Meet Dhara Ashar

Project SPARK has been founded by Chatham High School Junior Dhara Ashar.
Dhara is a competitive swimmer and volunteer with the Madison Area YMCA.

Dhara grew up experiencing the benefits of sports sampling and multi-sport participation firsthand. Having the opportunity to explore different sports in a low-pressure environment and develop a broad foundation of motor skills helped her discover a genuine love for swimming, enabling her to remain engaged in the sport long term and continue benefiting from it throughout her life.

She is a strong advocate for healthy, sustainable sports participation and physical literacy so that every child has the opportunity to experience the physical, mental, and social benefits of sport.After discovering the frameworks developed by the ODPHP, the Aspen Institute, and the USOPC, Dhara conducted extensive research and created Project SPARK as a resource for parents of young athletes.

Through Project SPARK, she hopes to promote healthy youth sports experiences, encourage long-term participation, and help more children build a lifelong relationship with physical activity.