Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Year: 2023

Adrianne Sloboh

Skateboarding

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Barbados
  • 2023  –  Grenada

Adrianne Sloboh grew up in Simi Valley California. After high school, Adrianne received a full ride basketball scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Since leaving college Adrianne has pursued Skateboarding full time. Her sponsorships include DGK skateboards, Cariuma shoes, Krux trucks, and spitfire wheels. Adrianne has appeared in several national commercials and was a guest star on an episode of NCIS New Orleans, as well as two episodes of Animal Kingdom on TNT. Adrianne was also featured on the cover of Thrasher magazine.

Kellen Lovell

Surfing

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Papua New Guinea

Kellen Lovell is an adventure photographer, videographer and surfer who grew up in Hawaii. Wanting to combine his passion for the ocean with serving his country, he joined the US Coast Guard where he served in Alaska as a small boat crewman and certified rescue swimmer.

After the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami, Kellen spent 2 years living and volunteering at a refugee camp in Thailand. While there he also volunteered for a number of non profit organizations and NGOs. He managed teams who were instrumental in rebuilding homes for tsunami victims.

Kellen attended San Diego State University where he studied cultural anthropology and archeology. While in college he served on the board of directors at the WindanSea Surf Club, one of the largest and most respected international 501c3 non profit surfing organizations which strives to “promote the sport of surfing and the positive image of surfers as athletes and good citizens, through the sponsorship of competitive surfing events and charitable community activities”.

Kellen currently lives in Hawaii and travels the world filming content for companies like Alison’s Adventures, Discovery Channel, Mastercard, Hewlett Packard, Western Digital, Adidas, Clif Bar and Hydroflask.

Sunny Choi

Breaking

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  France

Sunny began breaking during her freshman year in college in Philadelphia. In 2012, she moved to NYC where she began traveling and battling around the world. With 15 years of experience in gymnastics and 15 years in breaking, her achievements include winning silver at the 2022 World Games and also at the 2019 WDSF World Championships as well as being a semifinalist at the 2022 Red Bull BC One World Finals. Always dancing with a smile on her face, she hopes to inspire others to be comfortable expressing themselves through dance.

Jacob Lyons

Breaking

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  France

Jacob “Kujo” Lyons is a deaf/hard of hearing b-boy, choreographer, teacher, and motivational speaker, based in Los Angeles, California. He has been breaking for over 30 years and is considered a pioneer of a number of movements now accepted as standard breaking vocabulary.

He has judged many of the largest international breaking competitions in the world, has taught at nearly all levels (from street corners in India to universities in Japan), has presented his choreography in international festivals of dance and circus, and has worked with US Embassies in various countries under a variety of US State Department-sponsored programs.

He has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Kinesiology, and his knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and fundamental human movement permeate his classes and workshops. Many of these workshops – often in concert with ILL-Abilities Crew – have been geared towards the differently-abled population, in which basic b-boy movements are adapted to fit a wide variety of limitations.

Kujo now serves as the Chair of the Officials Committee in Breaking for Gold USA, the Breaking Division of USA Dance, which is the organization tasked with sending American breakers to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. In this role, Kujo oversees the certification of judges for Olympic-related events, trains the judges, teaches our judging system to athletes and coaches, and aims to uphold the highest standard of conduct and excellence in judging.

Kia Vaughn

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Czech Republic

Kia Vaughn, newly retired WNBA player. Played 14 seasons in the WNBA. Also played 13 seasons in Europe, where I won a Euroleague title in Prague. Played for Usk Praha for 5 seasons and was also the MVP of that Euroleague title.

Danielle Robinson

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Czech Republic

Born in San Jose, CA Danielle has enjoyed a lengthy career in both the WNBA and Europe. Heading into her 12th season in the W, she is really looking forward to being a part of the Atlanta Dream and helping the organization continue to grow. She has traveled and played all around the world with Prague being her favorite stop of her time overseas. I’m her 3 years in Prague she won the Euroleague title in 2015, a memory her mom was able to experience with her. She’s so thankful for all that the game has given her and is even more excited to be able to share it with the next generation!

