Jillian Michaels Steps Up for Global Crisis

Jillian Michaels was hacking the factors of aging when 24Life last caught up with her in January. Now the fitness trailblazer taken on a global issue: the refugee crisis. But with Michaels, it’s—still—always personal.

Michaels recently teamed up with USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to ask Americans to show their solidarity with refugees by joining the “Step with Jillian” challenge and committing to each raise $100 to help refugees. She kicked off the campaign on June 20, World Refugee Day, and is stepping 100 miles this month and fundraising alongside supporters.

According to the UNHCR, each year refugees worldwide travel about one billion miles to reach the nearest point of safety.

Michaels traveled last March to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and rode a bus taking South Sudanese refugees from a UNHCR transit center to the Biringi refugee settlement. After spending time with the women and children on their journey, Michaels saw neighbors reunited in the settlement after three years of separation.

Having witnessed firsthand the magnitude of the global refugee crisis, Michaels says she aims for the collective effort to “show our solidarity, increase awareness about refugee issues, raise money to protect refugees and help them to rebuild their lives.”

Michaels is asking the public to commit to physical activity and raise $100 to help refugees. As added incentive, raising $15 gains free access to Michaels’ workout app “My Fitness by Jillian Michaels” for 31 days.

Interested in supporting the effort and taking part in the challenge? Visit www.StepWithJillian.org.