Delle Donne named co-chair of President's Council originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Washington Mystics franchise star Elena Delle Donne was appointed by President Joe Biden to co-chair the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition on Wednesday.
World-renowned chef, restaurateur, and founder of the World Central Kitchen, José Andrés will also chair the council with the two-time WNBA MVP.
“Completely honored by this appointment, especially to co-chair this committee alongside someone as generous, kind, and talented as Chef José Andrés,” Delle Donne said in a tweet. Thank you @POTUS! I look forward to building awareness around the best ways to take care of our minds and bodies.”
The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition is an advisory committee that promotes healthy, accessible eating and physical activity for all Americans. The council was founded in the 1940s with a focus on youth fitness before President John F. Kennedy changed the name and purpose to serve all Americans in 1963.
When President Biden renewed the Council through 2023 through this appointment, it expanded the reach to focus on “the importance of mental health as it pertains to physical fitness and nutrition.”
Delle Donne will join a long list of distinguished athletes who were previously appointed to serve in a similar role on the council. That list includes Bud Wilkinson, Stan Musial, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Drew Brees, Dominique Dawes, Misty May-Treanor, Mariano Rivera and Herschel Walker.
President Biden and Delle Donne have held a relationship dating back to Biden’s service as Delaware’s United States Senator. Delle Donne, 32, grew up in Wilmington, Del. and played a majority of her collegiate career at the University of Delaware.
Delle Donne is gearing up for the 2022 WNBA season beginning on May 6. She looks to return fully healthy this season after playing only three games in the past two seasons due to lingering issues from a back injury during the 2019 WNBA Finals.
