, designed to introduce disadvantaged youth to the practice of rugby. The association uses rugby training as a vehicle for social integration, personal development and access to education for thousands of youngsters from slum areas in Yaoundé. Although modest, the NGO has brought structure and stability into the lives of a hundred children using Serge Betsen’s popularity. The project won the Peace and Sport Award for the Best NGO of the Year in 2008.

• Rohan Bopanna, Professionnal Tennis Player, India

Since he entered the professional tennis world in 2003, Rohan Bopanna has established himself as one of the best doubles players in ATP tournaments. In this category, he was ranked 43rd in 2008 (a career high) after winning the Los Angeles Open.

Rohan has represented India in the Davis Cup on nine occasions since 2002. He is currently the top seed in the country and aims to represent the sub-continent in For over 3 years, Rohan has played in a doubles team with Aisam Ul-Haq Qureshi from Pakistan, who is another Champion for Peace. Together, Aisam and Rohan have enjoyed many victories, notably winning an ATP Trophy and several Challenger Trophies and reaching the finals in four events in the ATP World Tour.

• Benjamin Boukpeti, Olympic medallist Canoe-Kayak, Togo

At just 28 years old, Benjamin Boukpeti is the current African Canoe Champion and the first Olympic medallist in the history of Togo, winning a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

He is also the co-founder of Team Amadonsa which rallies 12 athletes of 8 different nationalities around a common mission: rallying top-level canoeists around common values, particularly for peace-promotion. The team helps to make the practice of canoe-kayak widespread throughout the world by putting sports programmes with a social and educative vocation into place.

• Sergey Bubka, Olympic Champion, World Champion, Pole-vaulting, Ukraine

Sergey Bubka is a living legend in athletics. From 1983 to 1997 he incontestably dominated pole-vaulting. Throughout this period, he broke no less than 35 world records (for the most part his own). He holds the overall record with a jump of 6.14m in July 1994.

After winning the Gold Medal in Seoul in 1988 he is the only athlete from any discipline to hold six world championship titles.

Sergey Bubka is today an eminent member of the International Olympic Committee, where he presides over the Coordination Committee for the first Youth Olympic Games, and is involved in many charitable associations.

• Loris Capirossi, World Champion, Motorcycling, Italy

Capirex made his mark at a very young age as very gifted in motorcycle racing. He won the world cup at his first ever world championships for 125cc when he was only 17! Not just beginner's luck, he affirmed his flying start by winning the World Championships a second time.

Moving up a category, he asserted himself in the 250cc class and became World Champion in 1998.

With 29 Grand Prix victories, 41 pole positions and a total 98 times on the winner’s podium, Loris Capirossi is exceptional.

• Sébastien Chabal, Winner of Six Nations, Rugby, France

A very popular figure who is highly mediatised, Sébastien Chabal has built a solid reputation as a third row flanker and second row player. With Sébastien, the English club Sale Sharks won the European Challenge Cup in 2005, the English premiership in 2006 and the Champions Cup in the same year.

He played for France when they won the 2007 Six Nations plus other championships and reached the semi-finals twice in the World Cup.

Sébastien is a charismatic person who has decided to put his fame at the long-term service of peace through sport. He has announced that he would like to take part in Peace and Sport’s field projects and the end of his sports career.

• Chairmane Crooks, 400 metres, 800 metres, Canada

Chairmane Crooks is a highly emblematic athlete who has always combined top-level competitions with charity work.

For nearly 20 years she incarnated the athletic face of Canada, competing in no less than 5 Olympic Games! She won the silver medal in the Los Angeles games in 1984 in the 4x400m. She was the first Canadian woman to run 800m in under 2 minutes and won Golds in the Pan-American Games, the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup in this category.

She had the honour of carrying the Canadian flag during the Opening Ceremony of the Atlanta games. A member of the IOC from 2000-2004, Chairmane is today a member of the Executive Committee of the Canadian Olympic Committee and has been Vice President of the World Olympians Association since 2003.

She is also a founding member and board member of the NGO Right To Play.

