Stephen Curry’s on and off court legacy is underscored by transformation and innovation. His 14-year career in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors is marked by many firsts. He was the first person to be named Most Valuable Player by unanimous vote in NBA history, the first player to hit 100 3-pointers in the NBA Finals, one of a select few to win MVP awards two years in a row, remains the all-time leading scorer in Golden State Warriors history and holds the record for most 3-pointers made in NBA history. He holds nine NBA all-star selections and four NBA Championships. Curry is CEO of Thirty Ink, a purpose driven collective that houses all of Curry’s business enterprises, such as Unanimous Media, which features award-winning media projects; Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation with wife Ayesha; and UNDERRATED, an inspiring lifestyle brand committed to providing equity, access and opportunity to underrepresented communities. Furthermore, in 2020, he launched Curry Brand, powered by Under Armour, with a mission to open doors for underrepresented youth and increase access for sports across the country.
Katie Ledecky, a ten-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, is recognized as one of the most dominant athletes of all time. Often called the ‘First Lady of Freestyle’, she has broken 16 World Records and 37 American Records in her career. Out of the pool, Ledecky is an advocate for education, gender equality, and the empowerment of young athletes. In 2022, she received Athletes for Hope’s Community Hero Award.
Nathan Chen, a three-time Olympic medalist and three-time World Figure Skating Champion, has captivated audiences with his unparalleled skills on the ice. As the first man in figure skating history to land five quadruple jumps in a single performance and the first Asian American man to win a gold medal in the sport, he has quickly become a role model and icon for future figure skaters. Chen is committed to using his platform to inspire the next generation through environmental advocacy, diversity and inclusion and public health awareness. In 2022, he published his first children’s book, Wei Skates On, to teach kids the importance of finding joy in whatever they choose to do. He is currently studying at Yale University.
Elena Delle Donne is a three-time high school state champion, a McDonald’s All-American, CAA Rookie of the Year and three-time CAA Player of the Year in her four years of basketball at the University of Delaware, a WNBA number two overall pick, WNBA Rookie of the Year, two-time WNBA MVP, WNBA Champion, the only WNBA player in the 50-40-90 club, member of the WNBA 25th Anniversary Team, the all-time best free throw shooter in WNBA history and an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA. Off the court, Delle Donne has consistently used her platform to be a role model for young girls. She works to raise awareness for Lyme Disease and partners with organizations such as the Special Olympics to help give differently-abled children equal access to sports. Learn more about her story here.
Muhammad Ali brought an unorthodox fighting style, unprecedented speed, and extraordinary grace to his sport, while his charm and wit forever changed the public’s expectations of a champion. While his success as a boxer is widely respected, Muhammad’s greatest triumphs have taken place outside the ring – as a leader and champion of life. Through his humanitarian efforts, he has perhaps contributed more than any other athlete to make the world a better place. Recipient of the 1997 Arthur Ashe Courage Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, Muhammad leaves a legacy that inspired millions of people all over the world.
While he passed in 2016, his legacy lives on through the Muhammad Ali Center in his birthplace of Louisville, KY where children and adults are inspired to learn and form new commitments in personal growth, integrity and respect for others.
Mia Hamm is arguably one of the world’s greatest athletes of all time, tallying 2 Olympic gold medals, 1 Olympic silver medal, 2 FIFA World Cups and 4 NCAA National Championships. But since her brother Garrett died in 1997 from complications related to a rare blood disorder, she has found another way to play offense.
Out of her cleats since 2004, Mia now devotes her time to the Mia Hamm Foundation, a nonprofit that she created in 1999. The organization raises funds and awareness for families needing marrow or cord blood transplants and develops and promotes programs for young women in sports. The foundation hosts all-star exhibition soccer matches, and during halftime, marrow recipients are brought together with their donors for the first time. These emotional encounters, Mia says, are her most cherished moments away from the field.
In 2023, Mia was the recipient of the Athletes for Hope inaugural Mia Hamm Founders Award.
NFL Pro Bowler and former running back Warrick Dunn no longer tallies rushing yards. Instead, he’s adding up the number of single parents he’s assisted around the Southeast.
