Hello, my name is Kim Armstrong and I am the Founder of Give Back Track.

 

My two children, Robbie and Jillian, have always been active and played many different sports throughout their lives. Robbie and Jillian both competed in track and field in middle school, then high school and Jillian continued to compete at the NCAA Division 1 level at the University of Oregon. Jillian recently became an Olympian after representing Team Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

 

As a parent attending countless middle school and high school track and field meets, I noticed many kids competing in street shoes instead of proper running shoes or competition event shoes (e.g. throwing shoes or running spikes). My kids were privileged to compete in adequate track and field footwear, but not everyone is in the same situation. At every meet, the student athletes continued showing up and trying their best. I wished there was a level playing field where everyone had access to proper footwear to help elevate their track and field performances. Now, I am on the journey to change that. 

 

My late husband, Tony, would attend Robbie and Jillian’s track and field meets with me and we both believed in the objective to remove obstacles to help student athletes succeed in and out of sport. Tony always supported me and my ideas including creating this nonprofit, but I have to credit him with coming up with our organization's name, Give Back Track. Sadly, Tony passed away in 2018, but not before encouraging me to really get to work; he had been paying for the website URL for years and inspired me to turn my dream into a reality. I was lost after the devastation of Tony’s passing and Give Back Track helped me find a purpose. The students we support may lack the financial means to buy track and field shoes, but they possess the determination and perseverance needed to succeed. 

 

Working alongside our donors and partners, I am proud that Give Back Track can ensure that more high school track and field student athletes will be given the tools and opportunity necessary to elevate their performances. Thank you for your interest in Give Back Track and I look forward to you joining us in our pursuit to help high school track and field athletes in need.

 

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Sincerely,

Kim