Alison Teal

Surfing

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Papua New Guinea

Alison Teal, Time Magazine’s Female Indiana Jones, is an explorer, author, surfer, conservationist and award wining filmmaker. She travels the world with her pink surfboard made from recycled trash on a quest to educate through entertainment and make waves of change in protecting the greatest treasure on earth – our world waters. Through her millions of social media followers and beyond, Alison’s passion is to inspire and entertain the kid – and explorer – in everyone.

Alison has worn many coconut hats directing, shooting, writing, editing, producing, hosting and acting for content on with DISCOVERY, NAT GEO, PARAMOUNT PICTURES, SONY PICTURES, and brand such as MASTERCARD, HAWAIIAN AIRLINES, KEEN, PATAGONIA, WD, CLIF BAR, RED BULL, LAR MER, and DISCOVERY+ and has been featured in all major press outlets from GMA, CNN, FOX, ELLEN, OPRAH, BBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, AL JAZEER, USA TODAY, LA & NY TIMES and TIME MAGAZINE. She was chosen by PARAMOUNT PICTURES and NICKELODEON to be the “real life explore like Dora” and the Indiana Jones by TIME MAGAZINE.

Alison was recently published by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in her book Alison’s Adventures Your Password to the world distributed by Simon & Schuster and Penguin Random House. Her writing, films, and viral social content has been instrumental in changing multiple environmental laws including the cleanup of Trash Island.

Alison graduated Summa Cum Laude from USC film school and created her own family friendly film series “Alison’s Adventures” which she directs, producers, edits, and hosts. She has won international acclaim at film festivals across the world and spoke on stages from Ted Talks to Parliament and Economic World Forum.

Alison grew up in a hand built treehouse in Hawaii and was home schooled around the world by her adventure photographer parents – on the back of a camel, on Mt. Everest, or on a dugout canoe in the most exotic and dangerous places on earth. Through her books and films she aims to inspire the next generation of explorers and eco-warriors!

Jennifer Ruiz Williams

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Colombia

Jennifer Ruiz Williams is the current head coach at UNLV in Las Vegas, NV & has a United States Soccer ‘A’ License. Prior to coaching, she competed in the NWSL with Reign FC. From the age of 19 to 33, Ruiz Williams played with the Mexican National Team. She competed in the 2015 World Cup, earned three Pan American Games medals, qualified for the Olympics, & played in several other international games & tournaments. Ruiz Williams has also spent time with CBS Sports as a TV analyst. She is a Teach for America alumna with an MA from Loyola Marymount and a BA from UNLV, where she played collegiately.

Brett Kurtz

Ice Hockey

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Latvia

Brett Kurtz is currently the Senior Manager for Fan Development Marketing for the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks and oversees the award-winning Anaheim Ducks S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum of Recreation & Education) program using the sport of hockey to teach in-class educational initiatives benefiting 50,000 children annually.

Kurtz, originally from Joliet, Illinois developed his passion for the game of hockey playing with his older brothers. He attended the University of Wisconsin on a hockey scholarship where he made two final four appearances with one national championship title.

He received his B.A. in Communication Arts from Wisconsin. After playing professional hockey in Sweden, East Coast and West Coast hockey leagues, he enrolled in graduate school at Loyola Marymount Film School in Los Angeles, California receiving a MFA in Radio, Television, and Film.

After completing his degree, Kurtz embarked on a television and film career both in front and behind the camera working in network television, feature films, and live hockey broadcasts.

During that time, Kurtz continued his connection with hockey by coaching youth hockey development programs and club teams including the Jr. Kings, Jr. Ducks, and Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League.

Kurtz now lives with his family in Orange County, California. He continues to use his background in ice hockey, and knowledge of the film and television industries to encourage and positively effect change in his community.

Molly Schaus

Ice Hockey

Served as envoy

  • 2023  –  Latvia

Molly played goalie on the U.S. Women’s Ice Hockey team from 2008-2015, winning 2 Olympic Silver Medals and 4 IIHF World Championships. She graduated from Boston College in 2011 with a degree in Human Development and was named to the BC Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2018. She has 10+ years of experience working in youth sports, community engagement, and education, including 5 years with the Anaheim Ducks Fan Development team. She is currently an Athlete Fellow for LA28, the Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a youth hockey coach for the Anaheim Lady Ducks.