Overview
- Tylenol and Mia Hamm unveiled the PainTalk campaign during the World Cup period with current NWSL player Emma Sears as a featured partner to push athletes and fans to acknowledge and treat pain.
- The initiative includes sponsorship of the Women’s Sports Foundation Athlete Recovery and Care Commitment Grant, which will award $10,000 each to 12 athletes in 2026 to cover medical costs, recovery tools, and services.
- Tylenol has also reported a broader commitment of $1 million to athlete recovery efforts, signaling corporate funding beyond this year’s grant program.
- Hamm said athletes were long told to “power through” injuries and urged women to speak up about pain, framing the campaign as a cultural shift that normalizes care rather than equates pain with weakness.
- The effort builds on recent institutional changes in women’s soccer—including the NWSL’s March 2026 Health Advisory Council—and uses fan activations, personal stories, and league events to reduce barriers to treatment and rehabilitation.