U.S. Athletes Who Promote Health and Fitness

February 3, 2015

In continuation of Health Fitness Revolution’s effort to recognize the healthy and fit leaders and celebrities of the world, we cannot forget to recognize the athletes who do their part to promote healthy lifestyles. Of course, by nature, athletes are required to stay fit and healthy in order to be successful in their careers, which means this list could include thousands of individuals. Therefore, our goal in creating this list is to recognize those athletes who devote their efforts to promoting a healthy lifestyle to their fans and encouraging the youth of the world to be active and fit. Athletes who promote health and fitness are paramount to spreading the message of healthy lifestyle to fans!

“Professional athletes are the best natural ambassadors for spreading the message of healthy lifestyle and their involvement can tremendously impact the negative health effects of obesity that are plaguing the U.S.” –Samir Becic founder of Health Fitness Revolution

Here are the commendable athletes in alphabetical order:

David Akers – Football

In 2001, the Akers family formed the David Akers Kicks for Kids Foundation, which has established programs with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to benefit sick children and their families
The HKK team provides interactive programs that directly benefit children who face serious challenges in their lives whether due to mental or physical challenges or the environment in which they live.

Ray Allen – Basketball

Founded The Ray of Hope Foundation, which assist with sports-related and community-based programs and provides avenues of opportunity through which our youth can “hope” to realize their full potential
The foundation builds and refurbishes computer labs in public elementary and middle school
Envision developing youth centers in underserved communities that provide after school programing designed fo foster a mix of scholarship, culture, sports and imagination that can change the world
The Ray of Hope Foundation has raised over $750,000 to help organizations such as AAU Programs, Alliance for Education, B.E.L.L., Big Brother Big Sisters, Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, and Boy’s & Girls Club of Boston

Carmelo Anthony – Basketball

Founded The Carmelo Anthony Foundation which gives back to the community through a variety of outreach programs and donation
His mission is to positively impact the lives of those living in under-served communities through 3 key focus areas — education, recreation & community outreach
Recognized for making charitable donation in excess of $4 million for projects in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland and Syracuse, New York

Matt Bonner – Basketball

Founded the Rock On Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to support artistic and athletic opportunities for youth in a variety of communities
This foundation’s mission is to renovate public basketball courts, provide financial aid for underprivileged youth interested in art and music, assist with the development of new community art program, help at-risk youth to attend life skills basketball camps, and help fund a Police Activities youth basketball league
He believes that whether it’s on the court, on stage or in the classroom, everyone should have the opportunity to do the things they love

Kobe Bryant – Basketball

Spoke about the importance of health and fitness during the Kobe Bryant Health and Fitness Weekend in Dubai
Established Kobe Inc. to own and grow brands in the sports industry
The official ambassador for After-School All-Stars, an American non-profit organization that provides after-school programs to children; their mission includes helping children be healthy and active

Tim Duncan – Basketball

Created the Tim Duncan Foundation in December 21, 2001
His foundation funds nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, youth sports and recreation, and health awareness and research
He has raised over $650,000 for Breast and Prostate Cancer detection, prevention, and treatment
He donated $142,000 to the San Antonio branch of the American Cancer Society to aid in nationwide Breast and Prostate Cancer research
He selected the San Antonio’s Children’s Shelter, the largest and oldest shelter for abused, abandoned, and neglected children in Bexar County to receive his $25,000 Home Team Community Service Award
His foundation donated $50,000 to Kids Sports Network, a nonprofit association that promotes quality sports for kids

Larry Fitzgerald – Football

Founder of Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund
The Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund was established by Larry Fitzgerald Jr. to help kids and their families by funding positive activities for kids during the summer and throughout the year
Supports kids and families in crisis, and supporting health-related organizations that work with families
Donated 1,000 new Riddell Youth football helmets to The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board MPRB’s youth football program

Doug Flutie – Football

Founded the Flutie Foundation in honor of his son
Program to help people with autism to get access to care
Help lead more active healthy lifestyle
Help people with autism to grow toward adult independence

Tony Hawk – Skateboarding

Founded The Tony Hawk Foundation
Sought to foster lasting improvements in society with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youths
Supports recreational programs focusing on the creation of public skateboard parks
To-date, 466 Tony Hawk Foundation grant recipients have opened their skateparks. These parks receive more than 4.8-million visits annually by youth who benefit from the active lifestyle and camaraderie the facilities promote

Dwight Howard – Basketball

One of the ambassadors of Dribble to Stop Diabetes, a campaign designed to encourage basketball fans to live an active, healthy lifestyle and raise awareness about diabetes
Starred in a “got milk?” Milk Mustache print advertisement and explained that being part of the campaign “helps me communicate to teens the importance of making the right choices, like drinking milk, since it helps build muscle, strengthen bones and has the unique mix of nutrients to refuel after exercise”
In 2013, used part of his off-season time to encourage kids and families to live active and healthy lifestyles, teaming up with the Walt Disney Co. as part of its health-focused competition, “Disney TRYathlon”

LeBron James – Basketball

Founded the LeBron James Family Foundation
Focused on positively affect the lives of children and young adults through education and co-curricular educational initiatives
Believes that an education and living an active, healthy lifestyle is pivotal to the development of children and young adults
Supports After-School All-Stars which offers academic support, enrichment opportunities, and health/fitness activities

Derek Jeter – Baseball

Founder of TURN 2
Creates and support signature programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and lead healthy lifestyles
Goal is to see the children grow safely and successfully into adulthood and become leaders of tomorrow

