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David Thibodeau

Calgary, AB

A Canada Games alum in swimming for Team New Brunswick, David is a thought leader in sport, policy and inclusion. A swim coach and community builder, he is also the founder of Sports for Social Impact – an initiative to increase awareness and elevate the discussion of sport for environmental, social and economic development in Canada and around the world. He is an advocate for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and an ambassador for You Can Play and has worked to combat homophobia in sports. He was the only Canadian selected as a Young Sport Maker for Global Sports Week in Paris in 2020. David currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Canada Games Council.

Sports for Social Impact

Sports for Social Impact explores and educates on the power that sport has to create a positive impact on our communities and our everyday lives. Specifically, we look at how sport policy and how we can use programs and policies for maximum impact. The hope is that these conversations and ideas will help achieve the maximum benefit of sport in our society. Sports have a huge capacity to do good in our society. Harnessing that power and optimizing it to make the biggest impact possible is what we hope to discover.

https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/

About this Project

Communities Served

My project will involve and/or impact the following communities:

  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Persons with disabilities
  • At risk youth & children
  • LGBTQ2+ Community members

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

When it comes to community impact projects, the UN has created 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These are the Sustainable Development Goals associated with my project.

  • SDG 3: Good health and Well-being
  • SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
  • SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities

How the project works

Sports for Social Impact elevated the discussion on the sport for the development sector to a wider audience. Through podcasts, articles, book club and speeches, we spoke to sport administrators, athletes, coaches, policymakers, young people and everyday citizens on the power of sport.

Project Impact

The impact achieved was in reaching more people during the last 12 months. 33 episodes were released in Season 3, nearly doubling the number of episodes included in Season 1 and 2 combined. We also nearly doubled our total listens from 2464 over 26 months (Nov 2020-Dec 2022) to 4928 over just 12 months (Jan 2023-Dec 2023). Additionally, Sports for Social Impact was nominated for a Canadian Podcast Award.

Project Mission

Sports for Social Impact seeks to explore and educate on the power that sport has to create a positive impact on society.

Project Team

David is currently the only team member.

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