• Novak Djokovic, International Tennis player, ATP World n°2, Serbia

Novak Djokovic is writing the history of Serbian tennis in gold letters. At only 23 years old he has achieved impressive results that would be the envy of many older players.

Novak came from a family of sportsmen and women. He started playing tennis at the age of 4 and embarked on his stellar career path when he was 14, in 2001. In this same year he finished as European champion (singles, doubles, team). In 2005, he decided to devote his time and efforts to playing professional tournaments and pave the way towards becoming one of the world’s best tennis players.

In 2006, he became the youngest player in the ATP top 20 ranking, and has never left it since.

Since then, he has unceasingly impressed tennis fans around the globe with his incredibly successful results and titles, his determination, charisma, sense of humor and kindness. Today he is the world’s ATP n°2 seed and his way to victory will surely not stop there!

• Daniel Elena, World Champion, Rally Driver, Monaco

Daniel Elena has been Sebastien Loeb’s discreet but efficient co-driver since 1997. Together, they have won the World Rally Championship six times between 2004 and 2009!

With 54 victories and 6 consecutive titles, Daniel Elena is the co-driver with the most victories in the WRC's history.

• Hicham El Guerrouj, Olympic Champion, World Champion, middle distance, Morocco

With titles of Olympic Champion and quadruple World Champion, Hicham El Guerrouj is considered as one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time. He still holds the World Record in the 1,500m, the Mile and 2,000m.

After his unforgettable performance at the Athens Olympics in 2004, Hicham received the honour of ‘Cordon de Commandeur’ from the King of Morocco Mohammed VI and was elected Best Sportsman of the Year in Morocco, for the ninth time in total and the eighth time in a row. An unparalleled recognition for the young athlete from Berkane.

The same year he became a member of the International Olympic Committee. This role led him to personally invest himself in the values of sport, particularly for young people. In 2010 Hicham was elected as a role model during the first Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Hicham has been a Pace and Sport Ambassador since 2007.

• Maro Engel, Rally Driver, Germany

At the age of 24, Maro Engel is a promising young talent in car racing.

After competing in Go-Karting, Formula 3 and Formula 3000 with excellent results, today he is a rising star in the German Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

• Jean-Philippe Fleurian, Professional Tennis Player, France

Jean-Philippe Fleurian was a professional tennis player for 14 years, and a member of the French team in the Davis Cup for 10 years (1986-1996) achieving 2 Davis Cup victories in 1991 and 1996. He played in 2 finals in the ATP circuit and reached the semi-finals in Wimbledon and the Australian Open as well as an ATP victory and the doubles title at the Marseille Open. He beat Boris Becker, Andre Agassi and Stephan Edberg amongst others. He was classed 37 in ATP’s rankings in 1990, the best place for France.

Jean-Philippe founded ‘Le Petit Tennis’ in 2001, and enlarged it to become `le Petit Sport` in 2008. Present in 18 countries throughout the world, the company teaches tennis aims and other sports using stories associated with images, to very young children whilst giving strong messages. This technique was implemented in East Jerusalem in partnership with Peace and Sport to promote a culture of peace.

• Dick Fosbury, Olympic Champion, High Jump, United States

Few athletes have made their mark on their sports discipline in the same way as Dick Fosbury.

IN the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968 he became a sporting legend by perfecting a technique for the high jump that became known as the Fosbury Flop.

It was a revelation! He won the Olympic Gold with a jump of 2.24m and on the same occasion entered into the hall of fame.

Richard Fosbury became president of the World Olympians Association in 2007, succeeding the Hungarian fencer Pál Schmitt.

• Frankie Fredericks, World Champion, 100 and 200m, Namibia

In the 90s Frankie Fredericks showed his talent on athletic tracks around the world. He has an impressive record including two silver medals for the 100 and 200m in the Barcelona Olympics (1992) and in Atlanta (1996). Frankie Fredericks was one of the best sprinters that the world has ever seen.

