Honor Smoke Makes History as Youngest Cover Athlete on "Sports reIllustrated"

The Office of Indigenous Education is proud to share that Honor Smoke, 10, of the Tonawanda Band of Seneca and a fifth-grade student at Akron Elementary School, has made history as the youngest person to appear on the cover of a special edition of Sports Illustrated magazine. Titled Sports reIllustrated and released in partnership with Dove as part of a campaign to encourage confidence in female student athletes, the special edition was released online and in New Orleans prior to Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025, and will also be included in the March 2025 print issue of Sports Illustrated. In addition to featuring Honor on the cover and sharing her story, the Sports reIllustrated special edition will feature stories from nine other female student athletes from across the nation. 

Honor started wrestling at age 7 and was the first girl to join the Akron Youth Wrestling Club, according to her coach, Jason Chase, in an article published by WIVB. She has since encouraged her younger sisters and friends to join the Akron Youth Wrestling Club, won first place for her age and weight bracket in the girl's division in the 2024 New York Wrestling Association for Youth State Championship, and placed third at the USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle National Championship in Indiana. Honor's goal is to wrestle in the Olympics, and she also plans to pursue basketball and cheerleading as part of her passion for sports. She has stated that the Tonawanda community, her classmates and teammates, and her family have been a source of support for her.

"I hope that this magazine encourages even more girls to believe in themselves and stay in the game," said Honor, according to a press release. 

Permission was granted by Honor's mother to share Honor's photo and story on the NYSED website.