Cullen Jones – Olympic Swimmer

U.S. Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones, a relay gold medalist in Beijing, is the chief spokesman for Make a Splash
Have programs that save lives and build champions in the pool and in life
Gives every child an opportunity to learn how to swim
Drowning is the 2nd leading cause of unintentional death to children under the age of 14

Devin and Jason McCourty – Football

Partnered to establish the Tackle Sickle Cell campaign, which raises awareness and funds for the fight against sickle cell disease
Host a kids’ football skills camp in his hometown each summer
Ambassadors for the United Way of America and the NFL’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program, which promotes healthy lifestyles for children
In 2014, Devin McCourty visited Swampscott Middle School as part of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program and encouraged the children to eat well and exercise regularly

Shannon Miller – Olympic Gymnast

Founded the Shannon Miller Foundation
Dedicated to fight childhood obesity
The Shannon Miller Foundation offers children the opportunity to be physically active, and gain greater nutritional knowledge
Through education and awareness of the health risks associated with obesity, Shannon strives to make a positive impact on children’s health
Has a Running Club that sponsors a free in-school program which supports more than 7,000 children ages 5 through 14

Steve Nash – Basketball

Founded the Steve Nash Foundation
His foundation is dedicated to assisting underserved children in their health, personal development, education and enjoyment of life
Believes that every child has the right to be healthy, to have a good education, to live in an environment that contributes to her well-being, to his personal development

Michael Phelps – Olympic Swimmer

Founded the Michael Phelps Foundation
Focused on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthy and active lives, especially for children
This program encourages increased participation in health and fitness activities, and personal empowerment through informed planning and goal-setting strategies

Paul Pierce – Basketball

Stresses the importance of leading healthy lifestyles to kids throughout the country
“I’ve been dedicated to helping kids have the right tools and information they need in order to lead healthy and active lifestyles through my Truth on Health Campaign.“
Founder of The Truth Fund, Truth on Health and FitClub34
He tries to incorporate physical fitness and healthy eating
He encourages a commitment or pledge of at least 60 minutes per day dedicated to physical activity

Michael Robinson – Football

Purchased 10 Fresh Healthy Vending Combo machines to install into schools, businesses, and community centers
Founded the Excel to Excellence Foundation, Inc.
As part of the non-profit, Robinson mobilizes his NFL teammates and friends to lead free, youth football camps
“I want to be able to provide resources for good health to as many people as I can”

Andy Roddick – Tennis

Founded the Andy Roddick Foundation
Work with the community to expand opportunities for young people to learn, thrive, and succeed
Focus on out-of-school time such as afterschool, summers, weekends, and vacation when students are at risk of losing academic skills, being a victim of violent crime, gaining weight by not being physically active, and engaging in risky behaviors
Wants to transform that time into hours of opportunity, and high-quality out-of-school time programs can have a positive and lasting effect on students by keeping them safe, engaged, and active
His passion was to help children without the same opportunities he had growing up

Allen Rossum – Football

Always having a heart for community service, He formed the Healthy Kids Klub to help fight and eradicate childhood obesity across america
Works with entire family to provide education on healthy lifestyles
Emphasize good eating habits (nutrition) combined with athletic programs (healthy activities)
Within the first five years, over 1500 backpacks filled with school supplies were given to children in need in the cities of Atlanta, San Francisco, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, Dallas and New Orleans. The backpacks were filled with school supplies, a HKK work out CD and healthy recipes.

Vijay Singh – Golf

Founded The Vijay Singh Charitable Foundation which assist and support women and children who are victims of domestic abuse
Supports the Navy SEAL Foundations’ which provides educational support through scholarships and tuition assistance; to promote health and welfare programs
His charities includes Birdies for the Brave,
Navy SEAL foundation, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Amani Toomer – Football

Founded the Amani Toomer Foundation to contribute to after-school programs
Amani Toomer part of the Jason Garrett’s foundation taught kids at a local inner-city school techniques of proper route running and anything else the kids wanted to learn
His main interest is helping out kids because they’re at the age where they can go the right way or the wrong way. He wants to get them on the right path through athletics or anything else that gets kids off the streets

J. J. Watt – Football

Met a 12-year-old victim of bullying and surprised him with a game of football and a lifelong membership to the YMCA
Starred in a PLAY 60 PSA in 2013 (NFL PLAY 60 is a league-wide initiative promoting youth health and wellness by encouraging kids to be physically active at least 60 minutes each day)
President and founder of the Justin J. Watt Foundation, a charity organization that provides after-school opportunities for children in the community to become involved in athletics

Negatives

One of the top contributors among star athletes in promoting and marketing unhealthy food

Madieu Williams – Football

Founded The Madieu Williams Foundation which focused on education, health and fitness for underprivileged youth both in United States and Sierra Leone
Contributed to the building of the Abigail D. Butcher Primary School in Calabatown, Sierra Leone
Built a playground in his hometown Maryland in September 2011
Implemented an after school program in the Prince Georges County Public School System focusing on three areas; Health (Physical activity), Education, and Life Skills for students in 3rd-6th grade
His foundation is committed to improving the quality of life and perpetuates the advance of capabilities to help people live better lives in 2012 and beyond

Serena Williams – Tennis

Hosted and ran The Serena Williams Ultimate Run South Beach to raise money for charity
Said doing her charity based on running is “a really fun way to promote a healthy lifestyle”
In 1995, Serena, Venus, and their father, Richard, conducted a clinic with the California Tennis Association for Underprivileged Youths, which has grown into a year-round tutoring/tennis academy
The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis Academy trains youth tennis players and promotes a healthy lifestyle through sports training
The academy also strives to combat obesity and diabetes in children