American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance - AAHPERD

Mariah Burton Nelson, MPH

Executive Director, American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation

A former college and professional basketball player, Mariah lettered in five sports at her two high schools in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and Phoenix, Arizona. She has spent her career using her communication and leadership skills to promote lifelong physical activity and recreation – for women and men, seniors and kids, and people of all fitness levels. She majored in psychology at Stanford and was the leading scorer on the basketball team all four years. One rebounding record remained unbroken for 24 years. She later played professionally in France and in the first women’s pro league in the United States (the W.B.L.) She earned her Master’s in Public Health from San Jose State University.

If her name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve read her books, heard her presentations, or watched her commentary on ESPN, Today, Good Morning America, Dateline, Nightline, Larry King Live, or even Geraldo Rivera. She has written for the New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Self, Shape, Ms., Golf Illustrated, Working Woman, and numerous other publications, and is the author of five books by four major publishers, most recently We Are All Athletes: Bringing Courage, Confidence and Peak Performance Into Our Everyday Lives. Known for her original and humorous keynotes, she has spoken to hundreds of college, corporate, association, and government audiences.

Mariah has received numerous awards for communication and leadership, including the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport’s Guiding Woman in Sport Award. In 2007, Mariah was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport.

For physical activity and recreation, Mariah rides her bike, lifts weights, plays golf, studies Qi Gong and yoga, and goes camping with her young goddaughter, Willow Mariah Nelson. She also coaches her mother, Sarah, who set two Arizona State breaststroke records for women aged 75-79.