The Laureus Sport for Good Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Sport Forum will feature expert discussions on how sport can positively impact mental health, build resilience, improve wellness, and enhance body confidence. Offering diverse perspectives, the Forum aims to provide valuable insights and practical strategies for leveraging sport as a powerful tool for mental wellbeing.
Laureus Global Ambassador
Yang Yang is a retired Chinese short track speed skater who is a two-time Olympic Champion from 2002 Winter Olympics and a six-time Overall World Champion from 1997–2002. She became China’s first ever Winter Olympic champion when she won the Women’s 500 metres short track speed skating gold medal at Salt Lake City in 2002 and remains one of the most accomplished short track speed skaters of all time winning 34 World Titles. Yang was elected as an IOC member in 2010, also a committee member of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and founding member of the Chinese Athlete Education Foundation. She is both a Laureus Academy Member and Global Special Olympics Ambassador, who was also appointed Chair of the Athlete’s Commission for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
Laureus Global Ambassador
Victoria Pendleton won nine world titles, including a record six in the individual sprint competition, dominating the event between 2005 and 2012. She won Olympic gold in 2012 in the Keirin and silver in the Sprint.
Laureus Academy Member
Nicol David is a retired Malaysian squash player who won two Commonwealth Games golds and a total of nine World Championships across her extraordinary career. She dominated the squash world holding onto the number one spot for over nine years between 2006 and 2015. Alongside her 7 Asian Games gold medals, Nicol also holds the record for winning the most World Open titles 8 times. Nicole became a Laureus Ambassador in 2014 and a Laureus Academy Member in 2021 where she has supported her fellow Laureus Academy Members’ voting for the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards and the global work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. To honour her success in the sport, she was invited to carry the Olympic torch for Malaysia during the build up to the Athens Olympics in 2004 and was recently inducted in the Squash Hall of Fame in 2024. As well as being a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Nicol alongside her CEO announced the Nicol David Organisation in 2022, a non-proft organisation in Kuala Lumpur, Mlaysaia, that seeks to empower girls and boys through sport and education.
Laureus Academy Member
Steve Waugh is regarded as one of Australia’s greatest ever cricketers. Known for his calm temperament and ability to deliver under pressure, Waugh was instrumental in establishing Australian cricket’s golden era (90s – early 2000s). Across a 19-year career, he played 168 Test matches, scoring 10,927 runs at an average of 51.06, including 32 centuries. In One-Day Internationals (ODIs), he scored over 7,500 runs and was part of Australia’s first ICC Cricket World Cup-winning team in 1987. As captain from 1999, his leadership emphasized discipline and mental toughness, which led Australia to new heights, including a record 16 consecutive Test victories and the 1999 ICC World Cup title. A defining moment of his career was his match-saving century against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2003. Off the field, Waugh has made a significant impact through his philanthropy. A trip to India in the late 1990s inspired him to support children affected by leprosy through Udayan, a Kolkata-based organization. He later established the Steve Waugh Foundation, which focuses on supporting children with rare diseases. His humanitarian work has earned widespread recognition, highlighting his commitment to using his platform for meaningful causes. Waugh’s contributions to cricket and society have earned him accolades such as Australian of the Year in 2004 and induction into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2010.
Team Hong Kong Swimmer and Co-founder of Mind the Waves (NGO)
Stephanie Au is a dedicated 5-time Olympian representing Hong Kong and holds 15 national swimming records. With a strong track record in various international and Asian sports events, she has proudly represented Hong Kong at the Olympic Games in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021, and 2024, achieving commendable results throughout her career. In a significant honor, she was selected as the flag bearer for Hong Kong during the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Au graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2014 with a degree in Environmental Economics and Policy.
In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the 2020 Hong Kong Top Outstanding Young Person Award and also received the 24th Hong Kong Outstanding Student Award and Au was elected as a chairman of Hong Kong Athletes’ Commission in 2018- 2022.
In 2023, Stephanie, alongside her fellow swimmers Camille and Jamie, established Mind the Waves, an NGO aimed at creating a safe environment for young people in Hong Kong to discuss mental health and well-being. Their mission is to connect young Hong Kongers with valuable resources and equip them with essential tools to enhance their mental wellness. By developing online content, organizing group events, and facilitating gatherings, they are committed to building a supportive community that emphasizes the importance of mental health and well-being among the youth.
