It was a very exciting day when it was announced that London would be home to the Laureus Awards for the first time.
The Ceremony has travelled as far as St Petersburg all the way to Abu Dhabi since the first event was held in Monaco back in 2000. And, at the start of the city’s Olympic year, it should be fantastic to hold it in London.
Attention will be firmly placed on who will be up for Nomination for an Award, and this year it could be one of the most exciting contests yet. And it would be great to hear who (and why) you think should be in line for the Awards.
But of course, one of the most important parts of the Awards season will always be the focus it brings to the vital work carried out all year round by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
Oscar Pistorius visting one of the latest Laureus-supported projects last month
The Awards remain so important because of the unique opportunities it allows for the work of the Foundation.
Not only is it a truly great way to promote the work Laureus undertake using sport to tackle issues such as HIV/AIDS, discrimination and health problems, but the Awards is also a valuable fundraiser. Proceeds from the Awards go straight towards helping children and young people the world over work toward a more positive future through sport.
So, if you are interested in seeing how this is happening then head over to Laureus.com to find out more about the work of Laureus-supported projects worldwide.
And be sure to tell us who you think should emerge victorious at the 2012 Awards in the box below or on Twitter @LaureusSport
BY SEAN FITZPATRICK
Laureus Academy Member and legendary All Blacks captain
Wales see red
It is a very special day for us here at Laureus as we celebrate the birthday of our Patron, the great Nelson Mandela, who turns 93 today.
Nelson Mandela’s life and philosophy stand at the very heart of our work at Laureus. And it was in fact at the very first Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000 that Mr Mandela said:
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite in a way that little else does. Sport can awaken hope where there was previously only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers.”
These words, now over a decade old, still ring as true as ever each time we visit one of the projects we support throughout the world.
Happy birthday, Madiba!
Every year 375 cars built between the 1927 and 1957 travel from Brescia to Rome and back in a three-day regularity race known as the “Mille Miglia”. Initially a performance based, open road race, the Mille Miglia was abolished by Italian government in 1957 after the Spanish F1 driver Alfonso de Portago crashed his Ferrari 335 S killing himself, his co-pilot, and 10 spectators. Today the Mille Miglia is a historical race commemorating the unique and heroic spirit of the competition and is a tribute to the automotive industry of those years. Passionate collectors from all over the world fly to Italy every year to take part in this event, which manages to round up 7 million people along the route in what is a unique and spectacular experience.
Mille Miglia 2010 Laureus Car, Mercedes 300SL "Gullwing"
In 2010 Mercedes Benz Italia and Fondazione Laureus Italia have agreed to use this event to promote Laureus by applying the Laureus Fondazione Italia logos onto two Mercedes Benz 300SL “gullwings” taking part in the race.
I think that when you are woken up in the morning by one of your best friends sobbing with his hands over his face, lying next to you in his sleeping bag, the reality of what we are doing hits home! Poor old Hollers was in complete agony with an infected blister. A few minutes later a girl started wailing in pain in the camp. Suffice to say that Day 5 was hard work!
It looks like most people got through the day which is great and there are now 87 people left in the race, of 111 starters. However, as I write this, there are still two more finishers to cross the line 26.5 hours after we set off.
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