Inspired by his mother Betty’s dream to own her own home and her untimely death when he was just 18 years old, Warrick founded Homes For The Holidays (HFTH) in 1997 during his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To this day, HFTH partners with local organizations to provide home furnishings and down-payment assistance to single parent families and has since expanded into three additional programs: Count On Your Future, Sculpt and Hearts for Community Service Scholarships. All four of these programs are part of Warrick Dunn Charities.
Raised in East St. Louis, IL, sport has always been a refuge for Jackie Joyner-Kersee. The woman who once said that being an athlete is “a kind of grace” was able to overcome poverty, tragedy and discrimination to become a track and field world record-holder, 6-time Olympic medalist and one of the greatest athletes of all time. With poise, passion and a desire to help families in the community she calls home, Jackie created the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, which is now under a partnership with the East St. Louis School District, and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation which works to ensure that every East St. Louis-area youth is given the opportunity to achieve greatness and succeed in academics, athletics and leadership.
Tennis great Andre Agassi reached the top of his sport as a professional athlete. But he is quick to say that his life’s work lies not in sport, but in education reform. He has committed himself to using every lesson learned on and off the court to make a difference in children’s lives. “At a low point in my career, I figured out what mattered most,” he says. “I was here to care for children and give a voice to those whose voices are rarely heard.” The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education, in partnership with the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, opened the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in 2001. The public charter school is seen as a model school; its first graduating class boasted a 100 percent college acceptance rate. And as Andre told graduates at their commencement in 2009, it’s never too late for humans to be inspired and to start a new chapter—which is what he has done time and time again to change the course of his life and the lives of others.
Andre’s foundation aims to reform public education for underserved youth in America. Although he sacrificed his own education for success on the court, Andre has always seen education as the key to opportunity, success and freedom. He passionately believes in children and believes that we can do better in our efforts to educate them. “Each of us—parents, advocates, educators and legislators—has a responsibility to help children fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams,” he says. When Andre was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011, he recounted a story of his one brief meeting with Nelson Mandela, arguably one of the most influential people in his life. He urged Andre, during his time on Earth, to be careful in his decisions, his words and his relationships—something Andre admits he hadn’t always done. “Mandela said to me, ‘There is difficulty in all human journeys, but there is nobility in just being a journeyer.’ From him I learned that every journey is epic; every journey is important; every journey beings today.”
At 6’10”, former NBA All-Star, NBA Champion and Olympic Gold medalist Alonzo “Zo” Mourning towers over most of his fellow humans. But Alonzo’s stature and accomplishments on the court haven’t stopped him from devoting his life to empowering others. Through the Mourning Family Foundation (MFF), founded in 1997, he and his wife Tracy have raised over $25 million for youth development programs like Honey Shine and the Overtown Youth Center. In all his efforts, Alonzo inspires kids in the South Florida area to become positive, contributing citizens in their community. He teaches them that they can do more than they might think possible. And every Thanksgiving, Alonzo personally delivers turkey dinners to hundreds of unsuspecting families, feeding stomachs as well as souls.
When four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner Jeff Gordon gets behind something, he gives 100 percent — whether he’s racing around a track or rushing to grant wishes to critically ill children. Jeff discovered his life’s work after his crew chief’s son was diagnosed with leukemia in 1992, and he took on the cause with no less love and passion than he would have shown if it had been his own child. Inspired to make a difference in the lives of children, he established the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, which has granted millions to children’s charities. Jeff’s vision is that there will be a day when no child will face the uncertainty of cancer. To that end, the foundation partners with organizations that are committed to children’s health.
Monica Abbott is one of the most decorated softball players of all time. The California native turned Tennessee Volunteer broke the NCAA record in strikeouts, shutouts and career victories. Professionally, she was a six-time Japan Softball League MVP and a six-time champion of the Japan League. Abbot’s accolades do not stop there. The decorated pitcher won numerous world championships and two silver medals for Team USA. She broke barriers signing a $1 million contract to play in the National Pro Fastpitch League, setting an example for young athletes around the world. Off the diamond, Abbott is a published author and she has her own scholarship to support multi-sport female athletes who demonstrate leadership in their sport and in the classroom.
