JUDO CHAMPION FIGHTING FOR REPRESENTATION OF LEBANESE WOMEN

For the past 20 years, Karen Chammas has won Lebanon’s national judo championship. In 2012, she became her country’s first female judoka—an expert in judo—to compete in the Olympic Games. In addition to setting these records, Karen just won the West Asian Championship with the National Basketball team. (22-26 Aug 2019)

Professionally, Karen serves as athletic coordinator for the Lebanese American University in Jbeil, Lebanon. There she manages their sport facilities and organizes all sporting events for the college, including their Jr. NBA League programs. Karen hopes to use her role and platform to strengthen the size and impact of these programs and other female sport leagues across Lebanon. She also aspires to one day serve on the board of the Lebanese Judo Federation, especially given the International Finance Corporation reporting that women represent just 4.4% of all Lebanese board members.

Furthermore, through her GSMP experiences, Karen seeks to develop skills that will help her increase the representation of women on the Olympic stage and create new sport-based opportunities for women and girls.

For GSMP: Empowering Women through Sports 2019, Karen will be mentored by Dr. Laura Burton, Professor of Sport Management at the University of Connecticut, and her team in Storrs, Connecticut.