He was World Champion of 200m in 1993 and runner-up World Champion in 1991, 1995 and 1997, winning the Gold in the 200m in 1998 World Cup. He won the Gold in the African Championships in 1998. Other successes include winner of the 100m and 200m in the African Games in 1991, a Gold medal for the 200m in the Commonwealth Games in 1994 and 2002. He still holds the World Record for the indoor 100m and 200m and the African record for the 200m.

Currently a member of the International Olympic Committee, Frankie Fredericks is involved in many commissions that promote the Olympic spirit. He is on the IOC Executive Committee and is president of the Athletes Commission which is coordinating the first Youth Olympic Games in 2010 in Singapore.

• Cathy Freeman, Olympic Champion and World Champion, 400m, Australia

Twice 400m World Champion (1997 and 1999), Olympic Champion in 2000 for the same distance, four times gold medal winner in the Commonwealth Games in 1990- 2002 in four different disciplines (4x100m, 200m, 400m et 4x400m)… Australianborn Cathy Freeman is a real star of the athletic track.

Apart from her sporting achievements, Cathy is above all a symbol: An Aborigine, she was chosen to light the Olympic Flame for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The emotion was even stronger during her lap of honour for her victory in the 400m, when she carried the two flags: Australian and Aborigine. It was an exceptional gesture accepted by the Olympic authorities to mark the reconciliation of descendants of European immigrants and Aborigines, thanks to sport.

Today, Cathy has founded the Cathy Freeman Foundation that promotes equal opportunities, schooling and personal development for young Aborigines.

• Pierre Frolla, World Record Holder, Free diving, Monaco

In a few short years, Pierre Frolla has become the legitimate world representative of free diving since he is a four-time record-breaker in free diving (3 records for free immersion in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and one for variable weight in 2004).

Pierre works in a diving school in Monaco (L'Ecole Bleue), which gives children initiation in free diving and scuba diving. His credo : importing his passion into his sport and spiritual beliefs. He sees free diving as a way of communicating with oneself and promoting environmental issues.

• Diana Gandega, International Player, Basketball, Mali and Senegal

With a Mali-born father and Senegalese mother, brought up in France, Diana Gandega is a child of the world. She is also an outstanding international basketball player. She participated in the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and is Vice-Champion of Africa in 2009 (African Nations Cup in Madagascar) and has qualified for the 2010 World Championship.

She is also considered as one of the best female street basketball players.

• Tatiana Golovin, Professional Tennis Player, France

In her professional career of just 7 years (2002-2009) Tatiana Golovin had a huge impact on worldwide tennis with her precision and power. She studied at the prestigious Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy in Miami and was first noticed at 16 years old, in 2004, when she climbed from 345th to 27th place in the WTA rankings. She was elected ‘best new female player’ by the WTA in the same year. In 2007 she won her first two major tournaments (Amelia Island & Portoroz) that shot her to a place in the top ten seeds. She reached the finals and semi-finals of many prestigious tournaments between 2004- 2007.

Since retiring from competitions in 2009, Tatiana has designed her own line of clothes for Lacoste and is now a consultant for France Televisions for the Roland Garros tournament.

• Bertrand Grospellier, known as ‘ElkY’, professional poker player, France

Bertrand Gropellier, alias ElkY, began his career in video games, notably the famous real-time game Starcraft. He made his name when he came second in the World Cyber Games in 2001.

Judged one of the best ‘cyber athletes’ worldwide, he went to live in South Korea to pit his wits against the best players.

He started playing poker in 2003. In 2006 he joined the ‘Pokerstars.com’ team and started to play in live poker tournaments. He is currently one of the world’s top 5 professional poker players and is considered an outstanding top-level competitor.

ElkY is a regular commentator on ‘PokersStars.fr European Poker Tour’ tournaments.

• Yelena Isinbayeva, World Champion, Pole-vault, Russia

Young Yelena Isinbayeva never seems to stop! Two-time Olympic Champion in Polevault, at the Beijing and Athens Games, she is also World Champion and European Champion.

She is the current holder of indoor and outdoor world records in female pole-vaulting.

Like Sergey Bubka, who she is often compared to, Yelena constantly beats her own world records, an exceptional performance that has resulted in being named IAAF Female Athlete of the Year in 2004, 2005 and 2008.

