Ballard became more of a known quantity after the release of the movie Sound of Freedom, a dramatization of his mission in which he was played by actor Jim Caviezel. Critics of the film have argued that Ballard’s claims about his accomplishments have been “dramatically overstated or without clear documentary evidence.”
Champion can technically also refer to a notable advocate for something, like a “champion of human rights,” or even as a verb in the same way, “we champion diversity here at Tech Corp Z” etc.