Vladimir 'Vanja' Grbic is a former Yugoslav Volleyball player and a member of the Volleyball Hall of Fame. Grbic is a two time Olympian medalist with a gold medal from the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and a bronze medal from the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
His international victories include a silver medal at the 1998 World Championship and a gold medal at the 2001 European Championship. In addition to his many medals, Grbic has been declared the Best Sportsman of the Year, the Best Athlete in Yugoslavia, the Best European Volleyball Player, and the Best Volleyball Player of the Century in Yugoslavia. Within his community, Vanja was the General Secretary of FIVB athletes commission as well he was President of FIVB Volleyball Empowerment Commission.
Grbic has been supporting Special Olympics in his native Serbia since 2010 as the host of several Volleyball events. In 2011, he attended the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece as well in 2015 in Los Angeles and in 2019 in Abu Dhabi. Since this time, he has hosted Special Olympics athletes at various volleyball clinics and programs.
Grbic is now an active Ambassador for Special Olympics with a primary focus on increasing the availability of global volleyball programs for Special Olympics athletes.
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Chris Nikic
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Dale Moss
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Dalton Risner
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Damian Lillard
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Devin Booker
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Joe Haden
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Maureen McCormick
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Michael Phelps
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Nadia Comaneci
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Fashion Photographer, TV Personality, Producer/Filmmaker -
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Sam Perkins
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Dr. Seun Adigun
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Tristan Thompson
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Vladimir 'Vanja' Grbic
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Yang Yang
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Yao Ming
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Zou Shiming
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As icons of success from diverse industries such as sports, music, entertainment, media, and beyond, Special Olympics Global 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.
