For her work to promote a cause close to her heart, Bird Rock resident and La Jolla High School sophomore Charley Williams has been named the American Heart Association’s 2026 San Diego Teen of Impact winner.
As part of a campaign for the Teen of Impact title, Charley earlier this year organized blood pressure screenings at her school and the La Jolla Open Aire Market, created and sold a line of apparel called Beat x Beat, with proceeds going to the American Heart Association, and held educational events for young people about heart health.
“Heart problems affect people of all ages; it’s a big issue,” Charley said. “I also want to educate people as to how they can help themselves and those around them — everything from having a healthy diet and not smoking or vaping to how to use an automated external defibrillator machine [to help others if needed] and where to find the nearest one.”
She also set out to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the organization.
“I am so honored to be named the San Diego winner and thankful for the opportunities this campaign has given me,” Charley said in a statement. “My work with the American Heart Association will not stop here. I’m passionate about ensuring my friends and family are inspired to live heart-healthy lives.”
As the San Diego Teen of Impact winner, Charley is now eligible for national recognition. National winners will be named on Wednesday, May 20.
The purpose of the Teen of Impact recognition is to raise awareness for heart health and funds for potentially lifesaving research, advocacy and education, according to the American Heart Association.
For Charley, heart health is a deeply personal matter.
Before she was born, doctors discovered she had a life-threatening congenital heart defect called transposition of the great arteries, meaning her aorta and pulmonary artery were going into the wrong heart chambers. When she was 10 days old, she underwent six hours of open-heart surgery.
“I’ve grown up strong,” Charley wrote on her campaign page. “I get to play sports, go to school, have fun with friends and think about my future, all because of lifesaving heart research and care.”
Her mother, Dana, said she “could not be more proud” of Charley for her work to support the American Heart Association.
“We are so proud to be part of the Teen of Impact campaign to pay it forward,” she said. ♦