02 Mar Run With US! hits Seattle Featuring Olympic athletes Dan O’Brien and Ben Blankenship
The USA Track & Field Foundation brought their exciting youth program Run With US! to a Seattle-based youth track & field club, announced USATF Foundation Executive Director Tom Jackovic and Chairman Bob Greifeld.
The event featured a presentation from former decathlete, gold medal winner and USATF Foundation Director, Dan O’Brien as well as 2016 Olympian in the 1500m, Ben Blankenship. Both athletes addressed the kids and provided information about race day strategies, the importance of setting goals, overcoming adversity, healthy eating and making positive choices throughout life. O’Brien and Blankenship inspired the young athletes with personal stories of success and failure along with detailing their journeys to the Olympics.
This event signified an additional direction for the USATF Foundation’s Run With US! program as the Foundation connected Elite Athlete Development Grantees, such as Ben Blankenship, with Foundation-funded Youth Club grantees. Having athletes of all ages that are financially supported by the Foundation come together to inspire and share their stories was given rave reviews by the participants and will soon be repeated.
“We are grateful to the USATF Foundation for creating this opportunity. Our athletes had a great time interacting with Ben and Dan, asking questions, laughing and enjoying their stories and experiences. They could not stop talking about it at practice during the following week,” exclaimed Anthony Joseph, Head Coach of Speed Unlimited.