Anna Schaffelhuber is the latest Laureus Ambassador

Seven-time Paralympic and nine-time World champion para-alpine skier Anna Schaffelhuber has been announced as Laureus’ newest Ambassador. Anna first experienced skiing as a five year old and received a scholarship to join a national skiing programme aged 14, despite being born with an incomplete spinal cord and paraplegia.

Anna has competed in three Paralympic Games, winning seven golds, one silver and one bronze medal. At the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games, she won gold in the downhill, super-G, slalom, combined and giant slalom, becoming only the second athlete to achieve a clean sweep in the alpine skiing events. At World Championship level, Anna has won 19 medals in her career to date, nine of which have been gold. She is also a six-time Overall World Cup winner.

Anna was announced as a Laureus Ambassador at the Laureus Sport for Good Global Summit in partnership with Allianz, an event which brings together 130 community based sports programmes from around the world to Paris to share knowledge and best practice on inclusion and gender equality.

Reflecting on her induction as a Laureus Ambassador, Anna Schaffelhuber said: “It’s an honour for me to join the Laureus Family here in Paris at an event which focuses on gender equality and inclusion in sport. I’ve known about the life-changing work Laureus Sport for Good is doing around the world for a number of years. Sport changed my life, and I’m so excited to have the opportunity to give back and help disadvantaged young people around the world.”

Tanni Grey-Thompson, Vice-Chair of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “It’s so exciting to welcome Anna into the Laureus Family as our newest Ambassador. She is a champion on the slopes and I know she will bring the same passion and dedication to Laureus Sport for Good, using her platform and profile to support the work we are doing to change young lives through sport. I’m looking forward to working with her in the future.”

Laureus Sport for Good is a global charity which uses the power of sport to help young people overcome violence, discrimination and disadvantage, proving the sport can change the world. Laureus Sport for Good Germany & Austria currently supports 18 programmes, all of whom are using sport as a force for good in their own communities.