Track Archives - Athletes for Hope

Jordin Andrade Visits Seattle Let’s Move Active School

Posted: May 16, 2016 by bsanchez

Olympic hopeful and track star, Jordin Andrade, visited a Let’s Move Active School in Seattle this month. Jordin shared why he volunteers with Athletes for Hope and why Let’s Move Active Schools is important to him.

Why did you volunteer?
I volunteered to encourage kids to explore their abilities and to be active. The chance to go outdoors and have an adventure is not always easy for kids these days. I want to use my experience to help show kids that anything is possible and to take advantage of being young while they can.

Why Let’s Move Active Schools?
I was in love with sports and video games as a kid. Many people doubted my athletic abilities, even the closest people told me that I couldn’t be the great athlete that I dreamt to be. I quit sports at one point out of fear of not being good enough as so many thought I would be. I don’t want anyone to quit their passions because of what other people say – whether it is sports or any hobby they love.

What was your favorite part of the day?
My favorite part of the day was meeting the kids after the speech. I was able to see the energy and personalities of all the children on a more personal level than in an assembly. I hope I sparked a passion to explore the possibilities this world has to offer!

Marisa Howard visits Roosevelt Elementary

Posted: April 25, 2016 Updated: April 21, 2016 by bsanchez

All American, NCAA Division I Steeplechaser, Marisa Howard, visited the kids from Roosevelt Elementary recently. Marisa is not only a fantastic athlete, but by day she is a school nurse! After her visit she explained why she loves giving back to kids in Boise, ID.

Why do you volunteer?
I wanted to volunteer because I wanted to make a connection to the community that has backed my running career. Boise is such an awesome place to live and train and I want people to know that. Getting these students active and thinking about their health at a young age is super important so they can start these habits and build on them into adulthood. I am a part-time school nurse, so it was awesome having both my worlds collide.

What draws you to Let’s Move Active Schools?
The main thing that draws me to this cause is the lack of activity that children are involved in these days. Between long school days and the pull of technology, kids aren’t outside playing like they used to be. I want to stress the importance of getting outside and finding something that you enjoy. My best and favorite part of my day is when I get to lace up my shoes and enjoy the beauty of the trails and I would hope that some of these students can find that same joy in running or any form of exercise.

What was your favorite part of the day?
My favorite part of the day was when we played the tunnel of love! The PE teacher showed me this game where the students all line up and make a tunnel with their feet and hands touching the air and their bottoms in the air, like a reverse V-up. Then a student had to crawl through the tunnel and add onto the tunnel on the other side. The gym was way too crowded but we improvised and the kids made it work! I also enjoyed answering all the questions they had at the end of the visit.

Heptathalete, Makeba Alcide, Meets with Crockett Elementary

Posted: April 11, 2016 by bsanchez

Heptathalete and Olympic hopeful, Makeba Alcide, met with the kids from Crockett Elementary recently. We are so glad to continue Let’s Move visits with these kids. Below, Makeba shared her thoughts about the visit and why she decided to give back to others.

Why do you volunteer?
I volunteered because I love working with children, and I wanted to reach out and be able to get them more involved in physical activity at a young age because this is when I got involved in athletics by someone reaching out to me and it changed my life.

Why Let’s Move Active Schools?
I love this cause because it is a platform that is much needed all over the world, that is a simple yet effective way to get children excited about being physically active. In this day and age where we have a high population of unhealthy children it is integral that we do our part to ensure that kids become more active again.

What was your favorite part about today?
My favorite part was the question and answer portion where the kids prepared questions to ask me. It wasn’t scripted so I think I gave very honest open answers which helped me think a little about myself and how impactful my story can be.

Makeba Alcide
Heptathlete- St. Lucia

Natasha Hastings and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders

Posted: April 8, 2016 by bsanchez

Olympic hopeful, Natasha Hastings, met with 45 young girls, grades 6-12 at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders this week. This public school is named after former Texas Governor Ann Richards – a strong example of female leadership – and is the first and only public all girl’s school in Austin, Texas.

