WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday revived the Presidential Physical Fitness Award as part of his push to return an annual physical fitness test to America’s schools.
The award is tied to the Presidential Fitness Test, which was a public-school fixture for decades but was phased out under President Barack Obama in favor of a program that minimized competition and focused on long-term health. Trump signed an order last summer to reestablish the fitness test, which was created in the 1950s.
“We’re bringing it back,” Trump said at an Oval Office ceremony alongside children and professional athletes. “My administration is working very hard to defend America’s cherished athletic traditions and pass our values of excellence and competitiveness to the next generation.”
The earlier exam tested students on a battery of exercises, including a 1-mile run and sit-ups. Those scoring above the 85th percentile for their gender in each component of the test received the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, though details of the revived test have yet to be released.
Trump unveiled the award at his desk while flanked by Cabinet members including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Housing Secretary Scott Turner. They were joined by children who said they played sports including football, volleyball, hockey and golf.
The test is being made mandatory for students at 161 schools located on U.S. military installations, Hegseth said in the Oval Office. He encouraged other schools across the country to follow.
“We need young, strong, healthy Americans, whether you serve in the military or any other aspect of your life,” Hegseth said. “The idea that competition is bad is the beginning of decline of a nation.”
Trump, an avid golfer and sports enthusiast, emphasized the importance of balancing both physical and mental fitness, saying that it’s “all about the mind” at top levels of competition. He praised the athletes at the White House event while joking about his own fitness regimen.
“I work out so much, like about one minute a day, max — if I’m lucky,” Trump said.
Trump said he would be signing the first copy of the new award on Tuesday. After the Oval Office event, the kids were invited to the South Lawn to play sports to a soundtrack of songs like “YMCA” and “Eye of the Tiger.” Trump joined outside as the kids putted at a green, kicked soccer balls and threw a baseball with pitcher Noah Syndergaard.
The president connected the initiative to Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. Speaking alongside Trump, Kennedy said it was “very unfortunate” that Obama discontinued the test and cited increased obesity among American children.
“We need to teach people how to win and how to lose and how to process victory and defeat,” Kennedy said.