Miami Marlins CEO and former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter shed his baseball image for a few days this week all in the name of golf. More accurately, in the name of continuing to motivate and support young people in their quest to lead healthy and successful lives. The annual Derek Jeter Celebrity Invitational (DJCI), which raises money for [...]
Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Wesley Matthews may be on the sidelines nursing a stress fracture in his right fibula, but he's using his downtime wisely. The nine-year NBA veteran spent Wednesday morning donating 30 bikes and helmets to students at Mi Escuelita Preschool in Dallas. He even instructed kids who were a little shaky on their pedals. "It's good to give [...]
All kinds of history was made Monday during the 122nd Boston Marathon. Among the record-breakers and head-turners was 85-year-old Katherine Beiers, who ran the 26.2-mile course in 7 hours and 50 minutes, and in the process, became the oldest woman to ever complete the race. Beiers battled through weather conditions so harsh that 25 elite runners dropped out, and more [...]
Tarik El-Abour couldn't speak until he was 6 years old. Instead, he let his baseball bat do the talking for him. Now 25, he's made history by becoming the first person with autism to sign a professional contract with a minor-league team. El-Abour, an outfielder who was raised in San Marino, California, was signed by the Kansas City Royals organization [...]
Who says you can't display impeccable sportsmanship and still come out on top? Look no further than 2018 Boston Marathon champion Desi Linden, who became the first American woman to cross the tape first at the historic race since 1985. Early on in the cold and rainy race blasted by strong headwinds, Linden slowed down for fellow American runner and [...]
If you see a man running Monday's 122nd Boston Marathon backwards, don't worry. That's just Loren Zitomersky, 33, tackling the 26.2-mile course the "wrong" way for the right reason: To end epilepsy. The Disney movie production lawyer from Southern California won't mimic salmon, running "upstream" from the finish line to the start line. He'll run with the rest of the [...]
What did Syracuse quarterback Rex Culpepper do during his brief break from chemotherapy? He got back to slinging touchdowns. The redshirt sophomore, who has a treatable form of testicular cancer, was surprised by head coach Dino Babers when he was inserted into the spring scrimmage for the last drive of the game. The result? A 17-yard touchdown pass to tight [...]
There's no doubt that sports -- whether you're watching or playing -- can illicit great memories. That's why various dementia-tailored socialization programs around the world are using sports reminiscence therapy to help improve the lives of those with Alzheimer's, a disease that affects nearly six million people in the United States alone. The idea of sports reminiscence therapy is to [...]
Denver Broncos defensive lineman Zach Kerr is all about disrupting offenses in the NFL, but when he's not on the field, he's rattling something far greater: Sarcoidosis, an inflammatory condition that often affects the lungs and lymph nodes. Why stand up to the disease that causes inflammatory cells to clump and interfere with an organ's structure and function? The 27-year-old's [...]
There's no stopping 7-year-old Montannah Kenney. In mid-March, the second-grader from Austin, Texas became the youngest girl to ever climb 19,341-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro. As for Montannah's motivation for taking on such a big climb with her mother, Hollie Kenney, who is a former professional triathlete? To honor her father, who passed away shortly after she turned three years old. “I [...]