Clarisse Agbegnenou For #WhiteCard Campaign

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

Clarisse AGBEGNENOU is a champion in her own right, collecting all major titles; European, World and Olympic. Now she stands as a champion for peace. April 6th marks the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and on behalf of Peace and Sport, Agbegnenou has become an ambassador.

Sport has changed my life and made me a totally different woman today. When I took up sport, I was told I was a very turbulent child and that I will never go far and I knew how to work all the resources I was given.

I was able to cross different countries, see different cultures to become the woman and champion I am today. What it means to me today to be named Champion for Peace with Peace and Sport, it’s a really big recognition because I can named by several titles but this Champion for Peace title is very important knowing that in today’s world there are many divergences and every time I try with my big smile, my joy and my good mood to think that we are all human, that we are different but that we have to live together. I hope that these are still the values that I will have be able to inculcate.

As a woman, every time I think back to when I was younger, people told me ‘but why are you doing judo? This is a man’s sport’ and just tell them to do a sport or something they like, especially to these little girls who are often judged, to try to find things that animate them, that make them want to get up in the morning and make them smile again. The values that sport has instilled in me are courage, determination, the strength to learn to go further and further, always faster

#WhiteCard

Judoka

Clarisse Agbegnenou

Author: Thea Cowen