• Olivier Jacque, World Champion, Motorcycle racer, France

Nicknamed OJ, Olivier Jacque was 250cc World Champion in 2000 and the first famous French motorcycle road racer.

Throughout his career he won no less than 7 Grand Prix victories for speed and was on the winner’s podium 35 times for the Grand Prix (34 x 250cc and 1 Moto)

• Christian Karembeu, World Champion, Football, France

Christian Karembeu has won the most victories of almost any player in France. He was playing for France when they won the FIFA World Cup in 1998, the UEFA European Cup in 2000 and the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001.

A legendary defence and midfield player, his career playing for clubs is just as impressive: twice-winner of the Champions League playing with Real Madrid in 1998 and 2000, winner of the Intercontinental Cup in 1998 and Champion of France in 1995 with Nantes.

Proud of his New Caledonian origins, he was voted Oceanic player of the year in 1995 and 1998. Christian believes in the power of sport to build bridges between divided communities and wants to get involved in encouraging dialogue that goes above and beyond racial, political, social and religious barriers.

• Peter Karlsson, World Champion, Table Tennis, Sweden

Peter Karlsson from Sweden dominated the face of international ping-pong from 1989 – 2000. Reputed for his iron spirit, his determination and his lightning attacks, Peter holds one of the best track records in table tennis. Four-times part of the World Championships winning team (1989, 1991, 1993 and 2000), he was also World Men’s Doubles Champion in 1989 and European Men’s Singles Champion in 2000.

This outstanding record earned him a place in the table tennis Hall of Fame in 2003.

Since he retired from competitions in 2006, he is a well-reputed coach who is very much involved in using the pedagogical virtues of ping pong.

• Robert Karlsson, Professional Golf Player, Sweden

With 9 victories on the European circuit and a Ryder Cup victory in 2006, Robert Karlsson is classed in the Top 10 Official World Golf Rankings.

A player who is much appreciated and respected, Robert considers sport as an irreplaceable tool to cross cultural boundaries.

• Wilson Kipketer, Long-distance World Champion Denmark

Born in Kenya and discovered at a very young age by the legendary Kipchoge Keino, Wilson Kipketer is a track and field specialist. Three-time World Champion of 800m between 1995 and 1999, he held world records for indoor and outdoor middle-distance running until August 2010.

Wilson is very active in the cause for peace through sport and attended last year's Peace and Sport International Forum. He is a member of the Jury for the Peace and Sport Awards 2009.

• Johann Koss, Olympic Champion, World Champion, speed skating, Norway

With four Olympic gold medals (two Albertville and three in Lillehammer), three medals in World Championships (1990, 1991 and 1994), twenty-three World Cup victories, Johann Koss is always regarded as the best speed skater in history more than six years after he ended his career.

Today Johann is the President of the humanitarian organization Right To Play, which uses sport to improve health, to encourage personal development and to support peace in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world. Right To Play intervenes in 23 countries.

• Alexandra Kosteniuk, Word Champion, Chess, Russia

At 25, reigning women’s world chess champion Alexandra Kosteniuk is called “the Chess Queen®”. Initiated to the game of chess at 5 years old, she started collecting international awards from the age of 10, became world champion Girls U-12 in 1996, Women’s European Champion in 2004, Russian Champion in 2005, before winning the supreme women’s world title in 2008. The same year she won the first-ever gold medal in ‘Mind Sports Games’.

Alexandra holds the highest title available to men and women chess players – Grandmaster. A true ambassador for chess worldwide and on the web, Alexandra has always worked to ensure that her favourite sport serves peace, human development and social progress.

• Sabri Lamouchi, Champion of France, Football, France and Tunisia

Sabri Lamouchi has been selected to play for France 14 times, a tribute to his excellent midfield technique.

