The GAPS Athlete Fund was established through the generosity of Australian Paralympic and Commonwealth champion Matt Levy, who is also a member of the Commonwealth Sport Athlete’s Advisory Commission.

His founding donation in 2024 enabled athletes to turn their ideas into practical projects that remove barriers to participation, challenge stigma and strengthen inclusive sport pathways within their own communities.

Over the past two years, athletes attending GAPS camps have participated in Athlete Voice Workshops, where they have been encouraged to think beyond their sporting ambition and to ask themselves how they could make a difference.

This year, 19 applications were received from athletes across Africa and Oceania, each proposing practical initiatives designed to use sport as a catalyst for inclusion and social change. Following an assessment process, five projects were selected to receive grants of up to £1,000 as well as mentoring support to help bring each initiative to life.

The successful recipients are:

  • Giselle Thamar Menge (Cameroon) – Sport for All in Schools, introducing inclusive physical education, disability awareness and sporting opportunities for students with disabilities in schools across Yaoundé.
  • Margret Marek Sahi (Vanuatu) – Mi tu Mi Save Mekem – I Can Do It Too, combining sport with practical life skills including sewing and cooking to build confidence, independence and stronger community connections for people living with disabilities.
  • Moffet Tolomae (Solomon Islands) – MT Art Class, bringing together students with and without disabilities through art, creativity and storytelling to foster inclusion, resilience and a stronger sense of belonging.
  • Abdulai Matia (Sierra Leone) – Inclusive Education through Para Sport, using para sport, school visits and community engagement to promote inclusion and create new opportunities for young people with disabilities.
  • Naibili Vatunisolo Tagicakibau (Fiji) – Empowering Women and Girls with Disabilities through Sport, creating safe and supportive spaces where women and girls with disabilities can participate in sport, share their stories and build confidence.

Three of the successful recipients – Giselle Thamar Menge, Margret Marek Sahi and Moffet Tolomae - were present in Ayr to receive their awards before continuing their preparations for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Richard de Groen, Commonwealth Sport’s Head of Development, said: “One of the most inspiring aspects of GAPS is watching athletes discover that their greatest legacy may not be the medals they win, but the lives they change.

“These projects demonstrate the incredible leadership that exists within our athlete community. They are practical, locally led initiatives that will challenge perceptions, create opportunities and ensure more people with disabilities have the freedom to participate in sport.

“The GAPS Athlete Fund is about investing in athletes not only as competitors, but as leaders and changemakers who will strengthen inclusive communities across the Commonwealth.”

Matt Levy, Paralympic and Commonwealth Champion whose generosity established the Fund, said: “Athletes have an incredibly powerful voice because they understand the challenges, but they also understand what is possible. I'm proud to have helped establish the GAPS Athlete Fund because these projects are driven by lived experience and a genuine desire to make sport more inclusive for the next generation."

Each project will be supported by an experienced mentor, ensuring recipients receive guidance in planning, delivery, storytelling and measuring the impact of their work.

The GAPS Athlete Fund forms part of the wider GAPS (Gather, Adjust, Prepare, Sustain) programme, a partnership between Commonwealth Sport and universities across the Commonwealth that develops inclusive athletes and coach pathways while empowering participants to become leaders in their communities.

As these athletes prepare to compete at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, they are already demonstrating that their greatest impact may well extend beyond the field of play.