Trump on Tuesday revived the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, marking the latest step in an effort to bring back an annual physical fitness test in American schools. The announcement came during an Oval Office ceremony that included children and professional athletes, where Trump framed the move as part of returning to what he called the country’s athletic traditions.
At the ceremony, Trump said his administration was working to “defend America’s cherished athletic traditions and pass our values of excellence and competitiveness to the next generation.” He also emphasized the role of mental fitness in top-level competition, saying it is “all about the mind” when athletes perform at the highest levels. Trump, an avid golfer, joked about his own workout routine before the event moved outdoors.
The Presidential Physical Fitness Award is linked to the Presidential Fitness Test, which for decades served as a fixture in public schools before being phased out during the Obama administration. According to the account of the event, the earlier program had been replaced with a different approach that emphasized long-term health and avoided what officials described as excessive focus on competition.
Trump said the administration would bring back the award, but the AP report said details of the revived test have yet to be released. The earlier version of the exam tested students on multiple exercises, including a 1-mile run and sit-ups, and students who scored above the 85th percentile for their gender in each test component received the Presidential Physical Fitness Award.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the test would start as a mandatory requirement at 161 schools located on U.S. military installations. Hegseth encouraged other schools across the country to follow, and he argued that the belief that “competition is bad” is part of a national decline. The event drew attention to the role of military-linked schools in the initial rollout.
Trump’s cabinet-level team at the ceremony included Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and Housing Secretary Scott Turner, according to the AP report. Children at the event described playing sports such as football, volleyball, hockey and golf, as the White House used the gathering to spotlight youth athletics.
RFK Jr. connected the initiative to his agenda to promote health, saying it was “very unfortunate” that the Obama administration discontinued the test and citing increased obesity among children. He also said, “We need to teach people how to win and how to lose and how to process victory and defeat.”
After Trump signed the first copy of the award during the Oval Office event, the children were invited to the South Lawn to play sports. The White House staged additional activities for the group, including time for kids to putt on a green and to participate in games as Trump joined outside with the athletes.