The UMC is back.

(Originally published on AdNews).

When we launched The Ultimate Media Champion last year, we set out to ignite something simple but powerful: a movement to prioritise health and wellbeing in the media industry.  

The response was incredible, and it lit a fire across the industry. People showed up, and competitors pushed themselves further than they thought possible. And when the dust settled, the feedback was clear: give us more. 

This year, we’ve listened and we’re delivering. The 2025 Ultimate Media Champion isn’t just back. It’s evolved. More opportunities to take part, greater prizes up for grabs, and a deeper, more holistic experience for every competitor.  

From training sessions to total wellbeing. 

The physical challenge remains a core part of the Ultimate Media Champion, but this year, we’ve made space for all corners of wellness.  

It’s not just about strength and endurance. It’s about mental fitness, nutrition, consistency, and balance. Because real performance starts with feeling good, inside and out. 

We’ve listened to competitor feedback and we’re proud to be introducing expert-led webinars covering mindset, mental health and performance nutrition – designed to support progress beyond physical fitness.  

For those who want to track their physical progress and transformation, we’ve added optional body composition scans at the start and end of the program.   

We’re giving competitors more tools, more insight, and more support, not just to compete, but to live and work better. Because wellness isn’t one-dimensional. For some, success might mean getting stronger or faster. For others, it’s about navigating a challenge, building a better work-life balance or reconnecting with themselves and with others.  

Building culture, not just healthy competition.  

And that’s what makes the Ultimate Media Champion different.  

It’s not just about reps and results. It’s about creating space for community, connection, wellness, growth, and balance in an industry that rarely stops. As the #1 provider in health, fitness, and wellness media, we see it as our responsibility to continue championing all these important things across the industry, because high performance shouldn’t come at the cost of well-being.  

Last year was proof of how powerful shared experience can be. And if even more people walk away from this season of the Ultimate Media Champion feeling better, mentally, physically, and emotionally, that’s the real win. 

Sign me up 

Whether you’re a returning competitor or joining for the first time, this is your chance to be part of a meaningful initiative—one that puts wellbeing at the centre and represents a collective step toward a healthier, stronger, and more sustainable media industry, built by the people within it, for the people within it. 

And yes, there’s a $50,000 prize pool up for grabs, because it’s still a competition, after all. 

Applications close on Friday, and if you’re on the fence, take a look at what last year’s winners had to say.