Urimondjira Ruzo, a Special Olympics Namibia athlete leads an outdoor community fitness activity.
World Day for Physical Activity is celebrated globally on 6 April each year, emphasizing the importance of staying active through sport and physical fitness daily. Physical fitness is a key aspect of Special Olympics’ mission. Special Olympics encourages athletes and their communities to engage in year-round fitness activities to promote optimal health and sports performance.
Data collected from a 2018 Special Olympics athlete satisfaction survey showed 58% of Special Olympics athletes said they joined Special Olympics “to stay fit and healthy.” Staying active not only enhances sport performance but prevents and manages non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes, reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improves overall well-being.
One way Special Olympics promotes healthy lifestyles is through the work of Health Messengers. Health Messengers are Special Olympics athletes who are trained to serve as health and wellness leaders in their communities by leading education and fitness activities and empowering athletes to advocate for the health needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Since 2016, over 5,000 athletes have been trained to serve as leaders and advocates in their communities.
This World Day for Physical Activity, Special Olympics is highlighting four Health Messengers for their leadership in inspiring athletes and community members to stay active year-round.
Below, meet four Health Messengers who are getting their communities moving.
José Miguel Ramírez González – Special Olympics Colombia
José Miguel Ramírez González, a Special Olympics Colombia athlete teaches swim drills and leads a practice.
Health Messenger José Miguel Ramírez González is a dedicated swimmer and a leader in his community. José believes in the power of fitness and always encourages athletes to push themselves. He has a natural ability to inspire those around him, leading by example and showing how committing to a healthy lifestyle makes lasting impacts.
José understands that staying motivated is key to inspiring others and shares, “we motivate ourselves every day to improve our physical activity goals. For example, if I ran 5 kilometers yesterday, my goal for the next day is to increase the distance I ran. This will certainly have a beneficial effect on our health and well-being.”
Understanding that physical fitness can benefit one’s overall well-being, Jose adds, “being physically active makes me feel happy and healthy. It improves my mood, increases my confidence and self-esteem, and makes me feel comfortable with my physical appearance. Staying physically active improves my muscle strength and helps me increase my endurance in the pool.”
José’s influence extends beyond the pool with his positive mindset and dedication to building healthy lifestyles in his community.
Joe MacNamara, a Special Olympics Ireland athlete (right), educates his teammates about nutrition.
Joe MacNamara – Special Olympics Ireland
Health Messenger Joe MacNamara has made it his goal to educate athletes and community members about nutrition and fitness. Joe shares his knowledge of food groups and portion sizes to help athletes stay fit and strong. In addition to his passion of teaching others, Joe is equally dedicated to promoting year-round physical activity in his community. Recently, Joe led a four-month weekly fitness program for his swimming teammates, encouraging them to stay active outside of the pool.
Joe emphasizes that staying active is beneficial for everyone, encouraging not only his teammates to stay active but also families and other community members. He shares, “it is good to take fresh air and walking is good for health and well-being and staying fit. If you do a walk with Team South Galway, you can bring your dog as well. It is good for family members in the local community to walk for their health and being active is good for your physical and mental well-being.”
Highlighting that physical fitness benefits more than just sports performance, Joe explains, “physical activity can help change the chemicals in our brain which can result in a positive mood change. There is some evidence to suggest that exercise can bring about a sense of greater self-esteem, self-control and the ability to rise to a challenge.”
To Joe, fitness means improving your overall well-being, both physically and mentally. Joe plans to continue leading the exercise program in the future.
Urimondjira Ruzo – Special Olympics Namibia
Urimondjira Ruzo prepares and organizes a community physical fitness drill.
A Health Messenger, Sport Assistant Coach, Fitness Captain, and a Youth Leader, Urimondjira Ruzo is a community-driven individual. He is a dual-sport athlete, playing floorball and soccer, and leads fitness sessions in his community. Urimondjira is always looking for ways to make a positive impact. As a Special Olympics athlete, he knows sports and fitness have a unique way of connecting people.
Urimondjira reflected on the social aspect of physical fitness sharing, “physical activity keeps me healthy and makes me make friends.” As an athlete, he understands first-hand how being part of a community not only connects people but promotes overall well-being.