Global Director of Programmes - Laureus Sport for Good
Morten Schmidt is Global Director of Programmes and Grants at the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, responsible for leading and overseeing more than 250 programmes in 40+ countries and territories across the world. Morten, who holds a PhD in Economics and Business Administration, has more than 25 years’ experience in leading, developing, implementing, evaluating, and researching development programmes, humanitarian responses and global development strategies and policies across Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. He lived for 10 years in Bolivia and Colombia with his wife, a renowned Peruvian environmental certification expert and anthropologist, and daughter. Morten, now based in Oxford, UK, practices triathlon, golf and tennis, and he is an accredited triathlon coach and official and a safeguarding expert. He advises the Sustainable Development through Sport Coalition and the British Government on sport for development, leads the UK network of overseas sport for development organisations, and advises World Triathlon on safeguarding.
Global Development Director, Laureus Sport for Good
Tom has worked in the third sector for 25 years, creating and managing a wide range of high value, high profile, national and international partnerships delivering change. For the past 15 years, Tom has worked in sport for development, firstly leading a team at UNICEF UK to raise millions and deliver ground-breaking partnerships with London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, then the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. As Deputy CEO at Sported, Tom oversaw the development of new and sustainable income streams supporting the organisation’s growth across the UK before recently joining Laureus Sport for Good Foundation as the Global Development Director.
Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong
Andy has over 18 years of education experience and excels at navigating diverse educational environments, particularly in the areas of pedagogy, classroom management, and lesson planning and delivery. Given his research interests, he gained valuable insights into parenting and children's coping efficacy. Andy is currently the Associate Dean of Students at The Education University of Hong Kong, where he supervises the Campus Life & Student Advising and the Sports Development sections.
Partnerships and Impact Advisor, RUN Hong Kong
James Owens is the Programme Development Manager at Rugby for Good and Partnerships and Impact Advisor at RUN Hong Kong, working closely with under-represented communities to ensure that they have access to opportunities for growth and development. James leads the design and strategic development of play-based education programmes that deliver social emotional learning outcomes for over 30,000 children and youth in Hong Kong. James has over 10 years of experience in designing, implementing and evaluating projects that empower children and youth in complex and diverse environments across Asia. With a deep commitment to safeguarding and youth development, James is invested in bringing his practical insights gained from working around Asia to promote the creation of safe, inclusive, and empowering environments for young people within the Hong Kong sporting landscape.
Co Founder & CEO, RunOurCity
Established the organisation in 2013. He has over 20 years of experience in managing international brand operations and marketing in the business sector, coupled with his passion for running. After establishing ROC, Andes set out for a ‘marathon year’, running 12 marathons in 12 cities in 12 months, from the burning Atacama Desert in Chile, to the freezing Antarctica. As of now, he has finished 100 marathons and ultramarathons in 22 years, and is still counting. Published 2 books about marathon running.
Dr Trisha Leahy, PhD (Psychology), JD (Law); was Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI), the HKSAR Government’s designated organisation delivering Hong Kong’s elite sports system, from 2008 until retirement at the end of 2023. She is an internationally recognised leader, known for expertise in best-practice governance, women’s leadership, and integrity in sport. She is a Member of the Court of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, an Advisory Committee Member of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Project Muse, and Asia Rugby. She has served as a Board member of many NGO’s; professional bodies; the school and University sector; elite sports sector, as well as public statutory and advisory bodies both in Hong Kong and internationally, including serving on expert committees of the International Olympic Committee, and UNICEF on integrity and safeguarding initiatives. The HKSAR Government awarded her the Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) in 2014 and the Silver Bauhinia Star (SBS) in 2020.
Mind HK Research Fellow and Founder
Stephanie Ng is an award-winning mental health advocate, entrepreneur and Ph.D. researcher whose work aims to foster caring conversations on body image and mental health issues. She is the founder of Body Banter, a registered Section 88 charity in Hong Kong on a mission to empower young people to spark conversations about body image with curiosity and courage. She is also the author of “Big Bites Break Boundaries”, a new book that recounts her personal experiences with an eating disorder and her professional experiences in Hong Kong’s mental health landscape.
