PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- World Champion gymnast and youth advocate Simone Biles is turning the spotlight on her title of 'most decorated gymnast of all time' to another title equally close to her heart: a champion for children. As the national ambassador for the nonprofit organization Friends of the Children, Biles has used her platform to shine a light on the transformative impact of the long-term professional mentoring model.
Biles, who Sports Illustrated recently recognized as the 2024 Sportsperson of the Year, has credited much of her success to the support she received from caring adults—her parents, coaches and mentors—both as a young child in foster care and as an adult competing on the biggest stages in gymnastics.
Biles uses every opportunity to share how she could have benefitted from support provided by Friends of the Children and why the model is widely regarded as the gold standard in youth mentoring programs. The program's innovative model has tremendously impacted youth across the country, including in Biles' hometown of Houston. In 2023, she played a pivotal role in establishing a Friends of the Children chapter there.
"One of the reasons I'm so excited to be named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated is that it recognizes not only my athletic accomplishments but also the great work of Friends of the Children and the impact we can have on the next generation of youth," said Biles. "I appreciate all the medals I have won over the course of my career. More importantly, the opportunity to inspire youth and encourage them that no matter their circumstances in life, they too can pursue their dreams is better than any medal. I see myself in these children, having experienced foster care in my youth, and my hope is that all children can have a caring adult mentor in their lives for the long term."
As part of National Mentoring Month, which occurs every January, advertising company Billups and more than 20 media companies are donating advertising space featuring Friends of the Children through a partnership that began in 2020. More than 5,000 billboards will be displayed in more than 40 cities across the country during January. Read the full press release online here.
Media Contact:
Ariane Le Chevallier
971-201-1214
[email protected]
SOURCE Friends of the Children
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