The recognition bestowed upon Stephan Fox at the ACES Awards 2025 goes beyond an institutional career, reflecting instead a way of understanding sport as a tool for social transformation. His appointment as Asia’s Impact Advocate represents years of quiet work, bringing together organizations, federations, and communities that see sport as more than competition: a genuine opportunity for change.

The distinction, presented during the ceremony held at Bali Resort, in Jimbaran Bay, highlights a leadership style that has successfully connected sports diplomacy with urgent causes such as inclusion, equality, and youth development. From his role as President of United Through Sports, Fox has built bridges between global sport and local realities, championing an impact that transcends borders and generations.

A Leadership Recognized for Its Human Impact

The ACES Council praised Stephan Fox for his extraordinary contribution to global sports leadership and social advocacy, emphasizing his ability to unite diverse communities through sport. His work has been instrumental in placing values such as inclusion and empowerment at the center of the sports agenda, maintaining an ethical coherence that has inspired both institutions and young leaders across Asia and beyond.

Beyond formal recognition, the award reflects a profound conviction: sport can be a powerful force for positive change. Active advocacy against issues such as human trafficking, harassment, and neglect in sport, together with his commitment to sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, reinforces a vision in which leadership is measured by its social and human impact.

United Through Sports: Sport as a Network of Inclusion

Through United Through Sports, Stephan Fox has advanced humanitarian platforms and youth-focused programs aimed at ensuring access to sport regardless of age, gender, ability, or social background. His work has helped shape a global network that now connects more than one hundred international federations under a shared mission of inclusion and equity.

At the heart of this work lies a simple yet powerful idea: every child deserves the opportunity to play, grow, and belong. Through partnerships with the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, and Special Olympics International, Fox has strengthened an approach in which sport becomes a space for dignity, dreams, and possibility—especially for those who have historically been left behind.