President Trump restored the Presidential Fitness Test Award on Tuesday, years after the public school exercise program was phased out during the Obama administration to spare children the public humiliation of failed attempts at pull-ups and other physical tasks.
Mr. Trump is bringing back the performance-based benchmarks for students to meet as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
The updated award returns schools to using measurable standards to evaluate athletic performance, ranking students on such tasks as pull-ups, push-ups and a one-mile run.
“It is a beautiful day to celebrate America’s athletic traditions and champions of physical fitness,” Mr. Trump said ahead of signing a proclamation restoring the award.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr said that 20% of kids and 77% of adults are now considered obese, with 77% of children unable to qualify for military service because of their weight.
Mr. Kennedy said reinstating the physical fitness test will challenge Americans to “compete with each other in a friendly, congenial way and help each other get in shape so that we can prepare for a great future that this administration is going to provide for the country.”
Several high-profile athletes attended the Oval Office proclamation signing, including members of the President’s Council of Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Former MLB pitcher Noah Syndergaard, retired Washington Capitals player T.J. Oshie, golfer Bryson DeChambeau, retired professional golfer Gary Player and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Amani Oruwariye.
The program was initially created in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The program was phased out in 2012 when President Barack Obama sided with the educational movement away from competition and potential “public shaming” of students who performed poorly in front of their peers.
Mr. Obama said it was necessary to move away “from recognizing athletic performance to providing a barometer on students’ health.” He placed it with the Fitnessgram, which he said was more focused on individual health needs to be evaluated on an individual basis.
First lady Michelle Obama also promoted her “Let’s Move” initiative to reduce childhood obesity through diet and exercise.
Reinvigorating the sports council and the fitness test fits Mr. Trump’s focus on athletics, competition and achievement.
Mr. Trump played baseball in high school and plays golf almost every weekend. Much of the domestic travel he has done this year that is not related to weekend golf games at his clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia was built around attending sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and UFC matches.
