From Big Sky to the Big Apple: Help our Athletes

From Big Sky to the Big Apple: Help our Athletes

Please join me in making a difference for some amazing student athletes from western Montana! We're raising money to ensure that 3 young women and 4 young men get to New York, NY with their coaches to compete in the Nike Indoor Nationals - a prestigious indoor track competition March 8-10, 2024.

Are you asking yourself what is so special about these kids and this request? This is an unprecedented year, with 7 Mountain West athletes, from 4 different High Schools, all doing different events, qualifying for the indoor championships. And Montana is unlike anywhere else. Besides having 9 months of winter and almost non existent indoor training facilities, there are stories like Corbin's.

Corbin was born and raised in rural Montana. He was introduced to track and field at Potomac School, nestled in the beautiful Blackfoot Valley. Corbin felt that first spark of passion running a dirt track around a borrow pit with the neighbors cows watching from the other side of the barbed wire fence. This kid, THIS kid qualified to compete at Nationals.

Corbin joined Mountain West to build his skills and feed his passion during winter track. Without an indoor facility in western Montana, Mountain West does the hard work of engaging a diverse group of dedicated coaches and cobbling together a diversity of facilities; kids train outdoors on the football field in the dead of winter, in small auxiliary gyms, and in private fitness centers. There isn't enough space to practice over more than a couple of hurdles indoors, but THIS kid qualified to compete at Nationals. And by the way, Corbin, from that small rural school, is also a 4.0 high school student.

Kids like Corbin and his teammates show that Montana can represent at an elite level with support from mentors at non profit organizations like Mountain West Track Club who are filling a critical need.

Funds received will be used to offset expenses for the 6 athletes and their coaches on the 5 day trip. Getting from Montana to 'anywhere' is darned expensive, and the price tag on New York City hotels makes our souls shudder. Any additional funds received will be used to help pay for escalating costs associated with training facility rental agreements.

I am humbled by the dedication of these amazing young people and I am beyond excited for them at the opportunity to travel and compete at a national level! Thank you for getting these Montana kids to New York to vault, jump, sprint and stride. We are so appreciative of any support you can provide!