Ann Löf, Volunteer of the Year

For over 55 years, she has dedicated her life to judo, as an athlete, coach and a role model. During the “Volunteer of the Year” gala on 15th April, Swedish judo icon Ann Löf, received the most prestigious award of all: Volunteer of the Year! To emphases its significance, there are around 800,000 volunteers in the Swedish sport community and Ann claimed glory this year. She also took home the award in the Coach category, making her the evening’s big winner. “This gives me the energy to squeeze in a few more sessions each week”, said a very well-deserved winner.

At just 16 years old, she made history by winning Sweden’s first championship medal in judo, European Championship bronze in 1975. Now, 50 years later, Ann is still involved in the sport and has said: “The best thing about getting into sports is that you never stop.”

Words that truly capture the spirit of who Ann is a passionate force who continues to give back to the sport and to the youth. Amid standing ovations and heartfelt warmth, Ann received the overall Volunteer of the Year award from world-class cross-country skier Jonna Sundling. Earlier that evening, she had already accepted the Coach category award from swimming legend Therese Alshammar. “Honestly, I didn’t realise there was another award to win. Now I am going to celebrate with all the kids in our club.”

As a dedicated coach at IK Södra, Ann is passionate about helping others and strives to make every training session bring joy, growth and excitement for the next one. Holding a 6th Dan and with over 40 years of experience as head coach, she has shared her knowledge and passion with generations. She has been an invaluable mentor with a deeper understanding of the sport than most, supporting everyone from beginners to world-class athletes. Among the many young judoka Ann has trained Marcus Nyman, 4x Olympian and double world medallist as well as Tara Babulfath, bronze medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “I have a strong passion for this sport and for helping others succeed, no matter their level and you get so much energy back, especially from the kids and young people. I am also driven by helping everyone function well together as a group, which is a challenge in an individual sport like judo.”

After the grand celebration honouring the vital role of volunteers in community sports, the evening’s star and biggest winner summed it up: “This award is for all the hours spent on the mat. It adds up to 13 sessions a week, and I am not 20 anymore, but the joy of working with the kids makes it all worth it. I want to thank everyone who helped nominate and vote for me.”

Author: Kristin Johansson
Image: Folkspel

Author: EJU Media