Global Sports Mentoring Program

Croatian National Judo Athlete Fights for Inclusion through Sport

A former professional judoka and longtime member of the Croatian Judo National Team, Marina Drašković has her sights on creating a new standard of sports inclusion in the Republic of Croatia. Youth with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups in society, and sporting programs either do not exist or are not easily accessible throughout the country. Marina knows the potential opportunities sports provide in allowing for continuous advancement, self-actualization, and a sense of belonging.

In 2012 Marina founded the Judo Club for People with Disabilities Fuji, where she is currently a sports manager and head coach. The Judo Club is the first of its kind in Croatia, bringing together children and young people with different types of physical and intellectual disabilities, and lays the foundation for the development of adaptive sports in Croatia. Because of its ingenuity and success, the club was the winner of the 2018 European Commission’s #BeInclusive Award. In 2014, she became Head of Sports and Recreational Activities for People with Disabilities in Velika Gorica. In 2020, Marina was chosen by the European Commission as one of the faces of their #EUwomen4future campaign, and in 2021 wrote a book titled, “Judo for People with Cerebral Palsy” with the goal of expanding the pedagogy of her Judo Club around the world.

With a strong belief in learning through other people’s experiences, Marina hopes the GSMP will give her a new dose of creative inspiration to develop her ideas while raising her club’s visibility through her new social networks. She would also like to gain more institutional knowledge on writing grants in order to build the first judo hall tailored for people with disabilities in Croatia.

Joanne Wallen, Orlando, FL

Sr. Director, National Campus, U.S. Tennis Association

A native of England, Joanne Wallen became a top junior player in England, after taking up tennis at the age of four. She came to the U.S. in 1988 on a six-year scholarship to the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. That year she also signed with sports marketing giant IMG, the youngest player ever to do so at the time. She played for 14 years on the International Tennis Federation and Women’s Tennis Association tours, winning 15 events and achieving a world #252 ranking in singles and #179 ranking in doubles.

In 2005 she joined the Lexington Tennis Club in Kentucky as Director of Junior Development and was promoted to General Manager in 2009. Throughout her career, Wallen has devoted countless hours to growing the sport of tennis by developing her own skills and teaching those around her. Wallen’s involvement in tennis has been multifaceted, and includes serving on the Board of Directors of USTA Kentucky, and chairing its Junior Competition Committee. She also served on the USTA Southern Junior Competition Committee. In addition, Wallen has coached multiple USTA Southern junior teams. Meanwhile, she has become a USTA Certified High-Performance Specialist, working with top juniors to prepare them for competition, and a tester for the U.S. Tennis Professional Association (USPTA), certifying tennis instructors in Kentucky and surrounding states. In 2012, she was named “Newcomer of the Year” by the Professional Tennis Registry.

In 2016 Joanne left Lexington to work for the USTA as Director of Adult Individual Play at the National Campus in Orlando. With this position, she oversaw all Adult tournaments, Wheelchair Tennis, which included being named Tournament Director of the US Open Wheelchair Championships. Within her role of Wheelchair Tennis, Joanne also oversaw any Military outreach. In 2018 her role changed to Director of Adult Competition, which included Adult League and Tennis On Campus.

On February 1st, 2021 Joanne was named Sr. Director of USTA National Campus.

Croatian National Judo Athlete Fights for Inclusion through Sport

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