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Noah Lyles and his brother Josephus Lyles are about to host their annual fundraiser on the 8th of November, 2025. And their mission? They are focused on providing resources and opportunities that support the young athletes’ overall wellness, including mental and physical health. They’re out to inspire and empower the next generation by providing support similar to what the Lyles brothers themselves received. But this time, they’re planning to bring in a superstar to help them raise the funds for the children. 

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Taking to Instagram, Noah Lyles’ mother, Keisha Caine Bishop, shared a video featuring herself as she made an important announcement. Wearing a fancy wig and outfit, she danced into the frame and said, Hey! Y’all probably wondering what I’m doing. Let me tell you, I’m getting ready for our 70s, 80s disco jam fundraiser. You better be there. November 8th, Orlando area, Florida. Got my wig, got my outfit.”

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She then announced a special guest speaker: former Olympic champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee. “Jackie Joyner Kersee is our keynote speaker. And we gonna raise some money so we can support more kids,” continued Keisha. In the caption, the Lyles Foundation invited fans to participate, announcing that tickets to the event were now available for purchase.

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 They wrote that it will be a night all about community, connection, and supporting the next generation of athletes “through physical and mental wellness“. And the six-time Olympic medalist, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, will further enhance the inspiration, perseverance, and giving-back values that align closely with what the Lyles Brothers Foundation stands for.

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This announcement comes days after Noah Lyles became the 200m world champion for the fourth time at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships. Though this will be Joyner-Kersee’s first time speaking at the event, she’s been a Noah Lyles supporter for a while now.

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Jackie Joyner-Kersee lauds Noah Lyles’ efforts to prioritize mental health and wellbeing

He’s the only man to match Usain Bolt’s record of four successive World Championship titles in the 200m dash, but in 2022, Jackie Joyner-Kersee pointed out another important aspect about her fellow Olympic champion: his mental health advocacy.

She said, “To see, in this generation, to be very outspoken, because in our generation, if we said anything about mental health, [if] you needed a sports psychiatrist: ‘Oh, you’re weak, something’s wrong with you,’ you know, suck it up and let’s go.”

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During a media session at the Adidas house during the 2022 World Athletics Championships, she continued, “But you do need someone to talk to. And being in the forefront of just sharing your story, how much that really helped so many people.”

During the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, Lyles openly discussed his mental health journey, emphasizing that mental health struggles aren’t all a person is. He revealed that he struggled with asthma, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and depression in an X post after winning the 100m dash. He concluded his post with the message, “But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!

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So it’s no surprise why Joyner-Kersee was invited to the event as a keynote speaker. “I’m telling you, I talk to people that they don’t know how to handle their anxiety and they can be the best in the world in that little moment in that lane, light shining. But you don’t know what they’re dealing with behind closed doors, added.”

So, I appreciate you [Lyles]. Keep speaking out because that’s not something we talked about, you know, pressure.”

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Now, with the aim to become the only man to have five consecutive world title wins, Noah Lyles has found new ways to inspire beyond the track. His growing legacy isn’t just about speed but about using his platform to empower and guide young athletes. It’s proof that true greatness is measured by how much you give back, not just by how fast you run.

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Written by

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Krushna Prasad Pattnaik

3,040 Articles

Krushna Pattnaik is a Olympic Sports writer at EssentiallySports, where he has spent the past three years covering prediction pieces, live event assignments, and beat reports with ease. Now a Senior Writer, he honed his editorial skills through our in-house Journalistic Excellence Program. Krushna briefly contributed to the ES YouTube team before returning to MMA reporting full-time.

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Janainah Fazlin Anam

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