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Ambassadors

The TrueSport Ambassador program is made up of Olympians, Paralympians, National Team Members, and Youth Sport Influencers. All of the representatives are incredible role models who help inspire future generations to achieve excellence through sport participation. TrueSport is incredibly honored and grateful to work with such passionate and influential individuals who contribute to TrueSport’s efforts by sharing their individual sport journeys and TrueStories.

2021 Ambassadors

Aaron Scheidies headshot.

Aaron Scheidies

Team USA Paralympian
Para Triathlon

Abby Raymond headshot.

Abby Raymond

USA National Team Member
Weightlifting

Amara Mbinowu headshot.

Amara Mbionwu

USA National Team Member
Netball

Kara Winger headshot.

Kara Winger

Team USA Olympian
Track & Field – Javelin

Mandy Marquardt headshot.

Mandy Marquardt

USA National Team Member
Cycling – Track

Richard Torrez Jr headshot.

Richard Torrez Jr.

USA National Team Member
Boxing

Trey Jenifer headshot.

Trey Jenifer

Team USA Paralympian
Wheelchair Basketball

Tyler Carter headshot.

Tyler Carter

Team USA Paralympian
Para Alpine Ski

Veronica Day headshot.

Veronica Day

USA National Team Member
Skeleton

Hall of Fame

TrueSport would like to thank our Hall of Fame Ambassadors for dedicating their time, stories, and passion to the TrueSport program. The incredible TrueSport foundation of Sportsmanship, Character Building & Life Skills, and Clean & Healthy Performance is all thanks to you!

April Holmes headshot.

April Holmes

Para Track & Field

Amro El Geziry headshot.

Amro El Geziry

Modern Pentathlon

Augusto Perez headshot.

Augusto Perez

Wheelchair Curling, Para Canoe & Kayak, Para Nordic Biathlon

Brad Snyder headshot.

Brad Snyder

Para Swimming

Candace Vering headshot.

Candace Vering

Indoor Volleyball

Chellsie Memmel headshot.

Chellsie Memmel

Gymnastics

Cody Miller headshot.

Cody Miller

Swimming

DeeDee Trotter headshot.

DeeDee Trotter

Track & Field

Derek Arneaud headshot.

Derek Arneaud

Para Soccer

Elizabeth Beisel headshot.

Elizabeth Beisel

Swimming

Erin Hamlin headshot.

Erin Hamlin

Luge

Erin Mirabella headshot.

Erin Mirabella

Cycling

Gabe Gardner headshot.

Gabe Gardner

Indoor Volleyball

Izy Isaksen headshot.

Isabella Isaksen

Modern Pentathlon

Janet Evans headshot.

Janet Evans

Swimming

Jeremiah Bishop headshot.

Jeremiah Bishop

Mountain Biking

Jessica Long headshot.

Jessica Long

Para Swimming

Jimmy Moody headshot.

Jimmy Moody

Fencing

John Godina headshot.

John Godina

Track & Field

Kelly Lindsay headshot.

Kelly Lindsay

Soccer

Kicker Vencill headshot.

Kicker Vencill

Swimming

Kristin Armstrong headshot.

Kristin Armstrong

Cycling

Lauryn Williams headshot.

Lauryn Williams

Track & Field, Bobsled

Melanie Margalis headshot.

Melanie Margalis

Swimming

Nick Taylor headshot.

Nick Taylor

Wheelchair Tennis

Ogonna Nnamani headshot.

Ogonna Nnamani

Indoor Volleyball

Peter Vanderkaay headshot.

Peter Vanderkaay

Swimming

Sarah Konrad during a biathlon competition.

Sarah Konrad

Biathlon

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Aaron Scheidies

Aaron Scheidies crossing para triathlon finish line with his guide.

Hometown: Lynnwood, WA

Achievements:
– 8x ITU World Paratriathlon World Champion
– 2011 ESPY Finalist Best Male Athlete with Disability
– 14x USA Triathlon Paratriathlon National Champion
– World Record Fastest Blind Athlete at Olympic Distance 1:57:24 and Ironman 70.3 Distance (4:09:54)
– 2016 Team USA Paralympic in Para-Cycling

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Teamwork, Leadership, and Perseverance

What He Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship: Teach and exemplify true leadership and instill the fundamental qualities of sport to the next generation of athletes. 

Social Media: Twitter: @aaronscheidies | Instagram: @Aaron_Scheidies | Facebook: @CDifferentwithAaron

Abby Raymond

Abby Raymond during a weightlifting competition.

Hometown: Roselle, IL

Achievements:
– 2x Youth National Champion
– 16 Youth American Records
– 2017 South American Championships
– 2018 Pan American Youth Championships
– 2019 Youth World Championships & Junior World Championships

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Leadership, Bullying Prevention, Perseverance

What She Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship: Throughout my athletic journey thus far, I’ve developed a motto: Strong-Kind-Different. I hope that by sharing my experiences, I can inspire other athletes to live life to the fullest by embracing these three words. Whether it’s in their sport or personal life, I want to help the next generation reach their goals and promote a positive sport experience.

