Sports Dreams Come True for Make-A-Wish Kids in New Season of ESPN’s “My Wish”

Chris Connelly returns to host the 18th season of ESPN’s “My Wish” on July 13th, 2025.
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ESPN’s My Wish series is returning for its 18th season of making sports-themed wishes come true for children with critical illnesses.

What’s Happening:

  • Host Chris Connelly returns for a new season of My Wish, the 18th since 2006, as ESPN works with Make-A-Wish to fulfill 88 sports-themed wishes for children with critical illnesses.
  • This year’s series of wishes will feature Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, boxing champion Canelo Alvarez and the beloved Savannah Bananas.
  • Segments on each wish will air during SportsCenter, with the first wish of the year set to debut in the 7 a.m. ET hour on Sunday, July 13th.
  • A new feature will debut in the 7 a.m. edition of SportsCenter on Monday through Wednesday, July 14th-16th, with a Best of My Wish Recap Feature airing on Thursday, July 17th to wrap up this season’s series.
  • All features will re-air multiple times in various editions of SportsCenter and will be available on ESPN.com/mywish.
  • The Jefferson and Stroud features will also air on NFL Live during the week.
  • This year, the My Wish series will feature an updated version of the show’s theme song, “My Wish," sung by Grammy Award-winning artists Rascal Flatts – now featuring a collaboration with country artist Carly Pearce.

What They’re Saying:

  • Host Chris Connelly: “Nearly 20 years after I started hosting My Wish, I am just as inspired by these children and their families as I was in 2006. I’m honored that I can play even a small part in making these well-deserving kids’ dreams come true."

The 2025 ESPN “My Wish" series on SportsCenter segments include:

  • Sunday, July 13th – Justin Jefferson/Minnesota Vikings: Fourteen-year-old Aiden and his 17-year-old brother Ryan have a special bond. The two natives of Minnesota, love football, and as Aiden battled leukemia last year, Ryan matched as his bone-marrow donor. So, when Aiden chose to spend time with the Minnesota Vikings and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson for his wish, he insisted that his big brother be at his side to enjoy the day too.
  • Monday, July 14th – The Savannah Bananas: Whether it’s playing flag football or baseball, Barrett “Bear" of Virginia looks like the typical, sports-crazy 11-year-old, and he stays active despite his genetic condition. His wish was to be a Savannah Banana for a day, where the team required him to have “the most fun of your life."
  • Tuesday, July 15th – C.J. Stroud/Houston Texans: John would often look out of his hospital window in Houston and see the stadium where the Texans played. Even though he’s a Dallas native, he’d hoped to see his favorite team sometime as he recovered from a series of open-heart surgeries that began when he was just a few days old. For his wish, John asked to meet Texans star quarterback C.J. Stroud, where the two connected on the field and at a spiritual level.
  • Wednesday, July 16th – Canelo Alvarez: Inside an Arizona boxing gym, a heavy bag snaps as 14-year-old Alejandro crushes it with his left hook as he chases his dream of becoming a boxer one day. Along with sparring and shadow boxing, his routine also includes breathing treatments to manage his cystic fibrosis. Alejandro’s wish was to meet his boxing idol, two-time undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez.
  • Thursday, July 17th – Best Of My Wish Recap Feature: Connelly looks back at each of our wish kids’ courageous journeys and recaps the best moments of each story.

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