Inside Gymnastics Magazine | Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation to Host Annual Benefit in New York City on June 11, 2025. Hosted by Al Roker, the evening will feature the inaugural Simone Biles Give Back Award and honor Michael Tiedemann, the Harlem Community Development Corporation, and Christopher Harrison for their contributions to the foundation and the Harlem community.

About the 2025 WHGF Honorees:

Michael Tiedemann is the Chief Executive Officer of AlTi Tiedemann Global. Before leading the merger that created AlTi, he was a Founding Partner, CEO, and Chairman of the Internal Investment Committee at Tiedemann Advisors, as well as CEO at Tiedemann Investment Group (TIG). He serves on the board of multiple organizations and has been recognized for his contributions to charitable causes. He both established and is the Chairman of the Board of RIVER FUND, a nonprofit organization that provides food, education, and support services to help families in New York City break the cycle of poverty.

“The Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation is an incredible resource in the heart of Harlem that has inspired and shaped international athletes. I am truly honored to receive the inaugural Simone Biles Impact Award,” said Tiedemann. “Wendy and Simone have both had incredible careers, and have paved the way for the future of the sport. Together, we can keep introducing gymnastics to our youth and creating opportunities that would otherwise not have existed.”

Harlem Community Development Corporation (HCDC), a subsidiary of the New York State Urban Development Corporation, was created in 1995 to serve the greater Harlem community, including Central Harlem, El Barrio/East Harlem, Washington Heights and West Harlem. Through various partnerships, HCDC plans and facilitates a wide range of community revitalization initiatives, strengthening upper Manhattan and its economically and culturally vibrant communities.

Christopher Harrison is a visionary entrepreneur and pioneer of aerial and acrobatic arts. In 1991, he founded AntiGravity®Inc., America’s first contemporary aerial-acrobatic entertainment company, blending athleticism and artistry to redefine movement across performance, sport, and wellness. A former world-class gymnastics specialist and Broadway dancer, Harrison’s choreography has lit up stages from the Olympics to the Academy Awards, the Metropolitan Opera, and President Obama’s Inauguration. His work spans Disney films, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, and collaborations with many cultural icons from Spielberg to Mariah Carey. His distinctive aerial pop style was notably adopted by P!nk. Recognized as the father of aerial yoga, Harrison created eight proprietary AntiGravity® Fitness techniques, practiced in over 50 countries. His innovation—the Harrison AntiGravity® Hammock—has become a global standard in wellness. Now entering a bold new chapter, Harrison is launching the AntiGravity® Movement—a visionary initiative blending wellness, longevity, creative expression, and social impact. For nearly 30 years, Harrison proudly championed underserved youth as Board Chair for the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation. Receiving the 2025 Hero’s Award is a deeply personal honor—a tribute to the transformative power of movement, community and the dreams that uplift humanity.

“I’ve had the honor of working alongside the Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation for nearly three decades, and I have seen firsthand, the impact that this organization has had on the community and our children,” said Harrison. “It means so much to me to be recognized with the Hero’s Award on such an important night as we raise funds to keep gymnastics programming available for years to come.”

Past honorees have included Dimitrius Hutcherson, Harry Smith, Reggie Van Lee, Andrea Joyce, Donna de Varona, George Ntim, Corrinne Wright Tarver, Geoffrey Canada, Nadia Comaneci, Billie Jean King, Bruno Klaus, Jay Kriegel, Simon M. Lorne, Gail Marquis, Christina Minardi, David O’Brien, Emeka Okafor and more.

See the recap video from the 2024 benefit HERE!