Social Media: Twitter: @acr_0825 | Instagram: @abbyraymond59

 

Amara Mbionwu

Amara Mbinowu celebrating a netball win.

Hometown: Bowie, MD

Achievements:
-USA Netball Team Captain
-2017 U.S. Open: Second Place
-2018 MVP Player: Invitational Coupe du Quebec
-2019 Vicki Wilson MVP Award

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Body Image, Nutrition, Leadership

What She Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship: To reach out to as many kids, youth, and teens as possible. I constantly strive to spread knowledge of what it took to get to where I am now through sports. I coached high school girl’s basketball these last two years and it provided a medium for me to not only coach, but mentor, teach, and inspire these future collegiate players. By becoming an ambassador of TrueSport, I will be able to reach more young athletes who are willing to listen, learn, and grow.

Social Media: Instagram: @amarav.m

Kara Winger

Kara Winger about to throw a javelin.
Credit USATF

Hometown: Vancouver, WA

Achievements:
– American Record Holder – 66.67m, set in June 2010
– 3x Olympian – 2008, 2012, 2016
– 8x USATF National Champion
– 2019 Pan American Games Gold Medalist
– 5th Place 2019 IAAF World Championships (highest place for an American woman ever!)

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Perseverance, Body Image, Clean Sport

What She Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship: Spread the message that sport can change your life in so many positive ways! Relate to youth athletes and coaches alike in all of the individual and powerful journeys that they are on.

Social Media: Instagram: @karathrowsjav | Twitter: @karathrowsja | Facebook: @karathrowsjavelin | YouTube: karathrowsjavelin

Mandy Marquardt

Mandy Marquardt riding in a track cycling competition.

Hometown: Trexlertown, PA

Achievements:
– 18-time U.S. National Champion
– 2-time American Record Holder
– World Cup Team Member, Since 2014
– World Championships Team Member: 2018, 2019
– 2020 Olympic Hopeful

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Respect, Accountability, Sportsmanship, Clean and Healthy Performance

What She Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship: Friendship and smiles! I live with type 1 diabetes, and it’s been so helpful to have a strong community around me. It’s valuable bringing people together to discuss important topics, especially in sport. It’s important to me to pursue my sport at the highest level with integrity and balance and continue to connect and share a positive message with our future generation. While also, inspiring, educating and empowering people affected by diabetes. I believe that being able to talk through these important values will in turn make me a better teammate, athlete, and friend.

Social Media: Instagram: @MandyMarquardt | Twitter: @MandyMarquardt | Facebook: @mandymarquardtcycling

 

Richard Torrez Jr.

Richard Torrez Jr. boxing.
Credit: USA Boxing

Hometown: Tulare, CA

Achievements:
– Pan Am Bronze Medal 2019 Peru
– 2018 Chemistry Cup Germany – 1st
– 2019 Strandja Tournament Bulgaria – 1st
– 2016 Bronze Youth World Championships Russia
– 2019 Elite World Championships – 5th

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Perseverance, Respect, Preparation & Recovery

What He Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship: Inspire others who have been or are in valleys and are trying to get back to their peaks.

Social Media: Instagram: @theerichardtorrez

Trey Jenifer

Trey Jenifer during a wheelchair basketball game.
Credit: Butch Ireland

Hometown: Huntington, MD

Achievements:
-2016 Paralympic Gold Medalist – Wheelchair Basketball
-2012 Paralympic Bronze Medalist – Wheelchair Basketball
-2x All American Athlete at Edinboro University of Pennsylvanis
-Champion of France – Professional Wheelchair Basketball
-3rd in the State of Maryland Wrestling / Wrestling Hall of Fame 2006

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Leadership, Accountability, Setting  Goals

What He Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship: Encouraging the next generation of individuals and athletes to become better leaders for tomorrow while making changes to better society and sports as a whole.

Social Media: Instagram: @treyjenifer | Facebook: @trevonjenifer | Twitter: @trevon_jenifer

Tyler Carter

Tyler Carter downhill skiing during a competition.

Hometown: Topton, PA

Achievements:
-PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, 19th (slalom)
-2015 World Championship, 14th (slalom)
-Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, 27th (giant slalom)
-Named to U.S. Paralympic Alpine National Team (2017-2019)
-Ate an entire Ben and Jerry’s pint in 10 minutes and 48 seconds

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Perseverance, Nutrition, A Good Sport

What He Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship:Be a role model for kids and young athletes by promoting healthy and active lifestyles. To share stories on perseverance and the power of not giving up. And most importantly to create positive change.

Social Media: Instagram: @tcskiusa | Facebook: @tcskiusa | Twitter: @tcski2014

Veronica Day

Veronica Day starting a skeleton run.
Credit: Molly Choma Photography

Hometown: Vienna, VA

Achievements:
-2012 National Push Champion
-2016 North American Cup Champion
-4x National Team Member

TrueSport Areas of Passion: Goal-Setting, A Good Sport, Clean Sport

What She Aims to Achieve Through Ambassadorship:Inspire kids to be the best that they can be both on and off the field of play!

Social Media: Instagram: @veriosa

Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.