Memorable week for Michael Johnson Young Leaders

Last week, thinkBeyond client and Olympic legend Michael Johnson gathered together 10 exceptional young leaders from around the world for a week-long sports leadership program at his cutting-edge performance center in Texas, furthering his support of young people working, leading and improving their community through sport across the globe.

Michael Johnson Young Leaders is an initiative of the Michael Johnson Foundation that provides extraordinary young people  who have overcome adversity with the practical tools they need to lead change for themselves, their community and society as a whole – all using the power of sport.

Now in its third year, the course aims to give Michael Johnson Young Leaders the confidence, skills and resources to use sport to make a positive impact on their future. The program focuses on world class sports training, leadership development and community engagement.

The Class of 2018 were selected by Michael and a carefully curated panel of experts in youth leadership, sport and social change. The selection process was carried out in partnership with previous Beyond Sport Award winners - Coaches Across Continents, the award-winning global charity that trains up local community leaders in using sport as a tool for social change. The latest cohort of Young Leaders made their journeys to the Michael Johnson Performance Center in Dallas, coming from USA, UK, Ireland, Tanzania, Ivory Coast, Colombia, Kenya, Palestine and St. Lucia. During the course, they shared stories of their upbringings and diverse cultural backgrounds, as they learned from and developed a strong bond with one another.

Jorge Fernando Guiracocha, a Young Leader from New York, said: “My week in Dallas with the Michael Jongson Young Leaders program was not only used for learning about leadership and sports, but as a period of introspection and it has helped me tremendously. It was a truly memorable week, and I am honoured to have joined this growing family of inspirational young people!”

Amina Moustafa, who travelled all the way from Dublin to attend the course, said: "MJYL was an unforgettable experience that helped me take to take my leadership skills to the next level and gave me a second family of enthusiastic, motivated young people from across the globe who are passionate about giving back to their community. Goodbyes were difficult but we all left with a greater urge to make a difference in our communities."

During the intensive week-long course focusing on leadership development, community engagement and sports coaching and performance, the Young Leaders were supported by a global team of experts skilled in sport for development, community coaching and youth leadership. This included support from the Michael Johnson Performance team of cutting edge performance coaches, nutrition educators and sports administrators.

Following the course in Dallas, the Young Leaders will go through a personalized twelve-month plan to support a key project they have developed that will use sport to engage and improve their community, as well as their own personal development. This support includes state-of-the-art virtual sports coaching sessions designed by Michael Johnson Performance Center, ongoing mentoring to continue their leadership development, and tangible support for their own goals and projects aimed at using sport to help their community. This includes funding, kit, and connections into to an extensive global network of leading organizations in sports, government, education, business and development.

Following the year-long engagement, MJ Perfomance, Coaches Across Continents and Beyond Sport will continue to support the Young Leaders  as alumni of the program, providing them with networking opportunities, a global platform and profile, and tangible education and employment opportunities.

Michael Johnson said: “It is our hope that successful alumni of Young Leaders will become community leaders by starting their own sports charity or clubs, or becoming an influential coach to young people. Success here means that every single young person who has gone through Young Leaders will have the skills and opportunity to be a positive influence in their community.”