Known for her sporting success on the track and in the field, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who became the reigning World Heptathlon and Pentathlon champion in Qatar in 2019, is a shining example of what it means to give back to your community.
When her original plans to compete for Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 were thwarted due to the global pandemic, Kat, as she's known by her loved ones, focused her energy on helping others.
The two-time Olympian set up the KJT Academy to give back to the community that has supported her so passionately through the years. In conjunction with the LFC Foundation and some of Kat's key partners, the KJT Academy supports aspiring athletes from the northwest of England aged between 16 and 21 years old.
It seeks to provide opportunities to state-schooled athletes from diverse ethnic communities, enabling them to access support that they have previously not had equal access to.
Reflecting Kat's own experience, the academy provides guidance and experiences to athletes at a period in their development when they need it most. It also provides key support systems, personal mentoring from KJT and Academy days hosted at Liverpool Football Club.
In celebration of World Kindness Day this Saturday and Disney's Ultimate Princess Celebration, Kat joins the likes of Katie Piper and Millie Mackintosh, to read Moana's story from Tales of Courage and Kindness, a new story collection featuring Disney Princess characters and Queens. Kat's reading can be enjoyed by parents and kids on Disney Junior UK's YouTube channel.
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