Since its creation, Nike has always been a company focused on giving back. With the generous support of its thousands of employees around the globe, Nike has been able to provide grants and assistance to millions of people, utilizing athletics to affect change.

But why CMT? Well, a pair of famous feet brought CMT to our attention. It was three years ago when Joe Paterno started asking people to help “Tackle CMT.” And when Joe asks for your help, its hard to say no, as the success of that awareness campaign in Pennsylvania proved. That humble beginning—a small awareness campaign in Pennsylvania—was the genesis of a much grander vision: a world without CMT.

But more than that, it was the ability to be part of ending this disease’s impact on people’s lives and their ability to participate in sports that drew us in. The people who make Nike what it is have always believed that sports, competition and athletics opened doors far beyond the playing field, giving young people confidence to try and fail, and ultimately to succeed. By working through Nike STAR, we are able to open those doors to millions of people worldwide who would never have a chance to do all the things in life that make it so rich—from just running through the woods to playing golf to teaching their children the joys of competition.

As our co-founder Bill Bowerman famously noted, “If you have a body, you’re an athlete.” Nike STAR came about because we still have that focus today—the focus of helping individual athletes in every walk of life achieve all they can.