About Us

Uplifting Athletes is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007.

Mission

Harness the power of sport to build a community that invests in the lives of people impacted by rare diseases.

Vision

No person impacted by a rare disease feels alone and everyone is inspired with hope for the future.

Core Values

Integrity.
Collaboration.
Empathy.
Passion.

Our Story

Uplifting Athletes was started by Penn State University football player Scott Shirley in 2003, with the intention of shining a light on the challenges rare disease families like his own face on a day-to-day basis.

The Penn State football team rallied around their teammate and leveraged one of their summer strength and conditioning workouts into a fundraising competition called Lift For Life. By opening the event up to fans and the media, they realized that the benefits of this new organization were far greater than they had imagined.

Since day one Uplifting Athletes has focused on using the platform of college athletics raise the awareness of rare diseases while providing student-athletes with a valuable leadership experience as well.

University Chapters

With more than three dozen chapters at universities nationwide, the athletes who run Uplifting Athletes chapters drive home the organization’s mission and vision through signature events such as Lift For Life and Touch Down Pledge Drive.

Uplifting Athletes provides an opportunity for our student-athletes to enhance the valuable skills they develop on the college football playing field and hone in on transferable life and leadership skills that are necessary for careers after athletics.

Uplifting Athletes Today

More than a dozen years later, our cause remains the same with an evolved mission and growing community.

All the annual events and fundraisers associated with Uplifting Athletes fuels its programs and areas of focus in rare disease awareness, research, Uplifting Experiences, and Uplifting Leaders.

Since its inception, Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $8 million to support its mission.

Our Why

Notre Dame UE

1 in 10 Americans will be diagnosed with a rare disease

A rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans at any given time.

There are more than 10,000

different rare diseases that collectively affect more than 30 million Americans.

Rare diseases are often chronic, progressive, degenerative and life- threatening.

30%

of children with a rare disease will not live to see their fifth birthday.

50%

of rare diseases affect children

Key Leadership

Current Chapter Leaders
Baylor Chapter Leader, Michael Allen, headshot

Michael Allen

Baylor

Chapter Leader

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Baylor Chapter Leader, Kyler Jordan, headshot

Kyler Jordan

Baylor

Chapter Leader

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Boston College Chapter Leader Alex Broome Headshot

Alex Broome

Boston College

Chapter Leader

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Boston College Chapter Leader Hunter Clark headshot

Hunter Clark

Boston College

Chapter Leader

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Charleston Southern Chapter Leader Noah Summers headshot

Noah Summers

Charleston Southern

Chapter Leader

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Charleston Southern Chapter Leader Juliuz Walton headshot

Juliuz Walton

Charleston Southern

Chapter Leader

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Griffin Batt

Clemson

Chapter Leader

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Jack Smith

Clemson

Chapter Leader

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Colgate Chapter Leader Joe Kelly headshot

Joe Kelly

Colgate

Chapter Leader

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Colgate Chapter Leader Zach Osborne headshot

Zach Osborne

Colgate

Chapter Leader

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Jack McDaid

Columbia

Chapter Leader

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Uplifting Athletes Logo

Joe McDaid

Columbia

Chapter Leader

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Davidson Chapter Leader Cam Jackson headshot

Cam Jackson

Davidson

Chapter Leader

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Davidson Chapter Leader Carius McClain headshot

Carius McClain

Davidson

Chapter Leader

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Davidson Chapter Leader Mia Belforte headshot

Mia Belforte

Davidson

Chapter Leader

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Davidson Chapter Leader Kialie Hudson headshot

Kialie Hudson

Davidson

Chapter Leader

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Davidson Chapter Leader Brooke Roumy headshot

Brooke Roumy

Davidson

Chapter Leader

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Lily Haag

Drexel

Chapter Leader

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Maya Williams

Drexel

Chapter Leader

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Duke Chapter Leader Clayton Burton headshot

Clayton Burton

Duke

Chapter Leader

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East Tennessee State Chapter Leader Carlton Horine headshot

Carlton Horine

East Tennessee State

Chapter Leader

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East Tennessee State Chapter Leader Cole Horine headshot

Cole Horine

East Tennessee State

Chapter Leader

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Eastern Illinois Chapter Leader Tienné Fridge headshot

Tienné Fridge

Eastern Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Eastern Illinois Chapter Leader Blainey Dowling headshot

Blainey Dowling

Eastern Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Eastern Illinois Chapter Leader Liz Galvin headshot

Liz Galvin

Eastern Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Eastern Illinois Chapter Leader Katiebeth May headshot

Katiebeth May

Eastern Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Florida A&M Chapter Leader James Gardner headshot

James Gardner

Florida A&M

Chapter Leader

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Florida A&M Chapter Leader Nay'Ron Jenkins headshot

Nay'Ron Jenkins

Florida A&M

Chapter Leader

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Jaden Allen

Fordham

Chapter Leader

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Duke Leonard

Fordham

Chapter Leader

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Nick Pasquarella

Fordham

Chapter Leader

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Georgia Tech Chapter Leader Joe Fusile headshot

