Lisa Zimouche Announced As Newest Laureus Ambassador
French-Algerian freestyle football champion and advocate for gender equality, has been announced as Laureus’ newest Ambassador. The social media superstar joins Laureus with one goal in mind: using sport to promote equality, empowerment and safety for young women and girls.
Born on June 29, 1999, Lisa Zimouche grew up with her parents and her older sister in Antony, in the suburbs of Paris. Lisa started playing football at Paris Saint-Germain's youth academy. By the age of ten, she was fascinated with street football, freestyle and panna, despite the sport being male-dominated.
Aged 13, Lisa started taking part in freestyle football competitions, winning a bronze medal at the 2012 Red Bull Street World Final. In 2014, she won the World Female Panna Championship and became the world freestyle female soccer champion. She finally made the brave decision to leave the Paris Saint-Germain academy, opting to pursue her new career and her passion: Street Football.
She started sharing videos on social media platforms, juggling and playing one-on-one in the streets. She is now highly popular with a global reach of 3.7 million followers. Lisa has performed at the most high profile sporting events, against A-List celebrities, athletes, artists such as Usain Bolt, Paul Pogba, Ronaldinho, Drake or Major Lazer and much more.
Lisa is also passionate about being a role model and a committed activist. She is now using her voice to advocate for women’s rights, to promote the values of gender equility while at the same time working with girls in the real world to achieve their best potential.
“I want to help raise the profile of women’s sport and help young people overcome whatever challenges they’re facing in their communities,” said Lisa. “20 years ago, Nelson Mandela said ‘Sport has the power to change the world’ and that is something I fully believe in. I can’t wait to get started in joining the Laureus Family in spreading the ‘Sport for Good’ message and changing young lives through sport. Let’s do this!”
Of the more than 200 programmes that Laureus Sport for Good supported throughout 2019, worldwide, almost 70 had a primary or secondary focus on Women & Girls. All Laureus programmes are committed to integrate gender equality into their programmes.
Laureus Sport for Good’s programme partners working with young women and girls focus on using the power of sport to; reduce and ultimately end violence against women and girls; strengthen the participation and leadership of young women and girls in their communities and eliminate gender disparities in education.
As well as being a Laureus Ambassador, Lisa is also an Ambassador for French leading non-profit organisation and partner of Laureus Sport for Good, Sport Dans La Ville (SDLV).
