Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Donates $50 Million to Launch Youth Sports & Mental Health Foundation
April 2025 — Los Angeles, CA
Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has made one of the largest philanthropic gestures ever by a professional track and field athlete — donating $50 million to establish The Champion’s Way Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding youth sports access and mental health resources across underserved communities in the U.S.
The foundation will partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Athletes for Hope to fund sports facilities, mentorship programs, faith-based leadership workshops, and mental wellness initiatives for young athletes facing financial or emotional barriers to participation.
> “Track & field gave me purpose, discipline, and hope when I needed it most,” McLaughlin-Levrone said at the press conference in Los Angeles. “This is about giving kids that same opportunity — not just to win races, but to win in life.”
The $50 million donation — largely self-funded from endorsement deals with New Balance, Tag Heuer, and Omega — will go toward:
Building 10 “Champion’s Way Training Centers” in low-income areas by 2030
Offering free sports clinics led by professional athletes
Expanding access to sports psychologists and mental health counselors
Providing scholarships for young women in track & field
Leaders from the Boys & Girls Clubs praised the move as “transformational.”
> “Sydney is setting a new standard for what athlete activism looks like,” said Jim Clark, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “This isn’t just a donation — it’s a legacy.”
The Champion’s Way Foundation will officially launch this summer, with its first project planned in Newark, New Jersey — close to McLaughlin-Levrone’s hometown roots.