Regional Impact Manager, The Running Charity
George Bate is an experienced runner, coach and mindfulness teacher. In 2016, he left a 20 year corporate career to set up a northern hub of The Running Charity in Manchester, UK. This innovative organisation uses the power of running to inspire homeless and vulnerable young people to transform their lives. He has also trained as an Ashtanga yoga teacher and is still pursuing a long held ambition to be a rock star despite his advancing years.
Senior Manager, Programmes & Services, KELY Support Group
With a background in psychology, Cindy offers more than a decade of frontline experience working directly with young individuals from diverse backgrounds. She holds expertise in youth programme design, development, evaluation, and management, with experience in programme grant writing. Additionally, Cindy has valuable experience assisting individuals in crisis through her volunteer work with a suicide helpline. Driven by commitment and passion, she dedicates herself to serving the youth population within the non-profit sector, aiming to create an empowering environment where their voices are heard and accompany them to discover their own path to thrive.
Chief Executive, InspiringHK Sports Foundation
Judy Kong is the Chief Executive of InspiringHK Sports Foundation, one of the first sport charities in Hong Kong to empower youths through sports since its founding in 2012. She also has experience working for corporate philanthropies and social welfare charities in Hong Kong and mainland China. Judy holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Oxford, UK, a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Hong Kong, and a Bachelor’s degree in Global Business Studies from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She has been a registered social worker since 2011. Judy is appointed by the HKSAR Government to various committees, including the Lotteries Fund Advisory Committee, Task Group on Promotion of Physical Activities, Administrative Appeals Board and the Housing Appeal Board. She is the honorary professional consultant for the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Business Development Specialist, Waves for Changes
Molebogeng is a Business Development Specialist at Waves for Change, managing a diverse portfolio of local and international grants to sustain funding for community-based mental health support programmes. With a background in business development and fundraising, she has extensive experience in securing grant funding for youth programmes. She believes in the power of sport for social change and is an advocate for culturally relevant mental health support for young people.
Programme Manager: Surf Therapy, Waves for Change
Shelley Campher is the current Site Manager at Waves for Change in the Eastern Cape and the incoming Programme Manager for Surf Therapy in South Africa. In her new role, she will oversee five W4C sites, delivering community-based mental health support to 2,500 children annually. Passionate about the intersection of sport and mental health, Shelley is dedicated to improving emotional well-being through Surf Therapy, ensuring that children in vulnerable communities have access to safe, supportive spaces for healing and personal growth.
Executive Director, Rugby For Good
Rugby For Good is the first section 88 sports charity in Hong Kong, Rugby For Good uses rugby and sports to make a positive social impact on underrepresented children and youth. The charity focuses on areas such as social inclusion and wellbeing, aiming to create connections and unity within the community.
Rocky Chow is a highly experienced professional in the fields of sport, business and youth development, with a career spanning over 20 years in the Asia Pacific region. Since joining Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) in 2015, Rocky has taken on various responsibilities and achieved notable accomplishments, including his involvement in the marketing of the annual Cathy/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, a significant global event in Hong Kong. He has also played a key role in establishing the first Asia Pacific Rugby Franchise in Hong Kong with the South China Tigers. In his commercial capacity, Rocky has successfully managed partnerships with renowned companies such as HSBC, Societe Generale, FWD, Accenture, KPMG, Nan Fung Group, and Hysan Development.
Rocky is well-known in the local rugby community and has been involved with Hong Kong Rugby for many years. In the early 1990s, Rocky represented the Hong Kong Dragons and participated in tours to Singapore and Thailand. Before that, he played for Tigers RFC, becoming one of the first local players to compete in first-division rugby in Hong Kong.
Co-founder, SOCIAL S
Tina brings 25 years of experience in sports marketing and development across Hong Kong, China, and Singapore. Her impressive portfolio includes collaborations with prominent clients and major sporting events, such as Nike, FC Barcelona, WTA, and Bloomberg.
In 2019, she co-founded SOCIAL S, a social venture aimed at promoting inclusion, upward mobility, and poverty alleviation through innovative, sportainment-based initiatives.
Additionally, Tina volunteers as Chair of the Hong Kong Rope Skipping Association, China, advocating for this emerging sport and promoting accessible active living worldwide.
Senior Programmes and Grants Manager, Laureus Sport for Good
Co-Founder & CEO Nicol David Organisation
