Named Official Rare Disease Community Service Partner of New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC)

There are moments when sport becomes something bigger than competition.
Bigger than wins and losses.
Bigger than the scoreboard.

That belief sits at the heart of a new partnership between the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) and Uplifting Athletes, uniting student-athletes across New England around leadership, service, and meaningful support for the rare disease community.

At its core, this partnership is about using the platform of sport to make a difference. Not someday. Right now.

Through this collaboration, NEPSAC schools will have the opportunity to engage in Team Uplifting Athletes initiatives like Lift for Life strength challenges, performance based fundraising, leadership education, and rare disease advocacy. Each program is designed to help student-athletes grow into purpose driven leaders while creating real world impact for families facing rare diseases.

More Than Sports. A Shared Purpose.

“For me, it was clear from the very beginning that this was about much more than sports,” said Wayne McGillicuddy, Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Brunswick School. “What stood out immediately was how powerfully Uplifting Athletes brings teams together around a shared purpose, while helping young people understand the bigger picture and use the platform they have to serve something greater than themselves.”

McGillicuddy’s connection to Uplifting Athletes began through a former Princeton football player, Brunswick alumnus, and Uplifting Athletes chapter president. What started as a single introduction quickly grew into a culture defining commitment.

“In our first year participating, we raised the most money of any high school in the country,” McGillicuddy shared. “This past summer, we raised $40,000 and finished second nationally amongst all high school and college teams. We use the fundraising piece to teach our guys that we can compete in everything we do. On the field, in the classroom, and in service.”

At Brunswick, Lift for Life has become the final team lift of the summer, built directly into annual max testing. It is more than a workout. It is a moment of meaning. And its influence has extended far beyond campus.

Alumni are now carrying that mission forward at the collegiate level, including at Boston College, Notre Dame, Holy Cross, Brown, and Syracuse.

“What may be most rewarding is seeing our alumni continue this work,” McGillicuddy said. “That’s how you know it’s real.”

A Framework for Schools Across New England

The NEPSAC partnership builds on stories like Brunswick’s, offering schools across the conference a flexible, proven framework to activate student-athletes around service, leadership development, and rare disease support.

“Uplifting Athletes is well equipped, and grateful, for the opportunity to provide this leadership development experience to NEPSAC teams,” said Brett Brackett, President of Uplifting Athletes and former Penn State football captain. “We are excited to work alongside athletic departments to rally student-athletes around a shared mission. Leveraging the power of sport to serve people impacted by rare diseases today, tomorrow, and into the future.”

Funds raised through Team Uplifting Athletes directly support families facing rare diseases through Uplifting Experiences, fuel early stage research through the Young Investigator Draft, and develop the next generation of servant leaders through student-athlete led programming.

Since 2018, Uplifting Athletes has drafted 75 rare disease researchers, provided more than $1.4 million in seed funding, and helped unlock more than $200 million in additional research support, accelerating discoveries across the rare disease landscape.

Community as the Competitive Advantage

“For me, community is the ultimate competitive advantage against adversity,” said Jeff Baxter, Manager of Team Uplifting Athletes. “My career working with student-athletes has been about building community and making sure no one has to face their toughest challenges alone. This partnership creates that sense of belonging at scale.”

That sense of community stays with athletes long after graduation.

“This program gave so much to me, and bringing it back to my high school felt like the right way to give back,” said Harrison Caponiti, Brunswick School Class of 2018 and Princeton University Class of 2023. “Uplifting Athletes became a real community for me, not just during college, but long after.”

“Uplifting Athletes allowed my high school and college communities to come together and support something bigger than ourselves,” added Mallory Lucas, Dexter Southfield Class of 2022 and University of Pennsylvania Class of 2026. “It was an incredible experience, and the impact we made will truly change someone’s life.”

Together, NEPSAC and Uplifting Athletes aim to engage dozens of schools, activate thousands of student-athletes, and raise critical funding to support families, advance rare disease research, and develop leaders whose impact lasts far beyond the final whistle.

Because it’s the lessons we learn on the field, and how we show up off the field, that ultimately defines who we become.