LOS ANGELES, CA (May 12, 2026) – Positive Athlete announced the creation of the Tayden Ripple Effect Award, a new annual recognition in the Los Angeles Market honoring student-athletes whose impact extends far beyond traditional measures of success and who create meaningful connection, belonging, and positivity while navigating life with a disability.
The award was established in honor of Tayden Tomblin, a senior at San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara County and a Los Angeles Positive Athlete nominee whose presence, optimism, and ability to bring people together left a lasting impact on those around him.
Tayden unexpectedly passed away in 2025 during Positive Athlete’s first full national program year.
Tayden’s Story
Tayden’s story reflected everything Positive Athlete hopes to celebrate. After struggling through the transition into high school following COVID, Tayden found confidence, belonging, and purpose through swimming and water polo at San Marcos High School.
Though he entered both sports later than many of his peers and navigated challenges connected to autism and ADHD, he consistently showed up with determination, optimism, and a genuine desire to be part of his team.
Coaches and teammates remember Tayden for the energy and inclusion he brought into every environment. He created friendships across teams, brought people together outside the pool, and made others feel welcomed and valued.
Beyond athletics, Tayden maintained a 4.0 GPA, completed more than 150 hours of community service at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center, mentored younger students through his school’s Culinary Arts Program, and was a member of both National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation.
Tayden will be remembered for the way he impacted others, which became the inspiration and foundation for The Tayden Ripple Effect Award.
“The goal of this award is not simply to recognize a student-athlete for navigating a disability,” said Arielle Moyal, Director of the West Region for Positive Athlete. “It is to recognize the impact they make while doing so. Tayden had that rare ability to make people feel seen, included, and valued.
His neurodivergence was part of his story, but never the definition of who he was or the way he showed up for others. We wanted to create something that continues to elevate student-athletes who carry that same kind of ripple effect into the lives of people around them.”
This Year’s Recipient
The first-ever Tayden Ripple Effect Award will be presented at the 2026 Los Angeles Positive Athlete Recognition Event on June 16th, where Tayden’s parents will help present the inaugural honor.
In general, the program celebrates all market winners and recipients of scholarships with recognition at this awards ceremony.
The Tayden Ripple Effect Award’s first recipient is Marin Purdy, a freshman student-athlete from Viewpoint School whose journey embodies the spirit and intention behind the recognition.
She is already winning the 2026 Most Positive Girls Swimming Athlete Award, and will now be given this additional honor.
At age 12, Marin was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, followed shortly after by diagnoses of Celiac Disease and Graves’ Disease. Despite the constant physical and emotional demands of managing multiple autoimmune diseases while competing in high-level athletics, Marin has continued to excel as both a swimmer and sailor while uplifting others around her.
Every swim practice and competition requires careful blood glucose monitoring, insulin management, wearing medical devices, and navigating frequent interruptions during training and races. Yet Marin continues to show up daily with determination and positivity.
During her sophomore season at Viewpoint School, Marin helped lead her team to repeat as Gold Coast League Champions, winning an individual league title in the 100 breaststroke along with two relay championships.
She was also the sole Viewpoint qualifier for the 2026 CIF Southern Section Division 2 Swimming Championships in the 100 breaststroke. Outside the pool, Marin will
represent Team USA this summer at the i420 World Sailing Championships in France.
Even after the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires displaced teammates and destroyed her club team’s training facility, Marin remained committed to her sports and community through the instability and change.
Beyond athletics, Marin serves as a Youth Ambassador for Breakthrough T1D, supports newly diagnosed children and families, volunteers extensively in her community, and is excited to officially launch the RISING T1DE Surf Collective on June 7, 2026, helping children with Type 1 Diabetes build confidence through surfing.
2026 Positive Athlete Recognition
This year, Positive Athlete is naming 34 different individuals as the “Most Positive” in their sport categories across the LA market, including 30 high school student-athletes, three coaches, and one Athletic Director.
There will also be five scholarships distributed to kids, along with this special award. Over 15,000 nominations from coaches, principals, ADs, counselors, and more were submitted for the 2025-2026 Positive Athlete program nationwide, from over 6,000 schools, representing 30% of the high schools in the country.
Since its inception, Positive Athlete has recognized nearly 90,000 student-athletes and awarded more than $825,000 in scholarships.
The Tayden Ripple Effect Award will now become an annual part of the Los Angeles Positive Athlete awards structure, ensuring Tayden’s story and impact continue to inspire future student-athletes for years to come.
About Positive Athlete
Positive Athlete, INC. is a national organization that seeks to promote the benefits of positivity to young athletes around the country through awards, scholarships, and special opportunities.
Active across all 50 states, Positive Athlete recognizes high school athletes who lead with character, resilience, service, and leadership both in and out of sport.
Since 2013, Positive Athlete has recognized thousands of student-athletes nationwide and awarded more than $825,000 in scholarships and special opportunities.
The Positive Athlete West Region consists of six states (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington), which are segmented into eight markets.
The Los Angeles market consists of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties. More information can be found at positiveathlete.org.