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Aged 17 and coaching archers three times her age on her home Caribbean island of Tobago, Ms. Lewis transfers the confidence and skills she gained from the sport into advocacy and diplomacy, spaces where youth, especially girls, must often fight to have their voices heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe biggest challenge has to be my age,\u201d she said, highlighting a cultural norm passed down to many young Caribbeans to \u201cspeak only when you’re spoken to\u201d and to \u201cleave the older heads to have the big discussions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sport has helped her overcome these barriers: \u201cArchery gives you that discipline to keep pushing forward,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Anthurium Lewis receives top prize at an archery competition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Now, Ms. Lewis wants to use her platform as a Young Leader for the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) \u2013 the internationally agreed targets aimed at boosting peace and prosperity for people and the planet \u2013 to show that young people can lead change when the world makes space for their voices and equips them with the right skills.<\/p>\n
Sport, she believes, is one of the most powerful ways to develop these skills.<\/p>\n
\nWe have a say. We have the intellect. We have the passion behind it as well. You don’t have to wait until you’re 25 to want to fight for a cause…We can start right now.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The most profound transformation sport brings is quieter than a trophy or a title; it begins in the mind.<\/p>\n
She believes that archery is 80 per cent a test of mentality<\/em> with the self-esteem and discipline it builds in a young person transferring into all parts of their life.<\/p>\n
However, acknowledging the challenges other young people face with powerful ideas but nowhere to turn, Ms. Lewis is encouraging her peers to have confidence in their voice.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cChildren can do it. We have a say. We have the intellect. We have the passion behind it as well. You don’t have to wait until you’re 25 to want to fight for a cause…We can start right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sustainability mission<\/h2>\n
Through her foundation, Lewis is on a mission to plant native fruit trees across Tobago to bring the island toward more sustainable practices and boost food security.<\/p>\n
She also visits schools, communities and faith-based organizations, where she works to empower young people to plant fruit trees, such as sapodilla, soursop, custard apple, breadfruit and starfruit.<\/p>\n
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