Chris Hemsworth thinks every kid should play sports

Would Chris Hemsworth be wielding Thor’s hammer today if he hadn’t kicked footballs, surfed waves and leapt over hurdles as a kid?

Probably not.

Chris knows that the moves we make as kids count – creating lifelong healthy habits and delivering valuable life lessons.

That’s why he’s so passionate about making Moves That Matter in 2023: adding up Centr members’ active minutes and donating money to our partner Good Sports, so they can give kids the gear they need to stay active.

Before he paddled out to catch another wave, we asked Chris to look back on the sporting experiences that are driving his mission to give back with Moves That Matter.

What sports did you play as a kid?
I played a lot of different sports growing up, which I'm incredibly grateful for. AFL (Aussie Rules football), 110-meter hurdles, boxing, surfing, skateboarding, water polo and a whole lot more.

You discovered surfing as a teenager. Do you take the same benefits from it today that you did as a kid?
The first time I surfed is one of my most vivid memories. It ignited an enthusiasm and passion in me that I couldn’t replicate anywhere else. I feel incredibly lucky to have found something so pure and healthy that allows me to stay active, helps me reset, clears my head and makes me smile!

What do you think you learned from participating in sports and being part of a team?
The realization we are better together than we are apart. Collaboration and being part of something outside of yourself is key. Commitment to others, rather than solely to yourself, is how we excel.

The “me against the world” attitude has its place, but personally I’ve always felt a greater sense of fulfillment working in a team, learning from others and having that group support. You can see that reflected today in the team we’ve built with Centr.

Your family life seems to be filled with a lot of active adventure. Why is being active with your kids so important?
Both my wife and I have always had a strong awareness of the benefits of staying active and being immersed in nature and outdoor activities. But my kids also have had that desire from the day they were born!

They always have plenty of energy to burn, so we’ve had them involved in as many sports as possible to see what they truly enjoy. It’s given them a healthy outlet.

Do you think you’d be playing Thor or making films like Extraction if you hadn’t been active as a kid?
Both roles definitely required a lot of athletic commitment, which my background definitely suits. With what these roles demand of me physically, if I didn’t have a passion for training and pushing my body I probably would’ve burnt out by now.

Were you competitive with your brothers when growing up?
Yeah, there was definitely some healthy competition across most things we were doing. And I’m not sure that will ever change.

It always made things a little more interesting and forced us to push ourselves further in everything we did.

Sport has the power to bring people together. What’s been your favorite sporting moment to experience as a fan?
Probably watching my AFL team the Western Bulldogs win the grand final in 2016. My whole family are dedicated fans of this team and they hadn’t won a grand final since 1954.

So sitting there with my family and watching it come together against all odds was pretty special.