7 April 2026
Sprint stars Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Letsile Tebogo have been announced as ambassadors for the World Athletics Kids’ Athletics programme, with just one month to go to Kids’ Athletics Day on 7 May.
Both athletes will kick off the latest campaign at next month’s Debswana World Athletics Relays Gaborone 26, celebrating five years of Kids’ Athletics Day.
Kids’ Athletics is an initiative that uses the power of athletics to inspire children around the world to be more active. Since its launch, Kids’ Athletics Day has grown into a truly global celebration, reaching 1.3 million children across schools, clubs and communities. Each year has offered a new theme, a new challenge and new ways to engage children in fun, inclusive and age-appropriate athletics activities.
This year is about celebration and connection. On 7 May, member federations, schools, clubs, coaches, teachers and families are invited to join in celebrating everything Kids’ Athletics stands for – movement, learning, inclusion, sustainability and community. The full campaign will run from 1-30 May, launching at the World Relays in Botswana where Jefferson-Wooden and Tebogo will lead an activation with local children.
USA’s Jefferson-Wooden achieved a gold medal treble in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the World Championships in Tokyo, while Botswana’s Tebogo is the Olympic 200m champion. They have both become role models within the sport and want to use their platforms to further champion athletics, encouraging the next generation to embrace the sport for fun, fitness and personal growth.
Already a Kids’ Athletics ambassador in 2025, Tebogo is delighted to remain in a role he holds close to his heart.
“I am excited to partner with the Kids’ Athletics programme again, to inspire even more kids to do sport and athletics,” said the 22-year-old, who was named World Athlete of the Year in 2024.
“Sport is incredibly important to me. Athletics helped me stay off the streets and out of trouble, and it has continued to give me so many opportunities. Being involved with Kids’ Athletics is one of them, and I hope to show young people why they should dream big and have fun doing this sport.”
Jefferson-Wooden has been involved with numerous young athlete initiatives and is looking forward to taking this next global step, partnering up with Tebogo to continue to inspire future track and field stars.
“I’m truly excited to step into this role as a Kids’ Athletics ambassador – an opportunity to inspire the next generation while continuing to learn from them as well. Following the Tokyo World Championships, I had the chance to lead a development session in my hometown, which was incredibly meaningful.
It brought me back to where my journey began, surrounded by my village, where I first understood the power of community and support,” said the 25-year-old, who claimed two medals – 4x100m gold and 100m bronze – at the Paris Olympics.
“Experiences like that remind me just how impactful these moments can be. I’m looking forward to connecting with young athletes from around the world, showing them that athletics isn’t just about competition – it’s about joy, confidence and accessibility for everyone.”
As 2026 marks five years of Kids’ Athletics Day, the campaign has set its biggest goal yet: a cumulative total of more than 2 million children participating over five years. Since 2022, more than 1.3 million kids have joined the fun, and now the aim is to inspire at least 700,000 more to get moving in 2026.
Learn more about Kids’ Athletics Day at kidsathleticsday.org.
Source: https://shorturl.at/coziJ
