Soccer Champion Wants Young Kids to ‘Run for Something Better’
Brandi Chastain warms up for the ING New York City Marathon with son Jaden.
As a competitive soccer player, staying in shape was essential to succeeding on the field. My accomplishments as an Olympic and World Cup champion were a direct result of setting personal fitness goals and working hard to achieve them.
Although I’m no longer playing at that level today, I still value the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle. That’s why I’ve embarked on a new challenge that requires a similar commitment to physical fitness.
On Sunday, November 2nd, I’ll be testing my mettle along with 40,000 other participants in one of the world’s most celebrated running events – the 2008 ING New York City Marathon.
My goal, like most recreational runners, will be to complete the 26.2 mile course for one of the greatest thrills of a lifetime – crossing the finish line in Central Park.
I’ll also be doing it to support a special program -- the ING Run for Something Better -- and to prove to young people everywhere what can be accomplished through perseverance, training and a commitment to staying healthy and fit.
The ING Run for Something Better is a fantastic effort that provides money for free school and community running programs across the country. The idea is to get young kids excited about exercise while recognizing that too many are starting out on the wrong foot when it comes to their physical fitness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells us that 33 percent of kids are struggling with obesity, and that these rates have increased by 200 percent in the last 30 years. Due to poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles, we’re also seeing a startling increase in the number of children with health issues like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and stroke -- problems traditionally found in adults.
So how do we address the fact that today’s young people are facing a health and fitness crisis of epidemic proportions?
Part of the solution is simple. American kids need to get more exercise. We need to get more children off the couch and away from their televisions and video games, while reintroducing them to the sheer pleasure of physical activity, like running. It’s everyone’s responsibility – parents, businesses, schools, and the community at large – to make this happen.
I’m encouraged that a company like ING is doing its part to promote healthier kids. As a sponsor of long distance running events in the U.S., the financial services company has made youth running and fitness a priority through its ING Run for Something Better program. It’s a perfect fit for my own work with the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative (BAWSI), a non-profit group which creates opportunities for female athletes to bring health, hope and wholeness to the Bay Area community.
Here’s how the program works:
By partnering with school districts, municipalities and race organizations, the ING Run for Something Better helps establish youth running programs while providing tools and education aimed at promoting a lifetime of physical fitness.
These programs are succeeding in cities like New York City, San Francisco, Miami, Atlanta, Hartford, Philadelphia and Denver. Since ING began sponsoring marathons five years ago, over 30,000 children have logged over one million miles.
To spread the message even further, ING established the “Orange Laces” fundraising campaign so that everyone can join this effort. When someone donates $10 or more to the campaign, they receive a pair of orange shoelaces as a token to show they are “tied” to supporting kids’ fitness. One hundred percent of these proceeds go directly to funding ING Run for Something Better programs.
Come race day, I’ll be wearing my orange laces with the hope of inspiring more young people in the U.S to follow my footsteps.
You can help, too, by going to www.orangelaces.com/nyc and making a donation to support me in the race. All the money I raise goes to the ING Run for Something Better initiative. I encourage you to take this important step, and to help give our younger generation a running start to better fitness -- and better lives.
Brandi Chastain, co-founder of the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative, is a former Olympic and World Cup soccer champion who played on the U.S. women’s national team from 1988-2004. She encourages everyone to visit www.orangelaces.com/nyc where they can make a donation to the ING Run for Something Better and receive a pair of orange shoelaces to show they are “tied” to supporting kids’ fitness.