Flavio is Judo athlete from Brazil, who won Bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Flavio’s Olympic medal does not define him, more important is his work with thousands of children from his hometown of Rio de Janeiro. He reaches out to these children through the sport of Judo. Canto highlights the two biggest challenges that children face in the City as: “either falling victim to the violence or becoming a young perpetrator of it.” He is trying to break the idea of “if your are born in the favela, you’re going to die in the favela.”

His Institute Reacao (Reaction Institute) empowers youth through free provision of Judo training and education programs. Falvio’s institute almost never came to be after an initial government project was cut off from funding. Flavio took on the mission himself and raised enough money so the Institute could be started.

There are now 4 institutes in Rio de Janeiro helping over a 1000 children, with a waiting list of 500. The institute’s overarching vision hopes for the reduction of social injustice by utilizing the unlimited potential that we all have inside of us, this can be achieved by truly engaging our youth.

Submitted by: Kit Bennett