CHAMPS Archives - Athletes for Hope

Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Thomas Joins Athletes for Hope Athlete Leadership Council

Posted: January 15, 2026 Updated: January 15, 2026 by Jasmine Moore

Thomas joins fellow Olympic gold medalists Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Nathan Chen, and Elena Delle Donne on AFH’s Athlete Leadership Council

BETHESDA, MD, January 15, 2026 – One of America’s most celebrated track stars, Gabby Thomas, is stepping into a new lane of leadership off the track. Today, Athletes for Hope (AFH) announced that the three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas joins Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Nathan Chen, and Elena Delle Donne on the organization’s Athlete Leadership Council. Thomas’ new role follows in the footsteps of Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a founding athlete of Athletes for Hope alongside Olympic icons Muhammad Ali, Mia Hamm, and Andre Agassi.

With global attention building toward Milan-Cortina 2026 and LA28, Thomas is using her platform to highlight the importance of giving back and inspire others to do so, drawing on the role community has played throughout her career and her desire to make a lasting difference in the lives of others.

“Sport has given me so much, and community has always been at the heart of my journey,” said Thomas. “Working with Athletes for Hope is an opportunity for me to give back and use my platform to show how sports can make a difference in the lives of others by turning passion into impact.”

In joining Athletes for Hope, Thomas will champion the organization’s CHAMPS program. CHAMPS is a school-based program that uses sport to promote mental and physical wellness, leadership, and daily movement among underserved elementary school students. Each month, the program impacts over 318,000 kids across more than 1,300 schools nationwide. Led by professional, Olympic, Paralympic, and collegiate athletes, CHAMPS connects students with athlete mentors and an expert-designed curriculum that builds healthy habits, confidence, and mind-body connection.

“Gabby brings extraordinary credibility as a world-class athlete and leader who understands the power of service,” said Jason Belinkie, CEO of Athletes for Hope. “Her commitment to inspiring the next generation will help us expand the reach and impact of our CHAMPS program, empowering young people to build confidence, leadership skills, and lifelong healthy habits.”

Thomas will begin her work with Athletes for Hope immediately, supporting the organization’s CHAMPS program through youth-focused engagement, athlete mentorship initiatives, and community-based programming designed to make a lasting impact in the lives of students and athletes.

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, and Elena Delle Donne, 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 318,000 underserved students every month.

AFH CHAMPS Join Under Armour X Kelsey Plum Foundation for Launch

Posted: August 28, 2025 Updated: February 13, 2026 by Jasmine Moore

Athletes for Hope (AFH) CHAMPS program in Los Angeles partnered with Under Armour and the Kelsey Plum Foundation at the Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) community center, with WNBA star Kelsey Plum helping to inspire the next generation of student-athletes. Together, we delivered an experience that combined mental health tools, physical activity, and real-life inspiration for local middle schoolers.

CHAMPS in Action

The CHAMPS program rooted in values like Courage, Honesty, Accountability, Mindfulness, Positivity, and Strength is designed to empower kids with both mental and physical health skills. At this event, AFH’s Dr. Mena Mirhom, Chief Wellbeing Officer, kicked things off with an age-appropriate conversation focused on CHAMPS pillars. The discussion helped middle schoolers build practical strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and self-esteem while reinforcing the importance of character on and off the court.

Following Dr. Mirhom’s talk, Kelsey Plum joined in for a brief, candid conversation about her own mental health journey. By sharing her perspective as a professional athlete, Plum made the topic approachable and relatable for the young athletes in the room, reinforcing that caring for your mind is just as important as training your body.

As with every CHAMPS session, AFH integrated a physical activity to tie lessons back to sport. With the energy high, Plum led the students through a fun, basketball-inspired exercise, showing how teamwork, movement, and mindfulness can all work together to support overall wellbeing.

Building a Stronger Future Together

Thanks to the support of the KPF and Under Armour, this CHAMPS event was more than a clinic—it was a powerful example of what happens when athletes, brands, and communities come together.

AFH is proud to bring CHAMPS into spaces like this, where athletes and partners can make a lasting impact on the lives of youth by building stronger, healthier, and more resilient young athletes on and off the court.

AFH Joins ESPN’s “Take Back Sports” Initiative

Posted: August 15, 2025 Updated: February 13, 2026 by Jasmine Moore

Athletes for Hope is proud to celebrate ESPN’s Take Back Sports initiative, a national campaign designed to make youth sports more fun, inclusive, and accessible for every child. The initiative unites athletes, organizations, and communities to create a better sports experience for the next generation.

We’re especially proud that Stephen Curry, an esteemed member of our Athlete Leadership Council, is serving as a Take Back Sports Ambassador. Stephen’s voice and leadership continue to amplify the connection between sport and service. Click below to watch Stephen’s powerful announcement.

Did you know that only 38.3% of children aged 6–12 play sports regularly, and 62% do not.

