The Pho3nix Foundation is proud to announce 25 athletes from the Pho3nix Athlete Program have qualified for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, out of a total intake of 39 athletes from 18 countries across six continents competing in 20 disciplines.
The Pho3nix Athlete Program aims to give assistance to underfunded athletes in their pursuit of Olympic qualification. Many aspiring to get to the Olympics still struggle for sufficient funding to allow them to compete on a level playing field. Especially with the Games’ one-year delay, the Pho3nix Foundation’s pledge of €8,000 for each member of the Athlete Program went a long way to support their travel, training, equipment, and competition expenses.
For athletes like swimmer Murielle Rabarijaona, this spelled the difference in her preparation for the Games. Thanks to the Foundation’s support, she was able to extend her training stint overseas throughout the past year instead of having to return home to Madagascar where she could only swim seven months of the year due to limited facilities.
Many of these athletes are also trailblazers representing their nation for the first time in certain sports: Felix Duchampt is the first Romanian to compete in triathlon, while Janika Loiv is the first female Estonian cyclist. Others are competing in their sport’s Olympic debut, like sport climber Aleksandra Miroslav (POL), skateboarder Margielyn Didal (PHI), and surfer Billy Stairmand (NZL).
As the days count down toward the opening ceremonies and the Olympic torch arriving in Tokyo, these athletes will set sport’s biggest stage alight, exemplifying the Pho3nix ethos: rising above circumstance to reach for their dreams and inspire the next generation. The Pho3nix Foundation is honoured to partner with them on their journey to Tokyo.
The Pho3nix Foundation will soon announce applications for Athlete Program assistance leading into the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
