JR LaRose is an MVP Strategies trainer who is a former Canadian Football League player who played from 2005-2014 for the Edmonton Eskimos and B.C. Lions. He played safety for the Lions’ 2011 Grey Cup championship team. He is also a high-profile figure in the Lions’ award-winning Be More Than a Bystander social messaging and education campaign, a partnership between the Lions, the Ending Violence Association of BC, and MVP Strategies.
Through his role as spokesperson for Be More than a Bystander he has delivered presentations and training based on the MVP model of gender violence prevention to more than 60,000 high school students throughout BC and beyond.
JR is a member of One Arrow First Nation. A gifted and sought-after public speaker, he has shared his family’s story of struggle and his own personal story of success with audiences across North America. His special focus is on the experiences of Aboriginal peoples, but his story of redemption is universal, breaking down racial and generational walls and bringing forth a sense of hope and humanity.
JR has been awarded the Lions’ Jamie Taras award for Community Service for three straight years. He has also thrice been nominated for the Canadian Football League’s Tom Pate award, which honors the player who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship, contribution to his team, community, and association.
A native of Edmonton, Alberta, he lives with his family in Vancouver, BC.