“My Wish” Returns to SportsCenter July 14 with Tua Tagovailoa, Katie Ledecky, Freddie Freeman, NCAA Basketball and other NFL stars. (2024)

The award-winning ESPN “My Wish” series returns for its 17th season on Sunday, July 14, and will feature stars from the Olympics, NFL, MLB and NCAA. Since its beginning in 2006, the series has worked with Make-A-Wish to fulfill 84 sports-themed wishes for children with critical illnesses.

This year’s series of wishes will feature seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky, Duke Men’s Basketball, Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins, the San Francisco 49ers and Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Working together with Make-A-Wish, ESPN produces feature segments on the wishes to air on SportsCenter with the first wish of this year’s series debuting in the 8 a.m. ET hour on Sunday, July 14. A new feature will debut in the 7 a.m. edition of SportsCenter on Monday through Thursday, July 15-16-17-18. All features will re-air multiple times in various editions of SportsCenter and will be available on a special landing page on ESPN.com.

Chris Connelly has hosted the ESPN “My Wish” series since its start and returns this season to tell these stories. “I’ve been part of My Wish since its inception, and I’m still just amazed by the resilience, strength and optimism of the children and families whose stories we share,” saidConnelly. “I think we’re all grateful for the chance to show these wishes restoring hope and happiness to those who’ve had to endure so much.”

The 2024 ESPN “My Wish” series on SportsCenter segments include:

• Sunday, July 14 – San Francisco 49ers: In the heart of bluegrass country, Levi proudly wears the red, golf and white of his favorite NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers. After a two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer, he’s in remission and the team rolls out the red carpet – literally – to welcome the Kentucky native.
• Monday, July 15 – Katie Ledecky: For Laura, swimming is a core part of her personality. A cancer diagnosis sidelined the active 10-year-old, and she needed surgery to remove a mass above her knee, which required her to learn how to walk again. For her wish, Laura wanted to meet seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky and spend time in the pool together.
• Tuesday, July 16 – Duke Men’s Basketball: For five years, chronic kidney disease impacted all facets of Bradee’s life, including his love of basketball. After his aunt donated her kidney to him, the 18-year-old was able to return to the game he loves. His dream was to attend a Duke Basketball game in Durham, NC and see his beloved Blue Devils take on their biggest rivals, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
• Wednesday, July 17 – Tua Tagovailoa/Miami Dolphins: 15-year-old Yisroel is on a transplant list and needs to give himself shots to overcome the impacts of his disease. For his wish, the South Florida native wanted to spend time with his favorite NFL team and meet Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
• Thursday, July 18 – Freddie Freeman/Los Angeles Dodgers: Even at a young age, Gunnar didn’t want to be defined by his diagnosis and attacked his treatments just like he does the game of baseball. He wanted to meet his favorite baseball player, first baseman Freddie Freeman, and play catch before a game at Dodgers Stadium.

Versions of the wish videos will also be shared on ESPN social media platforms.

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About The Walt Disney Company and Make-A-Wish
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, including ESPN, is committed to delivering joy and comfort to children facing serious illness and to the people who care for them.

This includes Disney’s efforts with Make-A-Wish and nearly 100 other wish-granting organizations around the world. Through this collaboration with Make-A-Wish, Disney has helped grant more than 155,000 life-changing wishes since the first wish was granted more than 40 years ago at Disneyland Resort. Wishes range from theme park visits to movie premieres, character meet-and-greets to sports events. All with the goal of helping kids feel like kids, while creating special memories with their families.

To learn more about Disney and ESPN’s efforts to deliver joy when its needed most, visit wish.org/MyWish.

About Make-A-Wish®
Make-A-Wish creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Founded in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the #1 most trusted nonprofit operating locally in all 50 states throughout the U.S. Together with generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 20,000 volunteers across the country, Make-A-Wish delivers hope and joy to children and their families when they need it most. Make-A-Wish aims to bring the power of wishing to every child with a critical illness because wish experiences can help improve emotional and physical health. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 585,000 wishes in 50 countries worldwide; more than 375,000 wishes in the U.S. and its territories alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

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