Mission Statement
Beyond the Podium supports Olympic sports through a community-driven model built on service, education, and leadership. It provides student-athletes with financial support through fellowship opportunities that also help them grow and give back to their communities. Our goal is to develop these athletes into leaders who can recognize needs and make a meaningful impact wherever they go.
Core Values
1. Service
We believe athletes are most powerful when they serve others. Giving back to the community is central to the mission.
2. Education
We value learning in and beyond the classroom, using the student-athlete experience to build knowledge, perspective, and lifelong growth.
3. Leadership
We develop athletes into leaders who act with integrity, take responsibility, and positively influence those around them.
4. Opportunity
We are committed to expanding access—creating pathways for athletes to grow, succeed, and thrive both during and beyond their sport.
5. Community
We build lasting connections between athletes, alumni, and supporters, recognizing that success is strengthened through shared purpose.
Our Approach
Beyond the Podium was founded to help support college athletes that participate in Olympic sports. While the college sports world races to 'buy' athletes through NIL deals, we’ve chosen a path that stays true to what college athletics should be — an educational and transformational experience. We believe college athletics are a platform to grow leaders, not a commodity to be traded.
Beyond the Podium is a fully independent, employment-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps close the financial gap for athletes in Olympic sports. Its mission is to provide structured, meaningful support through service-based fellowships that reflect the values of education, leadership, and community impact.
Athletes apply for salaried fellowships and earn fair-market W-2 wages by:
Leading youth clinics and camps
Supporting alumni and donor events
Visiting schools and mentoring local students
Promoting Olympic sports throughout the community, prioritizing locations of higher need and those geographically closest to the athlete’s college campus.
Compensation through the Beyond the Podium Project is based on real, verifiable service—not athletic performance or social media influence. This model is compliant with NCAA rules, IRS guidelines, and employment law. It is also fully transparent: donors receive regular reporting on how their contributions are used and what impact they are making.
The Beyond the Podium Project begins with the sport of wrestling in the greater Bay Area but is built to expand across Olympic sports in locations across the country. It offers a new, values-driven framework for how we support the full journey of our student-athletes—from service, to sport, to success.