PLAYING IT FORWARD

In sport, victory isn't measured only on the scoreboard, but also by its impact beyond the game. Six sport philanthropists share their experiences of using their platforms to champion change and uplift the community by promoting an active and mindful lifestyle.

- SHADA VIJITKASEMKIJ

LIBBY ALEXANDER
Splash Foundation

With the goal of making swimming an accessible skill for all, Libby Alexander co-founded the Splash Foundation with her friend Simon Holliday to provide opportunities for the disadvantaged to learn to swim. The drive to start Splash derived from Alexander's own experience in witnessing her helper's efforts, when she realised not everyone had the opportunity to learn to swim in their youth, and that the cost of professional swimming lessons is beyond the reach of many in Hong Kong.

A competitive swimmer when she was young, Alexander understands the impact that water has had on her own life physically

, mentally, and emotionally. "Half the world's population doesn't know how to swim, a situation that predominantly affects women and people with low incomes," she says. Splash is determined to correct this, not only through its Learn to Swim programmes, but also by training teachers and coaches, and spreading awareness about the importance of knowing how to swim.

Alexander recalls running the first Splash classes at Hong Kong International School in 2015, which was the first pool to agree with the foundation's idea. News of the classes quickly spread and the demand has been consistent ever since. "I'm no longer surprised by how many people can't swim, but rather by how many desperately want to learn," she says. Now she's expanding the foundation's scope to children with special educational needs. "We often ask ourselves to identify the pockets of people who face a barrier to lessons, whether that be financially, physically or culturally," she says.