Understanding the positive impact sports and fitness provide, Urimondjira shares, “my hope for others on this World Day for Physical Activity is for more people to start moving and stay active and try to enjoy it.”
Special Olympics Puerto Rico athlete, Armando Renta instructs swimmers during a fitness activity.
Armando Renta – Special Olympics Puerto Rico
Armando Renta, a Health Messenger and Athlete Leader is an experienced swimmer and inspirational leader. He is an assistant coach for his local swimming program, Breaking Barriers of the Municipality of Ponce, and is responsible for teaching children and young adults swimming and fitness skills.
Armando understands the impact fitness can have both in and outside of the pool. He reflected on the importance of motivating each other to stay active, sharing, “I like to encourage and motivate these children and young people to do physical activities because it is vital to maintain good health.”
To Armando, it’s important to encourage others to take charge of their own health, adding, “physical activity is important for everyone. For my athletes in the Breaking Barriers program, swimming is a very appealing activity. It is a well-rounded sport. They find it fun, and at the same time, I manage to help them live a healthier and more productive life through physical activity.”
By working with community members and athletes, Armando is motivating athletes and community members to live healthier lives through his love of swimming.
Health Messengers remind us of the importance of staying consistent and staying active year-round, and how this can promote overall well-being among athletes, families, and community members.
Special Olympics and the American Council on Exercise launched a free, six module online course designed for people both with and without IDD. The course features real-world examples, including Special Olympics athletes, interactive learning modules, and post-course resources to help individuals gain confidence and skills to inspire communities to be more active, just like these four Health Messengers. Take the free course to become a Community Physical Activity Leader and inspire communities to stay active.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball legend Whitney Knight has been selected to the ASUN Hall of Fame’s 11th induction class, which also includes Lipscomb’s Madi Talbert Artz (women’s cross county/track & field), North Florida’s Dallas Moore (men’s basketball) and North Alabama’s Ivy Wallen Murks (women’s basketball).
The Hall of Fame’s 11th annual induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Jacksonville. Knight, who played for FGCU from 2011-16, becomes the eighth Eagle to earn the ASUN’s highest honor, joining softball’s Courtney Platt, Cheyenne Jenks, and Carmen Paez, baseball’s Chris Sale, Casey Coleman, and Richard Bleier, and volleyball’s Brooke Youngquist Sweat.
Knight’s induction further cements her status as one of the most decorated players in FGCU and ASUN history. A program-defining guard and the first Eagle ever selected in the WNBA Draft, Knight’s impact on the conference and the Green & Blue remains unmatched nearly a decade after her graduation.
Knight was named to the ASUN All-Decade Team following a dominant career in Fort Myers. She became the program’s first WNBA draft pick when the Los Angeles Sparks selected her 15th overall in 2016, just the seventh ASUN player all-time to be drafted. As a senior, she earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America recognition while also being selected as one of 30 national candidates for the NCAA Senior CLASS Award, highlighting excellence both on and off the court.
A two-time ASUN Player of the Year (2015, 2016), Knight stands as one of only two Eagles ever to earn three First Team All-ASUN selections, joining FGCU great Sarah Hansen. Her postseason résumé is equally impressive, being named 2015 ASUN Tournament MVP, 2016 All-Tournament Team, 2012 ASUN All-Freshman Team, in addition to a program-record seven ASUN Player of the Week honors.
On the court, Knight was a matchup nightmare whose versatility defined FGCU’s continual rise into a perennial mid-major power. She led the ASUN in blocks (99), steals (64), and three-pointers per game (2.8) as a senior, while also finishing top six in the league in rebounds and double-doubles. She produced eight double-doubles, five 20-point games, and scored a three-pointer in every game she played that season. Her nine-block performance remains one of the most dominant defensive outings in conference history.
Knight finished her career with 1,574 points, 735 rebounds, 333 blocks, 245 assists, and 206 steals, one of the most complete statistical profiles ever recorded by an Eagle. She remains the program’s all-time leader in blocks by a staggering margin while ranking second in career points, field goals made, field goals attempted, three-pointers made, and rebounds.