As part of the Take Back Sports initiative, ESPN has selected Athletes for Hope as a grantee to support our CHAMPS program, expanding youth physical activity and mental wellness in schools across the country. Grounded in values like Courage, Honesty, Accountability, Mindfulness, Positivity, and Strength. CHAMPS equips students in grades 2–5 with lessons in physical wellness, mental health awareness and leadership skills through an athlete-led curriculum. Since launch, the program has impacted over 220,000 kids monthly across 900+ schools.

In the months ahead, our AFH athlete network will join the Take Back Sports campaign, bringing personal stories, social media activations, and calls to action to amplify the message, and continue advocating for positive, meaningful change in youth sports.

Together with Take Back Sports and our AFH athletes, we’re stepping onto a court, a field, and most importantly, the community to shake things up. Because every young person deserves a chance to play, belong, and thrive.

AFH University Service Recognition

Posted: March 11, 2024 Updated: February 10, 2026 by Hannah Bronkema

February 2024 | Student-Athlete & Team of the Month

Each month we ask our AFH University campus liaisons for nominations of student-athletes and teams who excelled in service. Through our monthly nominations, we can acknowledge all of the good our student-athletes and teams are doing in their communities.

During February, our Student-Athlete and Team of the Month award winners demonstrated consistency in volunteering with various causes in their communities.

February Student-Athlete of the Month

Ckelby Givens

Our February Student-Athlete of the Month is Ckelby Givens from Southern University football. Ckelby was nominated by his peers because of his desire to change the stigma of mental health across his campus.

“Ckelby was eager to join the mental health panel focused on Black history to discuss his upbringing, experiences and the absence of discussions aimed at dismantling stigma within his community. His goal is to alter that narrative on the Southern University campus.“

In episode 1 of the AFH University Mental Health U panel series, Ckelby joined other student-athletes from Southern University and Davidson College to discuss the mental health resources the student-athletes use on & off of campus, the importance of having people you can talk to, how the stigma of mental health is changing, and more. Watch episode 1 here.

Ckelby is honored to be named February’s Student-Athlete of the Month and is excited to continue spreading mental health awareness across his campus and beyond!

February Team of the Month

Howard Women’s Lacrosse

The February Team of the Month is the Howard women’s lacrosse team. The team was nominated by their peers for their consistent time spent volunteering at a local elementary school where they are helping bring leadership skills, physical fitness and mental health lessons to children through the CHAMPS program.

“Howard women’s lacrosse has been visiting DCPCS – Brightwood Campus to conduct CHAMPS sessions. They have done four sessions with 2nd and 4th graders to discuss courage and honesty. The consistent visits have been invaluable to the children at the school and the women on the team have attended with such excitement and commitment.“

The Howard women’s lacrosse team has historically been involved in service throughout the Washington, D.C. community. The team has participated in MLK Day of Service volunteer opportunities, packaging meals at local food banks, distributing food and clothing to those less fortunate, creating cancer awareness dedication games, and more!.

Aside from community service, the women’s lacrosse team are passionate about using their voices to make a difference. Several team member have participated in AFH University mental health panel series to bring awareness to athlete mental health, the stigma of mental health in the Black community and the mental health of women both in and out of sport.

The team is happy to receive this award and recognition from their peers as they get ready for more community service opportunities in March!

AFH News

Posted: September 19, 2023 Updated: September 25, 2023 by Hannah Bronkema

AFH Transforms Popular AFH Fit Program

As Athletes for Hope continues to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing needs of students across the country, we are thrilled to announce that the AFH Fit Program has undergone a transformation this summer and will now be known as the CHAMPS Program.

Originally created to address the critical issue of childhood obesity, AFH Fit has been a part of hundreds of classrooms nationwide, impacting hundreds of thousands of kids. As the need for mental wellness in schools grows, AFH Fit has combined with our H.E.A.R.T. Curriculum to put children’s mental and physical well-being first.

Only one in four children in the U.S. is getting the recommended amount of physical activity each day. Getting kids moving – no matter the time of year – is important now more than ever as rates of depression and anxiety in youth have surged, a trend that has only intensified due to changes and stressors since the COVID-19 pandemic (www.childrenscolorado.org, 2023). According to Mental Health America, as of 2022 over 10% of America’s youth have severe major depression with approximately 15% having experienced a major depressive episode within the previous year.

Leveraging the structure of AFH Fit, the CHAMPS curriculum will integrate mental wellness lessons alongside our existing physical movement and leadership activities, creating a holistic approach to youth well-being. Program participants can expect to see brand new on-demand videos, student workbooks, and teacher guides that pair with each of the 6 sessions following the curriculum brought to them by professional, Olympic, Paralympic, and collegiate athletes.

The monthly sessions reinforce the importance of physical activity, and children’s mental wellness, help to identify helpful behaviors and practices that promote daily mental health, and create a setting for open conversations about what wellness means for kids.

If you are a teacher who is interested in bringing an athlete to your classroom this fall (virtually or in-person), please fill out this signup form by September 29, 2023.