Natasha spoke with the girls about training, physical fitness, nutrition, stress reduction and what it’s like to start out wanting to be an Olympian and then achieving those dreams. The girls had a lot of great questions about overcoming obstacles, gender equality in sports, eating healthy, training and what were her plans for the upcoming Olympic trials. She spoke at length about overcoming obstacles, training after loss and how hard it was some days to work through pain. She discussed how she trains, what she eats and why it’s so important to always look your best (“Dress for the part”). She took almost 45 minutes to answer EVERY question that came her way and was kind, gracious and funny!

After their chat, she lead the group in some exercises to get warmed up, and then had them do a #5forPE challenge and challenged them all to do 5 burpees. She had an engaged, active group of young women leaders who were all smiles as we took a few group photos!

Chad Stoermer Motivates Kids at Baslz Elementary

Posted: February 29, 2016 by bsanchez

Chad Stoermer, championship pole-vaulter, visited the kids at Baslz Elementary in Phoenix last week where he discussed the importance of proper nutrition, exercise, and the importance of developing reading skills during his recent visit.

Why do you volunteer?

In the movie Spider-Man, Uncle Ben’s advice to Spider-Man, “With great power comes great responsibility.” I believe the purpose of obtaining knowledge is to share it.

What was your favorite part of the day?

My favorite part of the day was the final race – me vs the motivated girls in the group. The intensity in the air was thick. There were 3 false starts. I had a nice easy push out the back of my race and was certain I was the first to reach the half way point until miraculously I had 4 competitors chipping away 3 lengths ahead of me. I’ve never seen such tiny limbs move so fast. The race was nearly over so I did what any champion would do – I dove across the finish line. I won the race by popular vote because I was the crowd favorite, but I’m still not convinced who took the race.

The experience was incredible! It was quite a treat for me to share my knowledge with the kids at Baslz Elementary.

Kendra Chambers Visits Colonial Hills

Posted: February 25, 2016 Updated: September 21, 2021 by bsanchez

College track star and Olympic hopeful, Kendra Chambers, stopped by Colonial Hills Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas. She talked about the importance of eating the right foods, exercising, working hard and what it means to persevere.

Kendra was a 4-time All American and 4-time Big XII Champion, running the 400m, 4x400m Relay, and the 800m. She made the switch to the 800m in the middle of her collegiate career at the University of Texas, and now is going to try out for the Olympics this year. We asked Kendra why she decided to give back to kids through the Let’s Move Active Schools movement.

Why did you volunteer?

I volunteered with Athletes for Hope because it’s important that we as athletes give back to the community. The community we train in and live in have plenty of kids who were just like us and looking for that role model or mentor. I hope that I can inspire at least one child when I volunteer my time to go speak to them. It makes it all worth it.

What draws you to this cause?

What draws me to this cause is my story. I was once in their shoes. I remember being in elementary school and l loved to run. But nobody ever explained to me what track and field was until middle school. This cause matters because all athletes were beginners once upon a time and if we can speak to the new generation of beginners and let them know how important it is to be active, to eat healthy, to work hard in school, to join a sport, to get good grades and apply for college, we can be great examples for the next generation.

What was your favorite part of the day?

My favorite part of the day was after I was finished speaking to the kids, on their way out, one little girl said “You are just like me” It seemed to me she hadn’t seen anyone like her do the things she wanted to do in life. She went to explain how she was on the track team and how we shared the same first name, Kendra. But it was more than those similarities that caught her attention and mine as well.

These communities need to see examples of what real successful people look like, that also look like them. We as athletes need to be transparent and tangible because it’s one thing to watch TV or read about role models in books, but when we bring it to the schools and we sit and talk with the kids, I truly believe it can change lives. I may not be a Usain Bolt and these students may never get the chance to meet him, so if I can just tell my story and encourage and inspire them, then we’ve all done our part in serving the community.