A four-year force whose two-way production and big-moment performances helped shape the foundation of FGCU’s women’s basketball identity, Knight’s legacy only continues to grow with her selection to the ASUN Hall of Fame.
More information about the ASUN Hall of Fame and the Class of 2026 will be released by the conference in the coming months.
To stay up-to-date on the Eagles, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at FGCU_WBB.
GRANT CITY, Mo. — Worth County senior Andrew Griffin made his college plans official on Tuesday morning in Grant City as the Tiger track star made his signing with the Southwestern Community College track and field program official.
“I’ve always wanted to be an electrician and they have a really good electrical program,” Griffin said. “I also wanted to continue my track career. Southwestern is just a nice small college. I didn’t want to go to a big college where there are lots of people. It makes me feel at home with the small town and small college.”
Griffin says its been a goal throughout high school to jump in college.
“Since freshman year honestly,” Griffin said. “That is when I actually started to get good at high jump and actually how to jump.”
Griffin had visited the campus in Creston, Iowa, previously, but recently made another trip to check out the track and field program as well as the electrician program. He was impressed with both.
“I went just a couple weeks ago with my parents,” Griffin said. “… We toured the campus and talked to the electrical teacher.”
And Griffin’s high-jump numbers impressed Spartans’ coach Scott Vicker who added one of Griffin’s rivals last season with North Nodaway graduate Owen Martin. Griffin is excited to compete on the same team as Martin.
“It is going to be really nice to be able to jump with Owen instead of against him,” Griffin said. “We will be on the same team now, and it is definitely nice having people up there that you know.”
The Spartan roster also includes former Tiger Kara Staton and Stanberry graduate Marli Hilton.
Last season, Griffin finished 10th in Class 1 in the high jump in addition to participating in the 200-meter dash and on the Tiger relay teams. Griffin’s career-best in the high jump is 1.85 meters — a mark that he reached in over half of the team’s meets.
Now Griffin prepares for his senior year with the Tigers, who return state qualifiers Lucas Frisch and Griffin as seniors. The Tigers open the season with the Worth County Early Bird on March 26.
“I’m really excited for it,” Griffin said of his final season as a Tiger. “I feel like I can do really well this year. It was good last year, but I’ve still got a lot of room to improve.”
App States track and field started their 2025-26 indoor season at the Winston-Salem College Kick-Off Saturday.
With the race starting for at the 60 meters, junior Kendall Johnson placed second with a 7.50 finish, just 1 second behind Converse University. Junior Nicole Wells finished 10th in the 60 meters with a time of 7.73. The 800 meter was led by senior Addison Ollendick-Smith who started her season with a fourth place finish with a time of 2:18.09.
The main event for the Mountaineers was the 4×400 meter relay, where they finished first with teammates Wells, senior Damyja Alejandro-Ortiz, senior Daye Talley and junior Jayla Adams, and had a record time of 3:45.76.
In the pole vault, senior Ava Studney finished first clearing 3.95m and sophomore Abigail Goetz followed and finished fifth in the pole vault with a 3.50m. Freshman Alana Braxton won the long jump with 5.87m and freshman Kelly MacBride finished in the top 10 with 5.31m. The triple jump saw 3 of the women’s teammates finish in the top 6, with Braxton finishing first with 12.32m. freshman Ashlynn Wimberly finished second with 12.14m, and sophomore Jahaila Wright finished with 11.60m.
In weight throwing, junior Dianna Boykin had a personal best of 14.70m to place eighth and sophomore Emily Edwards followed close behind with a top 10 finish in shotput, 12.17m and weight throw, 14.03m. In the 200 meter, both Adams and Talley finished top five with times of 24.39 and 24.77.
For the Mountaineers next meet they will be in the UNC-Asheville Collegiate Opener on Jan. 10 at the Tryon International.
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Augusta junior outside hitter Layne Witherspoon has been named an AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention selection following a standout 2025 campaign in which the Jaguars finished 25–9 and captured the Peach Belt Conference regular-season title.