During his career playing for clubs, he was Champion of France in 1996, (AJ Auxerre) and in 2000 (AS MONACO FC), winning the French Cup in 1996 (AJ Auxerre) and the Italian Cup in 2002 (Parma) and the Emirates Cup (Umm Salal Club). Sabri has also played for the Al Kharitiyath Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

• Sébastien Loeb, World Champion, Rally Driving, France

Sébastien Loeb is the rally driver with the highest number of World Records (7) and 62 victories in WRC championships.

He first won the French championships and the Junior Super 1600 Drivers’ Cup Championship in 2001, then the WRC World Championship in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with faithful co-pilot Daniel Elena (also a Champion for Peace) who have been a team since his very first rallies.

Some observers consider him to be the greatest rally driver of all time as well as one of the best all-rounders, capable of going from WRC to Sport-Prototypes (competing twice in the Le Mans 24 Hour) and GT races.

• Tegla Loroupe, World record-holder, Marathon and Semi-marathon, Kenya

A woman of outstanding warmth and courage, Tegla Loroupe literally flew in longdistance races in the second half of the 1990s.

Tegla holds world records in 20, 25 and 30 km. She has won the semi-marathon world championships three times and was the first African woman to win the most prestigious long-distance race: the New York Marathon, which she won twice. She also won the London, Boston, Hong-Kong, Berlin and Rome marathons, amongst others.

Tegla has been a United Nations Ambassador for Sport since 2006 and is an OXFAM Ambassador for peace and sport in Darfour. She set up her own Foundation, which since 2003 has each year organized ‘Marathons
for Peace’ in Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan. Tegla was nominated a ‘Community Hero’ during the Awards Ceremony for Kenyan sports personalities in 2007.

• Jonah Lomu, Rugby International, New Zealand

With his unusual physique and exceptional talent, Jonah Lomu is generally considered as one of Rugby’s leading stars and certainly one of the most intimidating players in the field.

When he became part of the New Zealand national team in 1994 he was the youngest player to wear the legendary shirt of the All-Blacks. His unforgettable performance during the World Cup in 1995 in South Africa earned him unparalled impact on the international rugby scene. A competition from which he still holds the record all-time top try scorer.

Victim of a severe kidney disorder that was diagnosed in 1997, Jonah succeeded in coming back to the game for the 1999 World Championships, before having a kidney transplant in 2004. Condemned to never walk again, Jonah’s perseverance paid off and he made a comeback on the Welsh rugby fields with the Cardiff Blues in 2005, a team with which the destiny of this living legend continues.

His experience led to his support of the National Kidney Research Foundation and of foundations such as Cure Kids. He also supports the Special Olympics which gives the opportunity to mentally challenged people to participate in sports competitions.

• Dan Luger, Rugby 6 Nations Tournament, Great Britain

Selected 38 times for the English national team between 1998 and 2003 and scoring 120 points in 24 tries, Dan Luger is a rugby star in England.

Playing for England, he won the 6 Nations in 2001 and 2003, the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and the Grand Slam in the same year.

After playing for Toulon, today he has moved to the Nice Cote d’Azur rugby club.

• Bradley McGee, Cycling Olympic Champion and World Champion, Australia

Bradley McGee has the distinction of wearing the leader’s jersey in three of the world’s major cycle races: the Tour de France, the Tour of Spain and the Tour of Italy.

His success is unparalleled: World Champion in Team Pursuit in 1995 and in Individual Pursuit in 2002, he won an Olympic Bronze three times before finally winning the Gold in Athens in 2004.

Now Sports Director for CSC Team Saxo Bank, Bradley would like to get involved in action for peace-building.

• Kaveh Mehrabi, Olympian, Badminton, Iran

Kaveh Mehrabi is the first and only badminton player in the middle-East to have qualified for the Olympic Games (Beijing 2008).

In 2005 he was also the first person from this region of the world to qualify for a world Championship and has since played in 4 consecutive World Championships.

A member of the International Badminton Academy in Denmark, under the aegis of the legendary Michael Kjeldsen he gained the confidence of Olympians in his sport since he is now a member of the Athletes' Commission in the Badminton World Federation.

Very aware of the issue of development, he is an Ambassador for the Canadian NGO Right To Play.

