
The first African to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, Seun Adigun’s dedication and commitment to sports has created opportunities, shattered stereotypes and motivated athletes around the world to push boundaries. A 3-times Nigeria National Champion and Africa Games Champion, she represented Team Nigeria in 100m hurdles at the London 2012 Olympic Games and competed all over the African continent. After hanging up her spikes, she took on a new challenge breaking into winter sports.
Adigun is also the first African Bobsled driver to lead a team from Nigeria to the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Her unprecedented achievements at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games took the world by storm, gaining her a global audience from the Ellen DeGeneres show to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Her passion for sporting achievement is not confined to the field of play, and her expertise in health and fitness extends to her profession as a chiropractor. She serves as a brand ambassador for Toyota, Visa and other partners.
Adigun is an advocate for transforming lives and has championed various humanitarian causes. She has mentored high school students in Nigeria as part of the Nigerian Bobsled & Skeleton Federation of Nigeria since 2016 and championed fundraising efforts for children and youth in her home state of Texas. Adigun has also been invited to become a Speak up Africa champion, an effort to raise more awareness of tropical diseases, such as malaria.
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Andre Drummond
NBA All-Star & Rebound Champion, Chicago Bulls -
Apolo Anton Ohno
Olympic Champion, Short Track Speedskating -
Avril Lavigne
Musician & Philanthropist -
Robert "Bob" Beamon
Olympic Champion, Long Jump -
Brooklyn Decker Roddick
Actress & Model -
Charles Melton
Actor -
Dale Moss
Former NFL Player, Model, Actor & Media Personality -
Damian Lillard
NBA All Star, Portland Trailblazers -
Devin Booker
NBA All-Star, Phoenix Suns -
Didier Drogba
Legendary Professional Football (Soccer) Player -
Eddie Barbanell
Actor & Comedian -
Elena Delle Donne
WNBA Player, Washington Mystics -
Erika Ender
Singer / Songwriter, TV Celebrity, Producer & Actress -
Gleyber Torres
2x MLB All-Star, New York Yankees Shortstop -
Hannah Teter
Olympic Champion, Snow Boarding -
Hidetoshi Nakata
Legendary Professional Football (Soccer) Player -
Hussein Fahmy
Egyptian Actor -
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Olympic Champion, Fencing -
In-Kyung Kim
Professional Golfer -
Jamaal Charles
Former NFL Player & All Pro Runningback -
Joe Haden
Former NFL Player & All Pro Defensive Back -
John C. McGinley
Actor & Advocate -
Julen Lopetegui
Legendary Soccer Goaltender & current Manager of FC Sevilla -
Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt
New York Times Bestselling Author | Actor, Producer -
Lauren Potter
Actor & Advocate -
Li Na
Former Professional Tennis Player, WTA -
Maureen McCormick
Actor, Singer, New York Times Best-Selling Author -
Michael Phelps
Olympic Champion, Swimming -
Michelle Kwan
Olympic Figure Skater -
Nadia Comaneci
Olympic Champion, Gymnastics -
Nicole Scherzinger
International Recording Artist & Television Personality -
Padraig Harrington
Professional Golfer -
Paul Wight
Six-Time WWE World Champion -
Ricky Rubio
NBA Player, Cleveland Cavaliers -
Sam Perkins
Olympic Champion, Basketball & NBA Legend -
Seun Adigun
Summer & Winter Olympian, Hurdles & Bobsledding -
Vanessa Williams
Singer & Broadway Performer -
Vladimir 'Vanja' Grbic
Olympic Champion, Volleyball -
Willson Contreras
2x MLB All-Star, St. Louis Cardinals Catcher -
Yang Lan
Founding Chairperson, Sun Culture Media Group and Sun Culture Foundation; Journalist; Philanthropist -
Yang Yang
Olympic Champion, Speed Skating -
Yao Ming
NBA All Star & Chairman of the International Basketball Federation Asia (FIBA) -
Zhou Xun
Actress, Singer & Philanthropic Environmentalist -
Zou Shiming
Olympic Champion, Boxing -
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As icons of success from diverse industries such as sports, music, entertainment, media, and beyond, Special Olympics Global and Champion Ambassadors generously lend their time, talent, and resources to support the Special Olympics mission. They are inspirational role models who share a belief in the power to come together, break down barriers, and foster a world of inclusion while supporting Special Olympics’ expansion of sports, health, youth, and education programs.