LA28 Athlete Fellowship Program Boosts Career Development
By: LA28 Staff
The Athlete Fellowship Program is redefining post-competition life for Olympians and Paralympians.
Through a first-of-its-kind Athlete Fellowship Program, LA28 is creating a powerful new chapter for retired Olympians and Paralympians. The program aims to provide Athlete Fellows with a pathway that elevates career development and utilizes their unique perspectives from the Games. Designed to help athletes transition from elite competition into meaningful career paths, the Athlete Fellowship integrates them directly into the day-to-day operations of the LA28 Games through two consecutive six-month rotations in different departments.
The LA28 Athlete Fellowship Program marks the first time an Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee has created a structured, paid pathway where athletes contribute to the very event they once trained to reach.
Since its launch in 2021, the program has welcomed 39 Athlete Fellows from 20 sports and 16 countries, representing the Games from Montreal 1976 to Paris 2024. Twelve Athlete Fellows have since transitioned into full-time positions and are currently working within LA28.
Beyond the numbers, the Athlete Fellowship is personal—functioning as a space where athletes find professional guidance, where their voices are heard in rooms where major decisions are made and where their competitive mindset translates into impact.
As LA28 prepares to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, the Athlete Fellowship is setting a precedent where athletes can continue contributing to the Movement, even after they’ve left the playing field.
Meet Jack O’Neil, Summer 2025 Cohort: From the Pool to Production
A Paralympic swimmer in the 100m Backstroke at the 2024 Paralympic Games, Jack brought with him the discipline of elite sport and a desire to learn how the Games come to life from behind the scenes.
In his first rotation with the Broadcast Operations team, Jack is working closely with the Olympic Broadcast Services to help plan how the 2028 Games will be viewed around the world. His early projects have taken him all across Los Angeles for venue visits and production meetings.
“One thing that’s translated well from the pool to the office has been holding myself to a high standard, even when nobody’s watching,” Jack said. “I can hide a lot of things in the thousands of laps I complete every week, but if I’m willing to hold myself to high standards, it shows later. It’s the same here.”
That internal standard to quietly commit, prepare and persevere has served Jack well as an Athlete Fellow. But beyond a mindset shaped by years in the pool, he also brings a perspective rooted in lived experience. As a Paralympian, he approaches each assignment with an awareness of how accessibility impacts every detail of the Games, from how fans engage with coverage to how venues serve the spectators.
“I come with a unique set of skills,” Jack continued. “I am a past Paralympian, but I am also somebody with a disability. I want to make sure other people with disabilities are afforded the opportunities they deserve at the Games.”
As his first rotation continues, Jack remains focused on growth and contributing to a Games that is inclusive of all athletes and audiences.
Meet Gemma Acheampong, Winter 2024 Cohort: Building Skills Beyond the Track
“LA28 led us through a weeks-long program to take the CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) test,” Gemma said. “They gave us books and paid for the online courses that go along with it. We had study sessions every week and LA28 paid for the test. I got my certification, a skill I can carry forward with me.”
In Gemma's current role, she continues to utilize her international background to advocate for global awareness across the organization. “Being at LA28, one of my main goals is reminding everyone that although this is a U.S. Games, we are a global platform,” she said.
The Athlete Fellowship was a return to a community that still matters deeply to Gemma. “After six months, I knew I wanted to stay,” she said. “I realized how much I enjoyed being back in the Movement. Here, people value hard work and they value trying your best.”
Meet Natalia Mayara, Winter 2024 Cohort: A Multifaceted Role Model
“This was my first corporate office job,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect. My whole life, I had this free spirit: I was always traveling, somewhere different, never home. You don’t create roots. But it was the opposite for me at LA28. The first day, it felt like the whole organization was waiting for us.”
Natalia began her Athlete Fellowship on the Digital Engagement and Marketing team and quickly found herself entrusted with a major creative project—producing the official LA28 Paralympic sport program video. For years, it had been a video she eagerly awaited as a competitor.
“As a Paralympian, I looked forward to seeing that video,” she said. “I waited for it to see what sports are going to be like in London and Rio. This year, I made it. It was a full-circle moment. I’m on the other side of it now, making this for these kids who just made the Paralympics for the first time and are waiting for the announcement that their sport made it to the Games.”
That moment of impact reinforced Natalia's sense of purpose, rooted in service, representation and long-term legacy.
“Being an LA28 Athlete Fellow means the world to me. I get to use all the years of experience as an athlete to help better the Movement and deliver a better Games for the athletes,” she said. “I’m here to represent the athletes. That’s always my priority. It is the best responsibility to have.”
Meet Jason Richardson, Summer 2022 Cohort: Hurdling to the Finish Line
Joining LA28 in 2022, he has since helped shape the Athlete Fellowship into a meaningful, structured pathway for athletes transitioning out of competition into the professional world.
In building the Athlete Fellowship Program, Jason has prioritized inclusion across geography, sport and background. For him, this global representation is essential. “We want viewpoints and perspectives from all countries,” he said. “They will be instrumental in making sure we check our assumptions about Games operations. They will make sure athletes are seen and heard, no matter the size of their national governing body.”
What makes the Athlete Fellowship unique is not only the professional development it offers, but also the remarkable sense of community it fosters. “What unites us is the fact that we are part of a very, very small group of people that earned the ability to go to the Games,” Jason said. “We all have similar struggles related to retirement and transitioning, which are struggles hard to articulate outside of this group. There’s an unspoken language amongst the Fellows.”
Throughout the course of LA28 Games planning, the Athlete Fellowship has evolved into both a professional mentorship and a distinct family.
“In many ways, the Fellows are the backbone of this organization,” said Janet Evans, LA28 Chief Athlete Officer and founder of the Athlete Fellowship Program. “They’re the spirit of this organization. Their voices are meaningful and strong, and everyone listens to our Fellows.”
Applications for the next LA28 Athlete Fellowship cohort are now open and will accept applications through October 15, 2025 for the Winter 2026 cohort beginning in January. Eligible candidates include retired Olympians and Paralympians from all nations and sports open to working in Los Angeles.
To learn more about previous Athlete Fellows and their contributions, check out our ‘Behind the Games’ series here.