• Jérôme Meyer, World Cup-winner, Climbing, France

A mountain lover from a very young age, Jerome Meyer is used to winning international climbing competitions: three times consecutive winner of the World Cup in 2001, 2003 and 2006, winner of the European Championship in 2008 and four-times Champion of France in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008…

Jérôme Meyer retired from climbing in 2008 to dedicate himself to the cause of peace through sport. He is one of Peace and Sport’s Experts in the field, who use their experience in Locally-based projects.

He also plays an active role in the International Federation of Sport Climbing.

• Shabani Nonda, Football, Burundi / DRC

Shabani Nonda's commitment to peace is bound to his personal history. Born in Burundi from Congolese parents, he was forced to flee to Tanzania in 1993 when the ethnic conflicts erupted. This is where he began his footballing career, with the Young Africans Club, and he won the prestigious Kaga me Inter-Club Cup in his premier season.

Transferred to FC Zurich in 1995, Shabani rapidly acquired a formidable reputation as an elite offensive striker in the Swiss championship. He was chosen as the best striker in Switzerland during 1998. Often compared to George Weah, Shabani joined Stade Rennais before moving to AS Monaco in 2001. This is where hereached the pinnacle of his career in 2003, when he won the French League Cup and was elected the best striker with 26 goals. He then went on to play for various clubs, such as AS Roma, Blackburn Rovers and Galatasaray SK.

Determined to play a key role on behalf of peace in the Great Lakes Region, his place of birth, Nonda is one of the few football players who has represented two national teams, his native country, Burundi, and the country of his parents, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Vénuste Niyongabo, Olympic Champion, 5000 m, Burundi

Vénuste Niyongabo was noticed for the first time in 1992 when he won a silver medal in the 1,500m at the Junior World Championships.

In 1994 and 1995 he became one of the top 1500 m runners in the world, winning several major races. At the World Championships in 1995, he won the bronze medal, finishing behind Noureddine Morceli and Hicham El Guerrouj.

1996 was the summit of his career when he won the gold medal in the Atlanta Olympic Games.

A legend in his country, he is involved in several projects for reconciliation and stability that are taking place in Burundi.

• Stuart O’Grady, Olympic Champion, World Champion, Cycling, Australia

Stuart O’Grady grew up in a family of cyclists. His father represented Australia on track and road and his uncle was a member of the Australian team during the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964!

Stuart carried on the family legend and won the Team Pursuit World Championship twice in 1993 and 1995, then became an Olympic Champion in Athens in 2004.

He also won many major classic road races from 1992 – 2009 as well as several stages in the Tour de France

• Marie-José Pérec, Olympic Champion, World Champion, 200m and 400m, France

Nicknamed the ‘Antilles Gazelle’ Marie-Jo Pérec is the only French female athlete to be a triple Olympic champion: at the Barcelona Games in 1992 for the 400m and twice in Atlanta in 1996 in the 400m and 200m.

She is the second French female athlete to have achieved the double in 200m and 400m in the Olympic Games and the first athlete overall to have won the 400m title during two consecutive Olympic Games.

Marie-Jo added two World Champion titles to this exceptional track record (400m in 1991 and 1995), numerous European and national titles, records for the 100m (10.96), the 200m (21.99) and the 400m (48.25) – the 3rd best performance of all time.

Since ending her sports career, Marie-Jo has dedicated her time to her family and to many charitable activities, which notably took her to Burundi with the NGO Sports Sans Frontières.

• Silvia Poll Ahrens, Olympic Champion, Swimming, Costa-Rica

Silvia Poll Ahrens became the most outstanding sportsperson in her country after winning the first (and only) Olympic medal for Costa Rica in the Seoul games in 1988 in the Women’s 200m freestyle event.

She also won 8 medals in the Pan American Games in 1987. Two of the times that she achieved during this competition (100m freestyle and 100m backstroke) are still Costa Rican records.

• Randy de Puniet, Motorcycle Racer, France

After winning the French Championships for 125cc in 1997 and 1998, Randy established himself in 250cc as soon as he started competing in this category in 2002.

