Fencer Laura Flessel, a champion for equality in sport, to lead French delegation in Olympics opening ceremony

While it's not a surprise -- she has been viewed as a frontrunner for months now --, Olympic fencer Laura Flessel will be carrying the French flag in the Olympic stadium this summer as she leads her country's delegation in the opening ceremony.

This is a well-deserved honor. As a woman of color, Flessel is a symbol of integration in France. She has earned two Olympic medals, and is a six-time world champion.

She is also a model for the social role of sport. She is a patron of Handicap International and has founded an association to bring fencing to all, in particular to impoverished communities.

She serves on the French Social, Economic, and Environmental Council, a prestigious advisory group.

Closer to us, she is the chair of the national committee against discrimination in sport, a body which includes FGG member organiztion FSGL.