Peace and Sport has awarded Egan Bernal the title of “Champion for Peace of the Year 2025” on 16 November 2025, during the Gran Fondo Egan Bernal held in his hometown of Zipaquirá. This recognition honors an athlete whose influence extends far beyond sporting achievement and highlights the power of sport to unite, inspire, and drive lasting social transformation.
Following his serious accident in 2022, Egan Bernal made a remarkable return to the highest level, becoming national champion and winning a stage on the 2025 Vuelta. Yet it is above all his civic commitment that is celebrated: each year, the Gran Fondo gathers thousands of participants around a strong message of solidarity, health, and unity through sport.
A recognition rooted in a decade of action in Colombia
For more than ten years, Peace and Sport has been working in Colombia alongside local actors to promote peace within communities, supporting coaches, sports clubs, and social organizations.
Through sport-based education programs, dedicated training sessions, and context-sensitive methodologies, the organization contributes to strengthening social cohesion in areas affected by violence, inequality, or community fragmentation.
A symbol of hope in a sensitive political context
This recognition comes at a time when Colombia is entering a tense pre-electoral period, marked by polarized debates and significant uncertainty. In this context, Egan Bernal’s engagement underscores the ability of sport to bring people together beyond political divides and to help foster a more constructive climate.
A renewed commitment to peace
Through this recognition, Peace and Sport reaffirms its commitment to promoting a vision of sport that transcends performances and contributes to social stability.
Egan Bernal’s journey embodies this vision: a deeply human approach to sport, capable of offering positive direction and a shared horizon in challenging periods.
This distinction also reflects the organisation’s intent to continue and expand its initiatives in Colombia, reinforcing a long-term movement for peace through sport.
Words from Joël Bouzou:
“Awarding the title of Champion for Peace for 2025 to Egan Bernal, in the heart of his community in Zipaquirá, has a very special significance. His constant commitment at the community level, combined with his position as a role model in the media, are a source of inspiration for young people beyond his native region and beyond the borders of his country.”
Words from Egan Bernal:
“Receiving the title of Champion for Peace of the Year 2025 is a very special honor for me. Receiving it here in Zipaquirá, the city where I grew up and where it all began, means so much. This recognition motivates me to continue representing my country responsibly and to show that sport can also bring people together.”
About the Champions for Peace Club
A group of over 110 high level sportsmen personally committed to the peace through sport movement, Champions for Peace are one of our fundamental founding pillars.
Through structured action and methods of expression that our organization gives them, they work to make sport a tool for dialogue and social cohesion.
Role-models, heroes and a source of inspiration for young people throughout the world, they dedicate their time, their fame, and their athletic experience to serve projects which use sport to tackle social issues.
