Bardha Uka is from Pristina, the capital city of Kosovo, and at age 33 is the NHL delegate for the 2025 U.S. Department of State Global Sports Mentoring Program, working at the League's New York City headquarters from Oct. 6-24. The NHL concluded its 12th year of empowering 13 different women from abroad in collaboration with the U.S. State Department, espnW and the University of Tennessee.

Every delegate chosen and mentored is unique. Uka's story is one of a former competitive swimmer and co-founder of DemSport (Democracy Through Sport), a nonprofit, non-governmental organization (NGO) advocating for equal access to sport through community-based programs and gender-sensitive policies. Following her time in New York with the NHL, Uka is attending the espnW: Women + Sports Summit in Ojai,

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