“Love this! So Important for our Youth” - Star Athletes Embrace Congressman Hamadeh’s Congressional Fitness Challenge Bill

WASHINGTON DC – Enthusiasm is growing for the newly proposed Congressional Fitness Challenge introduced in an opinion piece published on the popular OutKick website, penned by Congressman Abe Hamadeh and NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre.

Former NFL player Antonio Brown (“AB”) on the X.com social media platform posted, ““Love this! So important for our Youth,” in response to Congressman Hamadeh’s announcement of the program.

This week, Congressman Hamadeh introduced H.Con.Res.20, which establishes the Congressional Fitness Challenge, as part of his bold initiative to build a stronger, healthier future for our kids.

The Congressional Fitness Challenge creates a voluntary nationwide program for children ages 6-17 across all educational settings. The initiative comes at a critical time when childhood obesity has tripled since the 1970s and 77% of young Americans are ineligible for military service without a waiver due to health issues.

The Challenge includes five core fitness tests: the 1-Mile Run/Walk, Pull-Ups/Flexed Arm Hang, Curl-Ups or Sit-Ups, Shuttle Run, and Sit-and-Reach. Participants can earn Gold, Silver, or Bronze recognition based on their performance against clear, age-appropriate standards.

"As a Hall of Fame professional quarterback and a United States Congressman, we come from different arenas – but we stand united by a common concern," Hamadeh and Favre stated in their joint op-ed. "America's youth are facing a silent crisis of physical fitness. Our message is simple: reviving physical excellence among America's youth will build a stronger nation."

Congressman Hamadeh looks forward to working with parents, experts, industry leaders, and the relevant congressional committees as they get this critical legislation passed by the House and Senate.

The program will allow Members of Congress to use their office to promote and recognize achievements in their districts.

Congressman Hamadeh and Brett Favre invite colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join this bipartisan effort to improve youth fitness and strengthen our nation's future.

Read the Op-Ed in OutKick HERE. 

Read the text of H.Con.Res.20 HERE.