The Foundation for Global Sports Development Announces the Recipients of its BOOST2020 Athlete Grant Program

November 11, 2020 – Los Angeles, CA – The Foundation for Global Sports Development (GSD) announced today the ten athletes who have been selected to receive grants through the foundation’s BOOST2020 Athlete Grant Program. The foundation is awarding a total of $100,000, with each athlete receiving $10,000.

The BOOST2020 grant, which launched in July, is a COVID-19 relief effort by the foundation, created to support high-performance athletes whose training for the 2020 Summer Games was disrupted by the pandemic. The foundation received close to 100 applications for the grant.

"These athletes train tirelessly to compete at the highest level of sport, so they can represent the United States at the Games. Now, due to COVID-19, they are facing canceled sponsorships and job losses, reduced income, and lack of access to housing and healthcare," said Dr. Steven Ungerleider, GSD Executive Board Member.

David Ulich, GSD Executive Board Member, added, "Our BOOST2020 grant provides much needed aid to these hardworking, talented athletes whose lives and dreams for gold have been upended by the pandemic. We are committed to ensuring sport and fair play continue on during these difficult times."

J. Dee Marinko, a Paralympian and member of the U.S. Men’s Sitting Volleyball team, is one of the grant recipients. "We have had to put training on hold and work to keep our families taken care of," Marinko said. "This grant will allow athletes to get back to training with a clear mind and focused on the goal instead of worrying about how our families will eat."

The ten recipients of the BOOST2020 grant are:

• Byron Branch, Dayton, OH – Wheelchair Fencing

• Felicia Brown, Lexington, KY – Track & Field

• Amanda Dennis, Peachtree City, GA – Goalball

• Ella Eastin, Newport Beach, CA – Swimming

• Desmond Jackson, Durham, NC – Long Jump

• J. Dee Marinko, Guthrie, OK – Sitting Volleyball

• Pearl Outlaw, Charlottesville, VA – Para Rowing

• Aaron Scheidies, Lynnwood, WA – Paratriathlon

• Jennifer Schuble, Homewood, AL – Paracycling

• Shannon Solares-Rowbury, San Francisco, CA – Track & Field

To learn more about the BOOST2020 Athlete Grant Program or The Foundation for Global Sports Development, please visit www.globalsportsdevelopment.org.

About The Foundation for Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films

The Foundation for Global Sports Development, established in 1996, was born out of a desire to promote and protect the best parts of sport. Guided by its original mission, the foundation delivers and supports initiatives that promote accessible, fair, and abuse-free sport for youth. The foundation achieves this objective through grants, awards, educational projects, and filmmaking. In 2015, the foundation launched its media company, Sidewinder Films, to inspire and educate audiences through films that shed light on the remarkable, untold stories that celebrate the sport of life. Visit www.globalsportsdevelopment.org and www.sidewinderfilms.org to learn more.

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Brooke Bumgardner

brooke@gsdswf.org

(541) 683-9278

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