Who We Are

Built on Lived Experience.
Driven by Evidence.

Defy The Odds Foundation was born from one man's journey through spinal cord injury, sport, and survival — and his conviction that every at-risk youth deserves the same fighting chance.

Our Mission

What We're Here to Do

To use sport and athletics as a pathway to empower at-risk youth — providing sport access, mentorship, life skills workshops, grants, and opportunity regardless of background or circumstance.

We exist to give youth in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area access to the sport, mentorship, and community connections that change the trajectory of a life. No barriers. No exceptions.

"Defying the odds is not a one-time act — it is a daily choice."
— Defy The Odds Foundation
Our Vision

Where We're Going

A Canada where no youth's potential is limited by poverty, isolation, or the barriers standing between them and the game.

Phase 1 — Now
Launch — Toronto

Establish the flagship program. Prove the model. Build the evidence base in Toronto's highest-need communities.

Phase 2 — Next
GTA Expansion

Scale to York, Peel, Durham, and Halton. Need is regional. Barriers are the same across every surrounding municipality.

Phase 3 — Future
National Model

The barriers Canadian Heritage identifies — affordability, discrimination, geography — are national. So is our ambition.

Andrew Kooger — Founder & President, Defy The Odds Foundation
Andrew Kooger
Founder & President
Our Founder

"Sport Saved My Life."

T7 Paraplegic Team Ontario Para Cyclist Published Author — 2024 Keynote Speaker Youth Advocate

Andrew Kooger knows what it means to have the odds stacked against you. A spinal cord injury changed everything — and then sport changed it back.

As a T7 paraplegic competing as a Team Ontario para cyclist, Andrew experienced firsthand how structured athletics, community, and the belief of coaches and teammates can transform a person's trajectory. Not metaphorically. Literally.

His memoir Defy the Odds: From Tragedy to Triumph (2024) documents that journey — and his work as a keynote speaker carries the same message to audiences across the country.

The Foundation is the next chapter: building, for every at-risk kid in the GTA, the same infrastructure of sport, mentorship, and belonging that rebuilt his life.

"If sport changed my life after a spinal cord injury — imagine what it does for a kid at 12."
— Andrew Kooger, Founder & President
Support the Mission Book Andrew to Speak
What We Stand For

Our Values

⚡

Access Without Exception

No youth should be excluded from sport because of their postal code or their parent's income. We remove financial, equipment, and transportation barriers — completely.

🛡️

Safety First

Psychological safety is the foundation of every program we run. Youth must be able to fail, be vulnerable, and grow without fear of judgment or humiliation.

🤝

Relationships Over Programs

Programs don't change lives — people do. We invest in trained mentors and coaches who build real, durable relationships that last far beyond any single season.

📊

Evidence-Based Everything

Our model isn't built on assumption. Every pillar — access, structured sport, life skills, mentorship, belonging — is grounded in peer-reviewed research.

🌱

Youth at the Centre

Every decision we make is made with the youth we serve in mind. We build for them, not around them — including pathways that turn participants into leaders.

🔍

Radical Transparency

We are a new organization asking for your trust. We earn it through open books, published bylaws, and measurable impact reporting. No opacity. No excuses.

Leadership

The People Behind the Mission

Our Board of Directors serves without compensation — guided by the Foundation's bylaws and their shared commitment to youth in the GTA.

Andrew Kooger
Andrew Kooger
Founder & President · Chairperson

Paralympic athlete, published author, keynote speaker, and the founding force behind Defy The Odds Foundation.

👤
Board Position Open
Vice-Chairperson

We are actively growing our board with community leaders who share our commitment to at-risk youth. Inquire here.

👤
Board Position Open
Treasurer

Seeking financial professionals committed to transparent, accountable nonprofit governance. Inquire here.

Interested in joining our board or advisory team? We'd love to hear from you.

Get In Touch
Our Status

Registered. Accountable. Transparent.

Defy The Odds Foundation was founded in 2024 as a non-profit and received its charitable status in 2025. Every eligible gift receives an official Canadian charitable tax receipt.

View Transparency Page Read Our Bylaws
2024
Year Founded
2025
Charitable Status
100%
Program-Focused
$0
Cost to Youth