• Name: Lao Khang
• Gender: Female
• Role: Coach
• Location: Laos

Lao Khang comes from a small village in Nonghet district in the rural north of Laos. Her first opportunity to play organized sport, at age 20, was through the Lao Rugby Federation’s Champa Ban Youth Project, the pilot program to ChildFund Pass It Back.

Today Lao is working as a Development Officer with the Lao Rugby Federation, and she has represented the Lao Women’s National Rugby team, and won an Athletes in Excellence Award from the Foundation for Global Sports Development.

She says: “As a girl I was always very shy. Now I am a brave and confident young woman.

“Before I began playing rugby I only knew people in my small village. Now I have friends all around the world.

Lao is also a firm believer in the power of sport to change lives, especially children in developing communities She says: “Rugby is an exciting way to educate children. When we play games, we teach children about things such as the importance of hand-washing, manners and respect for elders and friendship.”

And she is determined to see others benefit in the same way she has: “I want to help involve as many Lao girls and women from rural and remote communities as possible in rugby so they too can feel brave and strong.”