Olympians’ support for #Sport4Climate campaign gathers pace

3 | 9 | 2014

Olympians around the world are being urged to get behind a campaign to highlight the issues associated with climate change. #Sport4Climate is a global communication initiative that aims to combine the power of social media and the popularity of sport to help address and tackle the global environmental issue.

Olympian Leszek Jan Sibilski, a former member of Poland’s national cycling team and one of the leading campaigners for #Sport4Climate, believes sport has the capacity to transform the way people view the planet and be a driver for environmental change.

Sibilski highlights melting snow at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and players suffering heat exhaustion at the 2014 Australian Open Tennis Championships as examples of the impact global warming is already having on sport.

But he says Olympians can help the campaign by spreading the #Sport4Climate message via their social media pages. 

Leszek Jan Sibilski, said: “The universal power of sport is not only its popularity but also the celebrity status of its stars. High profile athletes make great ambassadors and role models that’s why they are being urged to step up and make a stand against climate change.”

The campaign has already attracted some well known athletes to its cause, like Brazil’s London 2012 Olympic silver medallist Thiago Pereira who leads the call for support on the campaign’s launch video.

Olympians can find out more about the #Sport4Climate campaign including the ‘Athletes’ Pledge’ here.