Matthew Boling is one of the most exciting young athletes across the country with exceptional speed. The Houston native recently turned pro after an accomplished career at the University of Georgia where he succeeded on and off of the track. Boling won multiple championships and was named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the year two times in three years. Boling has been a sensation since high school where he ran the fastest all-conditions 100m dash at 9.98 seconds. Boling earned his degree majoring in marketing prior to focusing on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games where he will aim to medal for Team USA. Boling’s impressive skills in the 100m, 200m and long jump, while also staying grounded in school and in the community make him a tremendous example for young athletes to follow after.
Vania is a former professional tennis player, reaching career high rankings of #3 in doubles and #50 in singles. A two time Grand Slam champion, Vania won the 2010 Wimbledon and US Open Women’s Doubles Championships. She serves as the Executive Director of Serving Up Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides tennis programs for underserved children around the world, consultant for the Women’s Tennis Association and Women’s Tennis Benefit Association, and Director at Large of the USTA. She is also the co-founder of the Asian American Pacific Islander Tennis Association (AAPITA) with the mission to develop, grow, and elevate the visibility and interests of the Asian American and Pacific Islander tennis community. Vania received an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a masters degree in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University. In her free time, Vania enjoys birdwatching and singing.
Elliot Markuson, is a Mississippi native, with a long athletic journey as a former SEC football player at The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and a current Team USA Bobsled Athlete. Having ventured overseas, he immersed himself in diverse roles as an educator and football coach while living in China. Embracing his role as a Sports Diplomat, Elliot believes in the unifying power of Sports Diplomacy to forge global relationships. Beyond his time training and thrilling descents on icy tracks, he spends his time exploring the world and enjoying diverse cultures as an intrepid traveller and life long learner.
Megan Oyster Montefusco competes professionally for the Orlando Pride in the NWSL. After breaking into the league with the Washington Spirits, the Illinois native battled injuries, but she did not let them stop her. Oyster Montefusco has also appeared in a few games for the United States national team and the defender continues to inspire young soccer players on and off the field.
Emily Renna is a western New York native, with a long athletic career including competing in track and field at the University of Rhode Island and is now a current Bobsledder for Team USA. Emily also works full time in the biotech industry for a company that focuses on gene therapy for rare diseases. She’s always loved science and pursued an undergrad and graduate degree in Exercise Science and joined the biotech world after graduating in 2017. Beyond her time working and competing all over the world, Emily also enjoys travelling to places where there aren’t bobsled tracks and experiencing new cultures and adventures.
Dalton Risner is a Colorado native and current offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings. After playing collegiately at Kansas State University, Risner went on to play for his home state’s team, the Denver Broncos. While Risner has had a successful NFL career, his work with Special Olympics, Camp Hope and other works around the community demonstrate his passion for helping others. Risner received the Denver Broncos nomination for the 2022 Walter Payton Man of the Year award and continues to do great work throughout his community through his “RisnerUP” foundation with its mission to spread positivity through love and kindness for all.
After a long, productive career spanning 9 years across four teams in the WNBA and multiple international stops, Carolyn Swords called it a career in 2021. The Sudbury, Massachusetts native played out her college days at nearby Boston College where she is the school’s all-time leading scorer and has her number hanging in the rafters. Throughout her career, Swords worked on the WNBA’s Players Association Executive Committee as well as advocated to increase voter turnout with the “Rock the Vote” campaign. Swords remains involved as a Product Line Manager for Nike and is active in her community – something she prioritized during her career and continues today. In 2016, Swords was honored with the WNBA Cares Community Assist award.
Deja Young-Craddock recently retired as an accomplished USA Paralympic Athlete and two time gold medalist. Young-Craddock has spent time in a leadership role, serving as an athlete mentor as part of the Sports Envoy Program of the U.S. State Department to Nigeria in 2018. Her experience in overcoming challenges inspires the next generation of Paralympic athletes.. Not only that, Young-Craddock recently began her career as a first grade PE teacher! Her passion for educating young children is evident and she is a great example for all to follow.
