Momentum for Global Nutrition Building in Wake Of Athlete Letter
In April, over 100 athletes sent a letter to President Obama urging global action on malnutrition. Since then, thousands of American citizens have signed on to a petition urging world leaders to make this August the start of the race to end malnutrition.
Read the full letter from the athletes below.
Dear President Obama:
This year, the Olympic moment is about more than sports. It’s an opportunity to shape the future. On the eve of the 2016 Summer Olympics, world leaders will meet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Nutrition for Growth Summit and commit their governments’ support to ending malnutrition.
We ask that you make a gold medal pledge on behalf of the United States that will give kids around the world a winning start. Good nutrition right from the beginning enables children to grow up healthy and strong, providing them the opportunity to reach their full potential.
As you know, malnutrition is responsible for nearly half of all childhood deaths around the world – more deaths than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB combined. For a quarter of the world’s children, malnutrition early in life leaves them physically and developmentally stunted—an irreversible condition that limits a child’s ability to grow, learn, and thrive. And yet only a tiny fraction of the funding for global health programs goes to the proven, life-saving nutrition programs that children need to grow up healthy.
It’s time to prioritize the nutrition of the world’s young children to ensure brighter and healthier futures. It’s time for the United States to use the opportunity of the Nutrition for Growth Summit to make a bold commitment to give kids the strongest start to life.
We hope you will join us in racing toward a world free from malnutrition.
Sincerely,
Nia Ali
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Sirena Alise
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Anita Alvarez
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Synchronized Swimming
Phoebe Alvarez
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Synchronized Swimming
Jordin Andrade
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Yael Averbuch
FC Kansas City
Women’s Soccer
Jade Barber
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Melissa Barber
World Champion
USA Track & Field
Brigetta Barrett
Olympian
USA Track & Field
Claire Barton
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Synchronized Swimming
Alison Bartosik
Olympian
USA Synchronized Swimming
Amanda Bingson
Olympian
USA Track & Field
Eric Bird
Men’s Soccer
Muggsy Bogues
National Basketball Association
Shannon Boxx
Three-time Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Nicole Branagh
Olympian
Beach Volleyball
Landria Buckley
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Rachel Buehler (Van Hollebeke)
Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Quentin Butler
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Landrai Buckley
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Amber Campbell
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Kristin Castlin
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Kori Carter
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Japheth Cato
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Kendra Chambers
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Jaime Crane-Mauzy
USA Skiing
Jeanee Crane-Mauzy
USA Skiing
Virginia Crawford
US Champion
USA Track & Field
Nicole Davis
Two-time Olympian
USA Volleyball
Sharon Day-Monroe
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Korey Dropkin
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Curling
Adam Durham
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Eric Fonoimoana
Olympian
USA Beach Volleyball
Julie Foudy
Three-time Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Hyleas Fountain
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Bridget Franek
Olympian
USA Track & Field
Carin Gabarra
Olympian
Women’s Soccer
Morgan Goodwin
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Jeff Gordon
NASCAR
Erin Gray
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Jeff Green
National Basketball Association
Amanda Hahn
USA Triathlon
Mia Hamm
Three-time Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Monica Hargrove
World Champion
USA Track & Field
Natasha Hastings
Olympian
USA Track & Field
Britney Henry
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Armintie Herrington
Women’s Basketball
Mackenzie Hil
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Mark Hollis
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Jennifer Hoy
Women’s Soccer
Nick Hundley
Major League Baseball
Tori Huster
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Women’s Soccer
Marvellous Iheukwumere
2016 Olympic Hopeful
Nigeria Track & Field
Samantha Johnson
Chicago Red Stars
Women’s Soccer
Vanessa Jones
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Stanley Kebenei
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Four-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Phoebe Koroleva
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Synchronized Swimming
Ali Krieger
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Women’s Soccer
Bernard Lagat
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Stephanie Lebby
USA Skiing
Muna Lee
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Mechelle Lewis (Freeman)
Olympian
USA & Jamaica Track & Field
Kristine Lilly (Heavey)
Three-time Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Carli Lloyd
Two-time Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Alexis Love
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Crystal Manning
US Champion
USA Track & Field
Michael Mannozzi
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Arielle Martin
USA BMX
Alyssa Mautz
Women’s Soccer
Heather Mitts
Three-time Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Gary Morgan
Olympian
USA Track & Field
Alonzo Mourning
Olympian
National Basketball Association
Dikembe Mutombo
National Basketball Association
David Oliver
Olympian
USA Track & Field
Heather O’Reilly
Three-time Olympian
USA Women’s Soccer
Greg Nixon
World Champion
USA Track & Field
Kara Patterson
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Tori Pena
2016 Olympic Hopeful
Ireland Pole Vaulter
Chanelle Price
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Kiana Profit
USA Track & Field
Elli Reed
Seattle Reign FC
Women’s Soccer
Britney Reese
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Ruth Riley
Olympian
USA Women’s Basketball
Sanya Richards-Ross
Two-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Jason Richardson
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Sarah Rodriquez
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Synchronized Swimming
Alex Sachs
Olympian
Brazil Women’s Soccer
N’aithan Scott
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Danielle Scott-Aruda
Five-time Olympian
USA Volleyball
Jamie Sinclair
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Curling
Julianne Sitch
Women’s Soccer
Awvee Storey
National Basketball Association
Jared Sullinger
National Basketball Association
Jere Summers
USA Track & Field
LaTavia Thomas
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field
Stephanie Trafton
Three-time Olympian
USA Track & Field
Gary Vanderwege
Two-time Paralympian
USA Fencing
Todd Wharton
Men’s Soccer
Alison Williams
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Synchronized Swimming
Melinda Winthrow
2016 Olympic Hopeful
USA Track & Field