Samantha Judge grew up in Linden, California, and later studied kinesiology at Fresno State. Since completing her graduate research, she has participated in major marathons, supported sensory inclusion through KultureCity, and helped establish a permanent sensory room at Madison Square Garden. Her community involvement also includes charitable initiatives through the ALL RISE Foundation.
Samantha Judge’s Education and Early Years in California
Samantha Judge attended Linden High School before studying kinesiology at California State University, Fresno. Her studies included graduate research in biomechanics, athletic performance, and injury prevention.
Kinesiology examines human movement, while biomechanics studies the forces acting on the body during movement. In sports research, joint positions, movement speeds, and patterns of motion help researchers examine the physical demands placed on an athlete’s body.
Samantha Judge’s graduate research examined posterior elbow angle during the movement phase of baseball throwing. It considered how this aspect of throwing mechanics might relate to susceptibility to ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury among players competing in Major League Baseball. The UCL helps stabilize the elbow during movements that place stress on the joint.
During a throw, an athlete coordinates movement through the legs, trunk, shoulder, and arm. The elbow changes position as the throwing arm accelerates toward ball release. Examining these movements allows researchers to investigate how throwing mechanics relate to the physical demands placed on the elbow. Fresno State recognized her research as the Outstanding Master’s Degree Project in Kinesiology in 2017.
Her California background also includes longstanding ties with Aaron Judge. Both attended school in Linden and later studied at Fresno State. The couple married in 2021.
Sam Judge’s Marathon Participation and KultureCity Support in 2023
Samantha Judge has completed multiple marathons, including more than one appearance in the TCS New York City Marathon. In November 2023, she completed the 26.2-mile race in 3:31:44 while representing and supporting KultureCity.
The New York City Marathon begins on Staten Island, passes through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan, and finishes in Central Park. Participants include runners representing charitable organizations and raising funds for nonprofit initiatives.
Through Sam Judge’s 2023 marathon participation, she supported KultureCity, an organization dedicated to improving accessibility for people with sensory needs and invisible disabilities.
KultureCity works with public venues to make sporting events, concerts, and other entertainment more accessible. Its mission addresses difficulties some individuals experience in environments involving loud noises, bright lights, crowds, and other sensory stimulation.
For some people, these conditions can make attending an event uncomfortable or overwhelming. Accessibility measures such as calming spaces and sensory resources can help individuals and families participate in public experiences.
Samantha Judge also serves on KultureCity’s Board of Directors. Alongside her marathon support for KultureCity, she supports sensory inclusion initiatives and projects intended to improve accessibility at public venues. The following year, her involvement included helping establish a permanent sensory room at Madison Square Garden, a venue for major sporting events and concerts.
Samantha Judge’s Role in the 2024 Madison Square Garden Sensory RoomIn 2024, the Aaron & Samantha Judge Sensory Room opened at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Samantha Judge and Aaron Judge helped establish the permanent space in partnership with KultureCity and Madison Square Garden.
The room was developed for guests with sensory processing needs and invisible disabilities. It provides a calming environment within the venue for people who may find the noise, lighting, crowds, or other stimulation associated with major events difficult to manage.
The sensory room co-established by Samantha Judge includes adjustable lighting, calming visuals, comfortable seating, tactile elements, a bubble wall, and other sensory tools. Sensory tools are items designed to provide different kinds of sensory input, such as textures to handle or patterns to watch. A bubble wall, for example, creates a moving visual display as bubbles rise through water.
Adjustable lighting allows illumination to be changed within the room.
The room is intended to support children, adults, and families attending games, concerts, and other events at Madison Square Garden. Guests with sensory needs can use the designated environment without having to leave the venue.
She and Aaron Judge also helped endow the room. As a permanent installation, it can serve visitors during different events rather than being limited to a single occasion.
Sam Judge’s Boston Marathon Participation and Other Charitable Work
At the 2026 Boston Marathon, Sam Judge served as a guide for Adrienne Bunn, an accomplished endurance athlete with autism. A guide runner accompanies another athlete during a race. Depending on the runner’s needs and preferences, the guide may assist with communication, navigation, or other aspects of the event. The type of support varies according to the athlete and the arrangements between the runners.
Sam Judge’s guide-running role involved accompanying Bunn during the marathon as Bunn pursued her own athletic goal. Her earlier New York City Marathon participation had included completing races while supporting KultureCity.
Outside KultureCity and endurance athletics, Samantha Judge participates in charitable initiatives through the ALL RISE Foundation alongside Aaron Judge. The foundation supports children and young people through initiatives addressing education, character development, health and well-being, and leadership. These areas include academic and personal development as well as opportunities to participate in community activities.
In youth programs generally, character development can involve learning to take responsibility, follow through on commitments, and respond constructively to setbacks. Leadership can include listening to others, sharing decisions, and helping a group work toward a common goal. These skills can be practiced in everyday settings, including school projects, sports, and community activities.
About Samantha Judge
Samantha Judge, formerly Samantha Bracksieck, is a California native and a kinesiology graduate of California State University, Fresno. She is based in New York, New York. Her graduate research examined throwing mechanics and potential ulnar collateral ligament injury susceptibility in baseball players. In 2017, the university recognized her work as the Outstanding Master’s Degree Project in Kinesiology. She has also completed multiple marathons, including the TCS New York City Marathon.
She serves on KultureCity’s Board of Directors and helped establish the permanent Aaron and Samantha Judge Sensory Room at Madison Square Garden. Her charitable involvement also includes the ALL RISE Foundation, whose work addresses children, education, character development, health and leadership. Further information is available through Samantha Judge’s official website.