He has participated in MotoGP since 2006 and today races with the Honda LCR team.

In 4 years of competing he has participated in 186 races, won 5 victories, 10 pole positions and been on the winners’ podium 25 times.

• Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, Professional Tennis Player, Pakistan

A professional tennis player since 1998, representing Pakistan in Davis Cup, Aisam Ui- Haq Qureshi is a star in his country. He attracted media attention in 2002 when he played doubles with Israeli tennis player Amir Hadad at Wimbledon and the US Open. Together they reached the third round of Wimbledon and the second round in the US Open.

In 2007, he reached the second round at Wimbledon and the finals of the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open. Aisam is the only Pakistani, Muslim, and Asian to have received ‘The Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award’ from ATP Tour USA.

For over 3 years Aisam has played doubles with the Indian player, Rohan Bopanna, who is also a Champion for Peace. Together Aisam and Rohan have enjoyed many victories, winning an ATP Trophy and several Challengers’ Trophies and reaching the finals in 4 events in the ATP World Tour.

• Paula Radcliffe, World Champion, Long Distance, Great Britain

Marathons, semi-marathons, long and short cross-country, 3 000 m, 5 000 m… Paula Radcliffe has run all long distances. And she has distinguished herself in all of them!

In 2002 Paula won the Cross-country World Championships in Dublin, the London Marathon (that she has won 3 times) the 500m in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the 10,000m in the World Championships in Munich and the Chicago Marathon!

She was crowned Marathon Queen at the World IAAF Championships in Helsinki and established a new record of 2:20:57, definitively marking her as an icon in world athletics.

Paula also won the celebrated New York Marathon three times, in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

• Sidiki Sidibé, Professional Basketball Player, France

Sidiki Sidibé has had an unusual sports career. He has played volleyball at the highest level (he was captain of the French Junior Team) before turning to basketball at the age of 19.

Standing 2.14m high, he quickly distinguished himself at the French club in Levallois before playing with the prestigious Real Madrid club in 2006.

He joined the NBA in the US before becoming a professional player in France. He will soon be involved in Peace and Sport field projects.

• Marco Simone, Italian and French Champion, Football, Italy

Although he was four-time champion in Italy and winner of the European Super Cup with AC Milan, Marco Simone made his biggest mark at AS Monaco Football Club.

Forming one of the most productive duos in the history of the Monaco club with David Trézéguet, Marco was the club’s second striker, scoring 21 goals and the best winger in the last French Cup with AS Monaco.

• Sébastien Squillaci, French Champion, Football, France

A talented defence player, Sébastien Squillaci played with AS Monaco before becoming Champion in the French League 1 in 2000, going on to win the League Cup in 2003.

His achievements multiplied playing with the French club Olympic Lyonnais: two French Championships in 2007 and 2008, winner of the 2006 Champions Trophy, the 2007 Peace Cup and the French Cup in 2008.

He plays for France, who have qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

• Bruno Sroka, World Champion, Kiteboard, France

Bruno Sroka is a legend in kiteboarding: uncontested Course Race World Champion in 2007 and 2009, he was the first man to kite surf round Cape Horn. Despite his impressive list of titles (Long distance European Champion in 2007, threetimes long-distance French Champion in 2005, 2006 and 2007, World Vice-Champion of waves in2007...), Bruno is above all known for his ability to embrace human challenges, which are important to him.

For several years, he has determinedly committed himself to the cause of peace. Far from competitive sport, he goes to regions in conflict by kite surf to celebrate peace. In January 2009 he crossed the Red Sea between Jordan, Egypt and Israel on kite surf with a white sail embellished with a dove, the symbol of universal peace.

In 2010 he launched “Antarcti’kite » the first kite surf crossing of the Antarctic Peninsula, to raise awareness about the danger of global warming and environmental pollution.

• Helena Sukova, Professional Tennis Player, Czech Republic

Helena Sukova was one of the world’s best tennis player from 1981-1998, holding the 1st position on the WTA women’s doubles rankings and 4th place in singles.

