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President Donald Trump is expected to sign a presidential memorandum on Tuesday restoring the Presidential Fitness Test Award, reviving a competitive, school-based program that was phased out during the administration of former President Barack Obama.
The White House said the signing will be attended by members of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and National Fitness Foundation board members, including athletes such as Bryson DeChambeau, Gary Player, Amani Oruwariye and Noah Syndergaard.
The move reinstates performance-based benchmarks for student fitness, aligning with the administration’s broader emphasis on physical health. President Trump previously signed an executive order reestablishing the council and test, with the new memorandum paving the way for implementation in schools nationwide.
The original Presidential Physical Fitness Test was introduced in the mid-20th century in response to concerns about youth fitness. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the President’s Council on Youth Fitness, and President John F. Kennedy later expanded efforts to include nationwide testing in schools.
The program was discontinued during Obama’s second term and replaced with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, part of the “Let’s Move” initiative, which emphasized overall health rather than athletic competition. Critics of the earlier test said its focus on performance could discourage less athletic students.
The updated award will again emphasize measurable performance standards, similar to earlier versions that ranked students based on physical achievement.
The announcement comes amid ongoing concerns about youth health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 21 percent of Americans ages 2 to 19 were classified as obese between 2021 and 2023, with about 7 percent experiencing severe obesity.
President Trump is expected to sign the memorandum in the Oval Office, followed by an event on the South Lawn with families and children to mark National Youth Sports and Fitness Month. Cabinet officials, including Pete Hegseth, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Scott Turner and Linda McMahon, are also expected to attend.
