Andre Ward In DC To Lobby For Fitness

(WASHINGTON DC) -March 1, 2011 – Super Middleweight World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Andre Ward (Dublin, Calif.) will take his talents outside of the boxing ring to Washington DC today for the 12th annual National Health Through Fitness Day. Ward will join Everlast and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) in the nation's capitol to advocate for key legislation promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for all Americans.

Ward and 150 fellow key figures in the sports and fitness industry, will meet with members of congress on Wednesday in support of two key initiatives that will aid Americans in adopting an active and healthy lifestyle and battle the growing obesity problem in the United States.

“As a top athlete, staying in shape and living an overall healthy lifestyle has been critical to my success, but physical fitness is not only important to athletes but to all Americans,” Ward said. “My wife, Tiffiney, and I teach our kids that being healthy and active is important to their health and growth and I am honored to have this chance to speak with members of Congress about this growing problem in the United States.”

The activities will kick off with the Sports Good Manufacturers Association (SGMA) reception on Tuesday night and continue on Wednesday morning as Ward and an Everlast representative join the fellow participants in a full day full of meetings with Congress members.

He will join an impressive list of sports stars, including Herschel Walker, Ozzie Smith and Annika Sorenstam on Capitol Hill for the day of healthy lifestyle advocacy. The group will be speaking on behalf of the Carol M. White Physical Education Program, which provides grants to school districts to support innovative physical education methods as well as the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. The PHIT Act encourages health through physical activity for all Americans by making activities more affordable through the use of tax incentives.

Ward traveled east this morning following his second appearance as a ringside commentator for the World Series of Boxing, calling a match-up between the Los Angeles Matadors and Memphis Force at in Los Angeles on Monday night. The event will air on Versus at a later date.

Andre “SOG” Ward is the reigning WBA Super Middleweight World Champion and the last U.S. Olympic gold medalist in boxing. The 26-year-old World Champion has built a perfect 23-0 record with 13 victories by knockout. He currently leads the standings in the SHOWTIME Super Six World Boxing Classic following victories in the three preliminary round contests. He and his wife Tiffiney and their three children reside in Dublin, Calif., just outside of his hometown of Oakland.

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