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Lead Stories: Thursday, August 28, 2008

Philadelphia Running Group Encourages Homeless

Posted April 9th, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Megan Hueter

Section: News & Results, Columns, Health & Fitness, SPOTLIGHT

All too often, the streets of Philadelphia can be marked by homeless individuals whose inspiration stereotypically seem to have been lost in bad decisions, unfortunate circumstances or what some critics unwarrantably call pure laziness. But in the “city of brotherly love,” the homeless are stomping on the stereotypes… with their running shoes. That’s right—they’re joining together to overcome life’s challenges through one of the most self-disciplining sports out there—running.

Back on My Feet is non-profit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of Philadelphia’s homeless population by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HesFit.com

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Rono makes his return to racing at Carlsbad 5000

Posted March 27th, 2007 at 3:14 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results

Henry_Rono With his four world records in 81 days (still one of the greatest feats in distance running history), Henry Rono will celebrate and even greater achievement when he lines up for the Carlsbad 5000 road race on Sunday: his return to sobriety.

Rono, 55, who now lives in Albuquerque, N.M., was brought low by his dependence on alcohol, and slipped quietly off of the world stage into poverty. He moved throughout the U.S. from city to city between 1986 and 1996, at times living in homeless shelters, before settling in Albuquerque.

Contributing to his downfall was Kenya’s boycotts of both the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games, meaning one of the greatest figures in Kenyan athletics never represented his nation on the biggest stage in the sport. He also said, in a statement on his website, that he was taken advantage of by “greedy agents and meet directors as well as the corrupt Kenyan athletic officials…”
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Podcast 28: Interview with Brent Ion of HomeTeam; a training group that’s changing the lives of those in need

Posted March 16th, 2007 at 4:54 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Motivation, Success Stories, Columns, Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts, SPOTLIGHT

Episode 28 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with Brent Ion; an incredible person whose love for running and desire to help others amalgamated into an inspirational and impressive program called HomeTeam.

Brent is a 46 year old financial consultant for Smith Barney and is on the Board of Director’s of The Lord’s Place; a non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness. Brent formulated HomeTeam, a unique marathon training program for homeless individuals in an around Palm Beach Country, Florida, because of his desire to do more to improve the quality of life of others.

With the help of Brent, The Lord’s Place and the community, HomeTeam has been successful in helping homeless runners to change their lives, beat addictions, improve their health, boost their confidence and so much more.

Download the podcast to learn more about the program, where the idea came from, how it works, HomeTeam’s participation in the Marathon of the Palm Beaches, how it’s homeless members are getting their lives back on track, community involvement, plans to raise $1 million, and more!

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Brent Ion
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 11.4MB
Length: 00:16:37