Joe Fusile

Georgia Tech

Chapter Leader

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Georgia Tech Chapter Leader Malachi Hosley headshot

Malachi Hosley

Georgia Tech

Chapter Leader

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Holy Cross Chapter Leader Cam Jones headshot

Cam Jones

Holy Cross

Chapter Leader

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Holy Cross Chapter Leader Will Robinson headshot

Will Robinson

Holy Cross

Chapter Leader

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Holy Cross Chapter Leader Jeb Snead headshot

Jeb Snead

Holy Cross

Chapter Leader

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Holy Cross Chapter Leader Julian Beban headshot

Julian Beban

Holy Cross

Chapter Leader

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Grayson Griffin

Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Luke Zardzin

Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Illinois Chapter Leader Taylor de Boer headshot

Taylor de Boer

Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Illinois Chapter Leader Vivian Campbell headshot

Vivian Campbell

Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Illinois Chapter Leader Anessa Arndt headshot

Anessa Arndt

Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Illinois Chapter Leader Regan Moody headshot

Regan Moody

Illinois

Chapter Leader

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Incarnate Word Chapter Leader Taylor Kish headshot

Taylor Kish

Incarnate Word

Chapter Leader

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Incarnate Word Chapter Leader Abigail Wilson headshot

Abigail Wilson

Incarnate Word

Chapter Leader

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Maryland Chapter Leader Ethan Gough headshot

Ethan Gough

Maryland

Chapter Leader

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Maryland Chapter Leader Jack Howes headshot

Jack Howes

Maryland

Chapter Leader

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Maryland Chapter Leader Daniel Owens headshot

Daniel Owens

Maryland

Chapter Leader

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Maryland Chapter Leader Caleb Wheatland headshot

Caleb Wheatland

Maryland

Chapter Leader

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Maryland Chapter Leader Albi Ndrenika headshot

Albi Ndrenika

Maryland

Chapter Leader

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Maryland Chapter Leader Kenny Quist-Therson headshot

Kenny Quist-Therson

Maryland

Chapter Leader

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Staff
Headshot of Brett Brackett

Brett Brackett

President

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Karen Kirkpatrick

Karen Kirkpatrick

Accounting Manager

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Headshot of Robert Long

Robert M. Long

Executive Director

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Headshot of MaKaylie Peterkin

MaKaylie Peterkin

Uplifting Experiences Coordinator

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Andrea Pierson

Andrea Pierson

Chapter Success Manager

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Andrew P. Shay

Andrew P. Shay

Community Relationship Specialist

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Andrea Esqueda

Rare Disease Research Coordinator

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Kelvin White

Strategic Growth Coordinator

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Cooper Dawson

Fellow

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Faith Davies

Fellow

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James Hook

Fellow

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Board
John M. Trzeciak

John M. Trzeciak

Board Member

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David Wozniak

David Wozniak

Board Member - Emeritus

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Kerwin Stetler

Kerwin Stetler

Treasurer & Secretary

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Scott Shirley

Scott Shirley

Board Member - Founder

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Keith Deaven

Keith Deaven

Board Member

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Shoshanna Engel-Lewis

Shoshanna Engel-Lewis

Board Chair

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Justin Hopkin

Justin Hopkin

Board Vice Chair

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Headshot of Aaron Hernandez

Aaron Hernandez

Board Member

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Headshot of Pam Rattananont

Pam Rattananont

Board Member

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Headshot of Nick Allegretti

Nick Allegretti

Board Member

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Scientific Advisory Council
David Eckstein Ph.D.

David Eckstein, PhD

NIH Office of the Clinical Research

Program Dir. for Strategic Partnerships & Policy Development

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Benjamin Forred

Benjamin Forred, MBA

Sanford Health

Director, Clinical and Translational Research - Genetics & Genomics and the CoRDS Registry

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Reena Kartha, PhD

Reena Kartha, PhD

University of Minnesota

Associate Professor/Assoc. Director, Center for Orphan Drug Research

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Aimee Layton, PhD

Aimee Layton, PhD

Columbia University

Assistant Professor in Applied Physiology in Pediatrics, Director of the Pediatric Exercise Lab

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Maureen McArthur Hart Ph.D.

Maureen McArthur Hart, PhD

Creyon Bio

Director, Patient Advocacy, Policy, and External Engagement

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Scott Schliebner

Scott Schliebner

TFS Health Science

Senior Vice President, Clinical Development Services

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Headshot of Joshua Brandstadter

Joshua Brandstadter, MD, PhD, MSc

University of Pennsylvania

Director of Clinical Research, Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory Instructor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology

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Dr. Benjamin Chan

Benjamin Chan, PhD

Yale University

Associate Research Scientist

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Dr. Angela Waanders

Angela Waanders, MD

Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

Director of Precision Medicine in Oncology

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Dr. Qinglan Ling

Qinglan Ling, PhD

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Postdoctoral Researcher

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Photo about Sushant Kumar, member of the Scientific Advisory Council

Sushant Kumar, PhD

University of Pennsylvania

Postdoctoral Researcher

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