Beach volleyball ace Melissa Humana-Paredes and HIA’s newest recruit as #235 has carved a path of excellence in the sand.

After claiming silver at the 2011 Under-21 World Championship, she soared to gold at the 2019 World Champs and made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics, bringing home Canada’s first-ever silver medal in women’s beach volleyball. Off the court, Melissa is just as driven. She tracks her carbon footprint with Racing To Zero and rallies fellow athletes as a key member of Eco-Athletes, championing sustainability in sports.

HIA’s newest recruit Eloi Adjavon is a pioneering athlete, making Togo history by achieving a series of firsts.

Initially pursuing studies in cinema, Adjavon’s athletic journey took an unexpected turn in 2019 when he raced in his first ever triathlon. 2021 marked his debut as Togo’s first ever competitor in the African Triathlon Cup, a defining moment that lead to an even greater milestone in 2024—becoming the nation’s first olympic triathlete.

HIA #224 Eliza McCartney is New Zealand’s vaulting sensation and we’re lucky to have her a part of our team at HIA.

Eliza has worked to make an incredibly successful career out of vaulting and uses her platform to help the planet. A prime example of what can happen when you use sport as a force for good, we asked her a few questions to try unpack the mind behind her mastery.

Introducing HIA #63 Demi Schuurs, WTA doubles tennis player from the Netherlands and advocate for changing the world.

Demi first picked up a racket at age 3 and never looked back. With a pro player for a father and a pro footballer for a brother, sport is just a part of who she is. With her devotion to the craft, it’s no surprise she now has 20 WTA titles to her name. As an advocate for the LGBTQ+ sporting community and the planet, Demi proves that impact isn’t limited to match day, and we’re lucky to have gained a little insight when it comes to her winning mindset.

HIA #219 Imogen Ayris is a powerhouse pole vaulter from New Zealand.

Jumping onto the scene at 13 from a background in gymnastics, two years later becoming the youngest NZ female to clear 4 metres. A highlight of her career was in 2022 where she brought home bronze from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, despite competing with a fractured foot. As of February 2025, Ayris achieved a personal best of 4.67 meters in pole vaulting and currently working towards her first World Indoor Championships in China. We’re lucky to have had a chat with her to get to know the story and practises behind her success.

HIA #136 Tyler Donatelli is as graceful as it gets as one of Houston Ballet’s first soloists.

Having signed her first professional ballet contract at just 18 years old, it made sense to learn that Tyler has been juggling her full lifestlye by practising presence, regular therapy and taking each day as it comes.

Introducing Brazilian tennis legend and HIA #62 Bruno Soares.

Bruno’s Doubles career spanned just over two thriving decades. Finishing 2020 as the #1 ranked doubles team in the world, he took out the US Open three times and the Australian Open twice, alongside 33 other ATP titles over the course of his time on court. You can now find Bruno as an established entrepreneur. We sat down to unpack the mind behind the mastery.

Gaby Dabrowski is a force to be reckoned with.

With 17 WTA Titles under her belt—3 of them Grand Slams—she has paved her way from the ground up to a WTA doubles ranking of No. 3. A true champion on and off court, we’re honoured to be able to share some of her valuable insight with you and have her on the team as HIA #75.

Introducing HIA #189 Dan Cates AKA jungleman12 or w00ki3z and world renowned heads-up No Limit Texas Hold 'em player.

From playing sleepless nights to pre-game meditation, this man is diverse in every sense of the word and has some insightful notes to share with us and we’re grateful to get to know the mind behind the poker face.

Meet the inspirational Kate Strong, our HIA #114 is an internationally recognised expert in change behaviour, emergent strategy and sustainability.

Coming from a background of 3 cycling World Records, Kate has a strong will to make change in the sporting and wider environment and she certainly knows how to take action. In her most recent feat, she cycled over 3,000 miles around mainland Britain on a hand-made bamboo bike, all while hosting multiple talks, engaging with grassroots community projects and volunteering at local charities.

Meet HIA #47 Eric Radford, retired Canadian figure skater, two time Olympic medallist and so much more.

Eric Radford’s journey in figure skating has been a standout. Having competed in two Olympics, he took home a gold in the team event and a bronze in pairs in 2018. Now coaching, he’s passing his wealth of experience on to new skaters. Eric also composes predominantly piano music, sometimes even joining passions and composing for skating programs. As one of the first openly gay figure skaters to compete at the Olympics, he’s also been a steady advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in sports.

To learn more about his journey and creative process behind the accomplishments, we had a chat.

Meet Sasha De Sola, HIA #124 and principle dancer for the San Francisco Ballet.

Having started out at the esteemed Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C., Sasha joined the SF Ballet in 2006 where her talent was both recognised and fostered, leading to her soloist promotion in 2012 and principal dancer in 2017, one of the most prestigious ranks in ballet. Illuminating the stage of many an iconic ballet, including Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle, Sasha’s grace extends far off the stage and into her generous nature.

Meet Ryan Fox, HIA #51 and professional golfer.

Having been on the professional green scene since 2012, this legend used his powerful swing to claim victory last year at the 2023 BMW PGA Championship. His biggest win on the DP World Tour to date. Coming from a family of pro athletes, it’s only natural that Ryan has been making waves on the international golfing scene for a while now. But what else it is that drives him to keep pushing the boundaries, both on and off the course?

Meet Ellis Spiezia, HIA #163 and a natural speed demon.

Known for bringing his laser focus and eco-friendly edge to the track, Ellis is the future of racing at only 18 years old. He’s got sustainable power and a will to give on his side, but what else makes this electric racer ahead of the game?

Meet Bianca Andreescu, Canadian tennis legend.

She was the first Canadian tennis player to win a major singles title and the Canadian Open in 50 years. With a career world ranking of #4, we’re lucky to have her a part of the team as HIA #217.

HIA #192 Lockie Ferguson bowls like a bullet train, beating batsmen with his precision and pace.

When it comes to seeing this level of performance time and time again we must ask ourselves, what is it about Lockie that allows him to play to such a high quality?