We’re thrilled to welcome Brazilian soccer player Neymar Jr. as the new ambassador of Handicap International. Through this partnership, Neymar is lending his huge fame to a good cause: empowering the most vulnerable people in the world, people with disabilities living in poor countries, victims of conflicts and natural disasters.
The first action of Neymar Jr. as an ambassador of Handicap International was to send a message of support to people with disabilities across the world. At 3:00 pm in Geneva, he went on the top of the 39-foot Broken Chair monument and called for more inclusion of people with disabilities in society. Symbolically, this message took the shape of a soccer ball with the logo of Handicap International on it. He then kicked the ball down the Allée des Nations in front of the Palace of Nations. The event was followed by a press conference hosted by the United Nations Office in Geneva.
More broadly speaking, Neymar Jr. chose to engage with Handicap International and to promote all of the charity’s work alongside persons with disabilities in 56 countries.
The star and Handicap International initially met in 2016 to discuss access to prostheses for amputee children, a subject that’s particularly close to Neymar Jr.’s heart, and a cause he has already supported. He wanted to support similar actions on a global scale, and got to know Handicap International’s prosthetic and orthotic programs.
In October 2016, Neymar Jr. showed his support to Haitians impacted by the devastating Hurricane Matthew by urging his followers on social media to support our work in the hard-hit nation.
He accepted Handicap International’s invitation to travel to Geneva for the “Broken Chair” event. In future, Neymar hopes to travel to the field to see Handicap International’s projects in person, but this has not yet been possible due to his busy schedule.
Neymar is Handicap International’s first International Ambassador. In North America, Handicap International benefits from the committed support of two Goodwill Ambassadors: American pilot, motivational speaker and RightFooted star Jessica Cox, and Canadian Dark Matter actor Anthony Lemke.