Frech joins fellow sports icons Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Nathan Chen, Elena Delle Donne, and Gabby Thomas on AFH’s Athlete Leadership Council
BETHESDA, MD, [June 22, 2026] – One of the most exciting young stars on Team USA, two-time Paralympic gold medalist Ezra Frech, is taking on a new leadership role off the track. Today, Athletes for Hope (AFH) announced that Frech joins Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Nathan Chen, Elena Delle Donne, and Gabby Thomas on the organization’s Athlete Leadership Council. Frech’s new role follows in the footsteps of track and field icon Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a founding athlete of Athletes for Hope alongside Muhammad Ali, Mia Hamm, and Andre Agassi.
With global attention building toward LA28, Frech is using his platform to highlight the power of sport as a tool for change and to inspire athletes of all levels and abilities to chase their dreams, discover their purpose, and give back to their communities. Drawing on his journey from a fifth-place finish in Tokyo to becoming a double Paralympic champion in Paris, Frech is committed to reshaping how the world sees Paralympic athletes and expanding access to sport, a mission he has pursued since childhood through Angel City Sports, the Los Angeles nonprofit he co-founded with his family in 2013.
“Sport has given me everything — friends, community, a sense of belonging, purpose, and access to fellow athletes who believe in something bigger than themselves,” said Frech. “Joining the Athletes for Hope Athlete Leadership Council is an incredible opportunity for me to use that platform to lift others up, inspire athletes of all levels, and show that giving back is one of the most powerful things we can do as athletes. I’m honored to stand alongside this incredible group of leaders.”
In joining Athletes for Hope, Frech will support the organization’s broader mission of activating professional, Olympic, Paralympic, college, and high school athletes around causes that matter to them.
“Ezra brings extraordinary credibility as a world-class athlete, advocate, and leader who has already spent so much of his young life giving back,” said Jason Belinkie, CEO of Athletes for Hope. “He represents exactly the kind of next-generation leadership our organization was built for — someone who understands that the platform sport provides comes with the opportunity, and the responsibility, to make a difference. We are thrilled to welcome him to the ALC.”
Frech will begin his work with Athletes for Hope immediately, supporting the organization’s programming through youth engagement, storytelling, athlete mentorship initiatives, and community-based work designed to make a lasting impact in the lives of athletes of all backgrounds and abilities.
To learn more, please visit athletesforhope.org.
ABOUT ATHLETES FOR HOPE
Founded in 2006 by Muhammad Ali, Mia Hamm, Andre Agassi, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Alonzo Mourning, Jeff Gordon, Warrick Dunn, and 5 other legendary athletes. AFH educates, encourages, and empowers professional, Olympic, Paralympic, college, and high school athletes to find their philanthropic passions and volunteer with community organizations and schools across the U.S. AFH is now led by the next generation of athlete leaders, including Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Nathan Chen, Elena Delle Donne, and Gabby Thomas, and has become the largest athlete-led sports non-profit in the U.S. with thousands of athlete members. Our core programs focus on underserved youth physical activity, leadership, mental health, positively impacting more than 400,000 underserved students every month.
ABOUT ANGEL CITY SPORTS
Angel City Sports is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, providing free access to year-round adaptive sport opportunities, fostering physical, mental, and emotional wellness for youth, adults, and veterans with physical differences or visual impairments. Angel City Sports supports athletes of all ages and skill levels working toward a future where every child and adult in the United States with a physical disability lives a healthy, active, and optimized life. Learn More: angelcitysports.org