As a woman in Albania’s sports arena, Denisa Bishqemi has spent years surrounded by men, but she recognizes the need for Albania’s women to get off the sidelines, and the potential they have to change the game forever. “I want to invest in myself and invest in my country on behalf of all women,” she says.
Since she was a young girl, Denisa knew that sport would be an important part of her life. Starting out as a rhythmic dancer, she understood from an early age that participating in sport represented something bigger: engagement, competition, diplomacy, and opportunity. Now, with more than 25 years of sports experience, including ten years as the Communications and Projects Director with the Albanian Basketball Federation (ABF), Denisa is running her own NGO, Rrno Per Me Krijue (Live to Create), where she’s using sport and education to empower women in her community.
During her time with the ABF, Denisa managed clinics for coaches, referees, and young girls, and she served as the coordinator for a variety of educational projects. In this capacity, she saw firsthand the positive, empowering impact of sport-based programming on women and girls. In particular, she invested her time and energy into the International Basketball Federation’s Her World, Her Rules initiative, which seeks to attract primary and secondary school-aged girls to basketball across Europe. For Denisa, watching girls connect to and flourish through basketball is as satisfying as the smooth “swish” of a winning shot.
Being one of the only female members of the ABF came with many challenges, and Denisa felt the need to demonstrate what women are capable of to the men around her. In 2019, she was invited to participate in the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) where she proved how she could execute her role sufficiently while also engaging in the array of GSMP curricula and activities, stretching herself across two very different time zones.
As part of Denisa’s GSMP experience, she was mentored by Jennifer Ridgeway, Vice President of Social Responsibility at the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, and her team in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here, Denisa learned how the organization implements charitable operations. She also met with community, corporate, and civil leaders across Minnesota. Together, Denisa and Jennifer developed a strategic action plan aimed at creating sports opportunities for underserved women and girls in Albania. When asked to sum up Denisa in a single word, Jennifer chose “committed.”
Through the GSMP network of participants, Denisa communicated with women around the world and realized that the best way to help her native Albania was to engage in global diplomacy. For an introvert, this landed Denisa well outside of her comfort zone, but the activities and experiences from her time on the program dispelled some of her fear of large audiences, and she now feels more comfortable presenting. “Participating in the GSMP is the best experience sports could offer me, both personally and professionally,” she says. “More than a medal or a trophy, it’s a lifetime lesson and commitment.”
Now, as the founder and director of Rrno Per Me Krijue, Denisa is providing educational opportunities for Albania’s emerging leaders and is using basketball as a platform to challenge traditional gender roles while creating more inclusive communities. She is also mentoring women on how to show strong leadership, foster partnerships and build community engagement. Alongside this work, Denisa has been a beacon of hope for refugees who fled Afghanistan in 2021. Through her commitment to making this a more inclusive and peaceful world, Denisa has tirelessly organized sport sessions, educational classes, and medical support for members of the Afghan Women’s National Basketball Team who have been temporarily resettled in Albania.