Hamadeh Teams Up with NFL Legend to Kick Off Exciting Congressional Fitness Challenge for Kids

By Staff Reporter |

Rep. Abe Hamadeh has teamed up with former NFL star Brett Favre to launch the Congressional Fitness Challenge (CFC), part of a broader initiative inspired by the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). This new program aims to revive competitive physical fitness for the nation’s youth, reminiscent of the Presidential Fitness Test (PFT), which operated from 1956 until it was replaced by the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP) in 2013.

In an opinion piece for Outkick, Hamadeh and Favre emphasized the importance of physical excellence among children. “Our message is simple: reviving physical excellence among America’s youth will build a stronger nation,” they stated. The CFC seeks to foster a sense of competition and achievement, allowing children to measure their physical prowess and work towards personal goals. “At the very least, they deserve to be as healthy as they can be,” they added.

The CFC consists of a range of activities, including a one-mile run or walk, pull-ups or holds, curl-ups or sit-ups, a shuttle run, and the sit-and-reach test. The initiative recognizes three achievement levels: gold, silver, and bronze, based on performance percentile. Hamadeh and Favre argue that the CFC fosters not just health, but also confidence, leadership, and resilience in youth, contributing to a mentally and physically robust nation.

“The Congressional Fitness Challenge is an invitation – not just to kids, but to parents, teachers, coaches, and lawmakers – to invest in the next generation,” said the duo. They believe that America can rise to this challenge, drawing on its history of resilience and leadership to cultivate a healthier future.

While the PFT varied its requirements over the years, the final version required students to perform at a high level across five activities to earn the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. In contrast, the PYFP shifted its focus to comprehensive health metrics rather than specific fitness indicators.

Through the CFC, congressional offices may utilize their budgets to promote and acknowledge fitness achievements among children in their districts. Given the concerning trends in childhood obesity, particularly in Arizona, such initiatives are vital. Recent statistics indicate that approximately one in five U.S. minors are classified as obese, with disparities noted among Hispanic and Black children, alongside those from low-income families.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reports that about 19 percent of Arizona youths aged 10 to 17 are dealing with obesity, with similar rates observed in younger children and high school students. The data highlights a pressing need for initiatives like the CFC to combat these alarming statistics and promote healthier lifestyles among the youth.