Witherspoon delivered 346 kills on .295 hitting across 126 sets while adding 168 digs, 84 total blocks, and 433 total points. She tallied 17 double-digit kill performances, highlighted by a season-high 17 kills against Montevallo on Sept. 19 and a 21-point outing versus Francis Marion on Sept. 13. On the defensive side, she posted a season-best 14 digs at Flagler on Oct. 4 and recorded seven total blocks against Georgia College on Oct. 17. She was second on the team with 3.44 points per set.
A consistent presence in Augusta’s front row, Witherspoon helped power the Jaguars to their PBC regular-season championship and another postseason appearance.
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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Gophers senior outside hitter Julia Hanson was named AVCA Northwest Region Player of the Year while Keegan Cook was named Coach of the Year, the organization announced today.
There are 14 first-team All-Region members and an additional group of honorable mention selections for each of the 10 regions. A Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year were selected for every region.
The 213 student-athletes who made All-Region represent 109 different schools. Nebraska leads the way with seven All-Region selections, followed by Pittsburgh and Stanford with six apiece. Florida, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Texas A&M, and Wisconsin all have five All-Region first-team or honorable mention selections.
Joining Hanson on the AVCA All-Northwest Region First Team were freshman opposite Carly Gilk and redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson. Redshirt senior middle blocker Lourdes Myers and freshman middle blocker Jordan Taylor were named all-region honorable mention.
A Savage, Minn., native, Julia Hanson earns another major award after a magnificent senior season. She was also named a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2025. During her fourth year in the Maroon and Gold, Hanson won Big Ten Player of the Week on Sept. 1 and was named MVP of the Golden Gopher Invitational on Aug. 31.
For the year, she totaled 26 10+ kill matches in 32 chances, posting a career-high 4.13 kills per set, a mark that ranked her fourth in the Big Ten. Hanson also hit a career-best .309, a mark that ranked her third among Big Ten pins.
She tallied five 20+ kill matches and averaged a career-best 0.30 service aces on the year. Her 26 aces in conference play put her at No. 8 in the conference. Defensively, Hanson posted 0.64 blocks and 1.60 digs per set. She was named as one of 30 players to the AVCA Preseason Player of the Year Watch List and was a Preseason All-Big Ten honoree. Hanson helped Minnesota reach its first Sweet 16 since 2022 after going for 36 kills last weekend in two matches (.500 hitting).
Coach Cook was named AVCA Region Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career and first at Minnesota. Cook led the Gophers to a 24-9 (12-8 Big Ten) record and a Sweet 16 appearance for the first time in his three years at the ‘U’. He and his coaching staff did this despite losing four starters to season-ending injuries in the first four weeks of the season. The Gophers played five freshmen starters for a majority of the season, including three-fourths of Big Ten competition. Minnesota also won four ranked matches this year, taking down No. 23 Indiana, No. 24 Penn State, No. 11 Purdue and No. 23 Iowa State.
Carly Gilk earned an all-region nod to go along with her Freshman All-Big Ten accolades. The rookie opposite posted 2.28 kills per set on a scorching .293 hitting in 2025. She also posted 1.70 digs, 0.60 blocks and 0.27 aces per set in 28 matches played. She had seven 10+ kill matches and seven 10+ dig matches on the year. Gilk had the best match of her freshman year on Oct. 26 at Purdue, tallying 15 kills (.364) and 10 digs in a five set match.
Redshirt freshman setter Stella Swenson added an all-region honor after being named All-Big Ten Second Team and to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. She averaged 9.78 assists, 2.16 digs, 0.61 blocks, 0.59 kills and 0.28 aces per set in her first year as a starter, playing in all 33 matches.
Swenson posted eight double-doubles, including a career-best 58-assist, 10-dig outing in a five-set win at Iowa. She ranked eighth in the Big Ten in assists per set and was fifth amongst setters with 0.59 kills per set. She was the first Minnesota freshman to post 1,000 assists in her rookie season since her sister, Samantha Seliger-Swenson, did so in 2015. Stella was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 1 after being named to the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team. She was added to the AVCA Mid-Season Player of the Year Watch List as the only freshman on there,
Redshirt senior middle blocker Lourdes Myers had the best season of her career in 2025 in the Maroon and Gold. She was named AVCA All-Northwest Region Honorable Mention after going for 1.70 kills and 1.19 blocks per set, playing in all 33 matches. Myers had two 10+ kill matches in 2025, including a 12-kill, nine-block match at Washington. She had seven-or-more kills 13 times and five-or-more blocks 12 times. Myers ranked ninth in the Big Ten in blocks per set.
