Danny Jeffrey Vanan “Jeff”

Danny Jeffrey Vanan (born 21 December 1992) is a Surinamese sprinter, designer and entrepreneur. He specialises in the 100 m and 200 m and was champion at the 2020 South American Indoor Championships in Athletics. He has competed across South America, the Caribbean and Europe, and won six of his all-time top ten competitions. One of the most memorable was the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in 2019. His goal was to compete for Suriname at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021, but an injury put those plans on hold. Turning setbacks into moments of growth is one of his strengths, and he has not closed that chapter yet.

Danny studied International Relations at the Anton de Kom University of Suriname, graduating with a thesis on how the Surinamese government could implement sports diplomacy: the use of sport to influence diplomatic, social and political relations, and to help nations and regions build security and prosperity through a shared love of sport.

Danny is also passionate about nature. For him, a healthy lifestyle is not only exercise and healthy food; it also means living in a clean environment, which is why he has long been concerned about growing pollution. He is optimistic that life on earth can still be preserved, and wants to raise awareness among Surinamese people and the wider world.

He joined Green Growth Suriname and became a GGS Ambassador in 2020. He is currently based in the Netherlands to advance his sporting and academic career, and from there helps design projects for GGS that contribute to the wellbeing of the people of Suriname and the world.