#wfpusa

San Francisco, California (March 29, 2017) — Today I’m honored to announce that I’ve joined World Food Program USA as a Zero Hunger Ambassador in the fight against global hunger.

Throughout my career as a professional athlete and World Champion swimmer, good nutrition has fueled my performance and success. Healthy eating has helped me break world records and win gold medals. But for millions of people across the globe, nourishing food remains out of reach. Even though there is enough food to feed everyone, one in nine people on the planet tonight will go to bed hungry.

This is a truly maddening paradox because it’s within our power to solve hunger. That’s why I’m so thrilled to join World Food Program USA and use my voice for such a lifesaving organization.

This week I will travel to Uganda to meet people who are working to overcome hunger and malnutrition in their own communities. I’ll be talking with refugees fleeing South Sudan from famine and political conflict, and small-scale farmers who are tackling food waste in their own backyards. I’m especially excited about meeting students who rely on school meals from WFP. It’s nearly impossible to stay focused and learn on an empty stomach, but far too many kids around the world do. 

When I first learned about WFP and its impact across the planet, my first thought was, how did I not know about this organization? While I still have much to learn, I’m excited to share my experience in the field seeing their work firsthand.  I want more people in the U.S. to know that we all have a role to play in solving hunger.

I hope you’ll join me on my journey through Uganda with World Food Program USA this week on Twitter and Instagram.

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