Freshman middle Jordan Taylor also earned AVCA All-Northwest Region Honorable Mention. She had a banner freshman season, averaging a team-best 1.24 blocks per set, playing in 30 matches. Taylor averaged 1.35 kills per set on .355 hitting, going for five-or-more kills 12 times. She had five+ blocks nine times, including a career-high 11 block match at Iowa on Nov. 16.
The Gophers (24-9, 12-8 B1G) compete in the Sweet 16 against No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh (28-4, 18-2 ACC) at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday. The match will be on ESPN2.
MADISON, Wis. – Five total players of the Wisconsin volleyball team were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) North All-Region Team. Outside hitter Mimi Colyer was named North Player of the Year, while head coach Kelly Sheffield was named Coach of the Year.
The Badger list of North All-Region First Team honorees consists of Carter Booth, Mimi Colyer, Grace Egan, Kristen Simon and Una Vajagic. Head Coach Kelly Sheffield also earned his sixth Coach of the Year honor.
Freshman Kristen Simon was one-of-three freshman named First Team. In the regular season, Simon played in 89-of-92 sets as the starting libero for Wisconsin. The Kentucky native led the team with 3.49 digs per set, chipped in with 14 service aces and averaged 1.10 assists per set. She reached double-figure digs 19 matches, including a season-best in her very first collegiate match against Kansas with 23. The 5-foot-8 libero also earned Big Ten All-Freshman this season.
For the first time in her career, right side hitter Grace Egan earned All-Region honors. Traditionally, an outside hitter, Egan moved over to the right side and averaged 2.43 kills per set, 2.19 digs per set, 3.09 points per set and chipped in with 25 service aces this season for the Badgers. She totaled three double-doubles (kills, digs) against Texas, Florida and Northwestern.
Outside hitter Una Vajagic steadily became one of the Badgers most dynamic players in the starting rotation. The Serbian native totaled 2.71 kills per set, 2.56 digs per set, and 3.07 points per set in her first full season with the Badgers. Vajagic also collected eight double-doubles (kills, digs) in the regular season, including a back-to-back double-doubles in her first two collegiate matches against Kansas and Texas. The 6-foot outside hitter also chipped in with 18 service aces for UW.
Senior Carter Booth claims her fourth All-Region honor and third with the Badgers. In all four years, she has been a First Team honoree, including Freshman of the Year when she was with Minnesota. In the regular season, Booth led the Badgers and ranked 5th in the NCAA with a .436 hitting percentage. She added 2.02 kills per set, 1.24 blocks per set and 2.70 points per set. Booth totaled eight matches where she didn’t have a hitting error, including a season best 11 kills on 15 swings with no errors. Defensively, Booth achieved a season best 10.0 blocks at Michigan St. on Nov. 15.
Also joining Booth as a four-time AVCA All-Region recipient is outside hitter Mimi Colyer. She also repeats as All-Region Player of the Year. As a freshman Colyer was named the Pacific North Region Freshman of the Year at Oregon, and in 2024, she was named the Northwest Region Player of the Year. In just one season with the Badgers, Colyer has already broken and is on pace to break several more single-season offensive program records. The California native reached double-figure kills in every match but one this season, including nine matches with 20 or more kills. Colyer averaged 5.32 kills per set, 5.93 points per set, 2.20 digs per set, and added 0.69 blocks per set. She also hit .334 in the regular season. Colyer totaled seven double-doubles including a season-best 25 kill, 18 dig performance at Washington on Oct. 24.
Head coach Kelly Sheffield earned his sixth All-Region Coach of the Year honor after leading the Badgers to a 24-4 regular season record, and a 17-3 Big Ten record for second place. Sheffield replaced nearly his entire starting rotation, including four All-Americans from a season ago.
Wisconsin is 1-of-55 teams assigned to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) North Region, joining just Michigan State as a Big Ten school representing the North Region.
