FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

National Association for Sport and Physical Education to Induct Olympic Gold Medalist Shannon Miller into Hall of Fame

RESTON, VA, March 9, 2010 – America's most decorated gymnast Shannon Miller has been selected for induction into the Hall of Fame of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) for her work as an accomplishment athlete and passionate advocate for a healthy, physically active and balanced life. This honor is to be presented at the NASPE Hall of Fame Banquet on Friday, March 19, at the Marriott Downtown Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. Other honorees that evening include the National Physical Education Teachers of the Year for Elementary, Middle and High School, the National Physical Education Administrator of the Year as well as the Athletic Director of the Year Award. The banquet is sponsored by Playworld Systems®, the leader in outdoor commercial playground equipment and the creator of ENERGI™ Total Body Fitness System.

      Past NASPE Hall of Fame inductees include University of Tennessee Women's Basketball Coach Pat Summitt, tennis greats Billie Jean King and the late Arthur Ashe, NFL Hall of Famers Nick Buoniconti and Anthony Munoz, Olympians such as the late Wilma Rudolph, Rulon Gardner, Dan Jansen, Rafer Johnson, Nancy Hogshead, Carl Lewis, Dot Richardson, Peter Vidmar, and Tony DiCicco, head coach of the 1999 Women's World Cup Champion Soccer Team, among others. Joining Miller will be other 2010 Hall of Fame inductees: physical education teacher, coach and administrator Marian Franck and Dr. Darlene Kluka, Barry University, FL. 

      According to NASPE President Steve Jefferies of Central Washington University, "The NASPE Hall of Fame honors outstanding individuals who have achieved new levels of excellence in sport, physical education and physical activity and inspired others by their example of what these quality programs can do to make a better world."

      The awards are given to honor outstanding individuals who 1) make significant contributions to maintaining sport, physical education and physical activity as an integral part of the total education program; 2) further the image of sport and healthy physical activity for all; 3) accentuate the integral relationships of sport, motor development and physical activity to the total educational process; 4) encourage involvement in meaningful competitive sport or physical activity programs by influential educators and citizens in all walks of life; and 5) symbolize the educational and developmental potentials of physical education and sport.

      Shannon Miller is the only American to rank among the Top 10 All-time gymnasts and is the only female athlete to be inducted into the US Olympics Hall of Fame – twice (Individual 2006) and Team (2008). Among her career highlights, she has won an astounding 59 International and 49 National competition medals, over half of which are gold. She is the only US gymnast to win two World All-Around titles. Her tally of five medals (two silver, three bronze) at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain was the most medals won by a US athlete. At the '96 Games in Atlanta, GA, she led the "Magnificent Seven" to the US Women's first ever Team Gold and for the first time for any American gymnast, she captured gold on the balance beam.

      She holds a BBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Houston and her law degree from Boston College. Shannon remains a passionate advocate for health and wellness for all ages including taking proactive measures to ensure a healthy and balanced lifestyle. She began the Shannon Miller Foundation which is dedicated to fighting childhood obesity and was appointed co-chair of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and the board of the Florida Sports Foundation by Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

      In addition to her broadcasting and spokesperson duties, hosting her own television show and writing a series of fitness books, cook books and filming prenatal and postnatal fitness DVDs, Shannon continues to be a sought after professional speaker.  She and her husband John Falconetti welcomed their first child in October 2009.

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Contact:
Paula Kun
pkun@aahperd.org
703-476-3461

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.

AAHPERD, an alliance of five national associations, six district associations, and a Research Consortium, provides its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support, and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. It is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, recreation, fitness, dance, health promotion and all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. AAHPERD serves 20,000 members and has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia, 25 miles west of Washington DC. To learn more, visit www.aahperd.org.