During her career on the women’s tour she was singles finalist at US and Australian opens. In doubles and mixed doubles she won 7 titles at Wimbledon, 2 at the Australian Open, 3 at the US Open, 2 at the French Open and won the WTA Championship. She won silver medals in the 1988 and 1996 Olympics (Seoul and Atlanta).

Post-retirement, Helena, now working as a psychologist, has also dedicated herself to developing tennis in the Czech Republic, notably as President of the International Lawn Tennis Club there and member of the Committee of the Czech Fair Play Club. Helena helps many humanitarian causes as her involvement in the Czech Association for Cystic Fibrosis shows and her role of Ambassador for the Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation.

• Jean-François Tordo, Rugby, France

Jean-François Tordo (known as ‘Jeff’) is a fighter and a leader of men. A hooker with the French national team, he was named captain by coach Pierre Berbizier and made his mark on the team’s history and style.

After beginning his career in Nice, he went to Toulon, then back to Nice before signing up for Bourgoin, where he was coach from 2000-2002. He then became the coach for Poitiers until December 2006.

Passionate about nature and mankind, Jeff Tordo was Ambassador for the environmental program linked to the 2007 Rugby World Cup, promoted by the French Agency for the Environment and Energy Conservation (Ademe) and the French Rugby Federation. He raises awareness about environmental issues and sustainable development in the sports world.

• Gabriela Traña, Marathon, Costa-Rica

Gabriela Traña has been a major figure in world athletics for more than 16 years.

Between 1993 and 2009 she was a great marathon runner in the Central American Games, the Pan-American Games, the Ibero-American Games, World Cups and the last Olympic Games in Beijing.

• Blanka Vlasic, World Champion, High Jump, Croatia

Two-times World Champion, at Osaka in 2007 and in Berlin in 2009, Blanka Vlasic literally flies above other competitors in the high jump.

Blanka won a silver medal in the Beijing Olympics and she holds a record for the second best ever world performance with 2.08m (the world record has not been broken since 1987). Focused, serious and reserved, Blanka illuminates the competitions in which she participates.

• Chris Waddell, Paralympic Champion, World Champion, Downhill ski, USA

Disabled from an accident at 20 years old, Chris Waddell has won the most titles of any skier in the history of the Paralympic Games.

He won no less than 12 medals in four winter Olympics (Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994, Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002), including 5 gold medals, for downhill ski. He also won the IPC World Championships in 2000.

He is one of the rare athletes to have won in the Summer and Winter Games, as he got a silver medal in Sydney in 2000 in the 200m wheelchair race. Since 2008 Chris has been one of 11 Paralympic Ambassadors who act as role models for disabled and nondisabled youngsters. He helps to promote the Paralympic movement and is also involved in many charitable projects.

Chris was the first paraplegic to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009, with his exceptional project « One Revolution »

• Pernilla Wiberg, Olympic Champion, World Champion, Ski, Sweden

Pernilla Wiberg is one of the few skiers to have won medals in all five Alpine Ski disciplines: combined, slalom, giant slalom, downhill and Super G.

Her achievements are exceptional: two gold medals in the Albertville and Lillehammer Games, four World Championship titles between 1991 and 1999, a victory in the 1997 World Cup, 24 racing medals (14 slalom, 3 Super G, 3 combined, 2 downhill, 2 giant slalom) and no less than 61 appearances on the winners’ podium.

Pernilla was a member of the International Olympic Committee from 2002 to 2010 and she participated in many of its commissions: the Athletes’ commission, Sport and Environment, Ethics, and coordination of the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Youth Olympic Games… She is also President of the Athletes’ commission for the International Ski Federation.

• Pedro Alejandro Yang, Olympian, Badminton, Guatemala

Pedro Yang played in four World Championships and has won 4 medals in the Pan American Games.

In parallel to his athletic career, he is the coach for the Danish Badminton League.

Vice President of the Badminton Players Federation, he is also a member of the Athletes’ Commission of the Badminton World Federation, the Guatemala National Olympic Committee and he was elected to the Athletes’ Commission of the International Olympic Committee in 2008.