Agnes Keleti, the most decorated female Jewish Olympic athlete of all-time, celebrated her 99th birthday on January 9, making this a prime time to shine the light on her accomplishments on and off the gymnastics floor. You don't have to look far to see how fierce Keleti has been throughout her entire life. Yes, she's a 10-time medal winner, including [...]
Most go to Venice Beach for ocean air and salty hair. Not 10-year-old Sky Brown. She ventures there to showcase her skateboarding flare. We told you about Brown last summer because of her ability to rip on four wheels. The prodigy, who hails from Miyazaki, Japan, already beats grown men in competitions thanks to having triple kickflips and 540 rodeo [...]
Twenty-eight-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps doesn't have to be in a pool to make a splash, and he's proving that in retirement. The 33-year-old has used his platform to be an advocate in the space of mental health. He was recently honored for his work by the Ruderman Family Foundation, who named him this year's winner of the Morton E. [...]
It wasn't until 2004 that women from Afghanistan competed in the Olympics for the first time. Fast forward 14 years and now Samira Asghari is the first person from the war-torn country to be named an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member. Not only that, but at 24 years old, she's the youngest person to ever be named to the committee. [...]
There may be noticeable physical differences between Paralympians and Olympians, but without question, there's no disparity when it comes to drive and competitive spirit. Now, they'll be compensated accordingly, too. After The United States Olympic Committee’s (USOC) board of directors voted on equal payouts for medal performances in September, all American competitors, whether Paralympian or Olympian, will receive $37,500 for [...]
Forget Air Jordan and the "Jumpman" logo. If Nike ever wants to revamp, they should consider an outline of Juan Miguel Echevarria, the jump-teen. The 19-year-old from Cuba made history on Sunday in Stockholm at the Diamond League meet by nearly clearing the entire long jump pit. He jumped 8.83 meters (29 feet, 11.5 inches), which was the longest leap [...]
Irene Obera may be 84, but she runs and jumps like someone decades younger. Need proof? She still runs the 100-meter dash in about 18 seconds and clocks 40 seconds in the 200-meter hurdle. And, she's been reeling in world records for 40 years. “I don’t think about age, like most people do. I’d run against a 5-year-old or a [...]
In Rio last summer, Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first Muslim-American to wear a hijab while representing the U.S. at the Olympics. The 31-year-old fencer from New Jersey lost in the second round of individual competition, but took home bronze in the Team Sabre event, making her the first female Muslim-American to earn a medal at the Olympics. Her other victory came [...]
It was another incredible year at Purpose2Play. We're honored to be the media outlet some of the world's most inspiring athletes choose to tell their stories to. Before we move on to 2017, let's reflect and look back on our top 16 stories from 2016 as measured by pageviews. Photo courtesy of Michael Somsan and Dominic Bernardo 16. [...]
Photo courtesy of Gevvie Stone By Kim Constantinesco If you're lucky, you may catch a glimpse of U.S. rowing silver medalist Gevvie Stone. She's the one moving swiftly on top of the water and up the ranks in medicine. The 31-year-old doctor from Newton, Mass. has balanced Olympic training and medical school and impressed everyone along the [...]
