The Montgomery County Track Team hosted Kenyan and Nigerian athletes during a practice at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Thursday. Photo Credit: Christine Reckner/Times Herald

A delegation of 15 track and field athletes and two coaches from Kenya and Nigeria, representing the U.S. Department of State’s SportsUnited initiative, participated in a Special Olympics track practice on Thursday, April 26, 2012 with Montgomery County program athletes.  The Sports Unified representatives and Special Olympics athletes then attended the Penn Relays, the largest amateur track and field competition in the United States, on Friday, April 27th. Alex Brauman, a Montgomery County athlete, and Bucks County athletes Nic Canup and A.J. Griffith were Penn Relays competitors.

SportsUnited is an international exchange program aimed at establishing interaction among young athletes at the grassroots level of sports. The program is designed to help young people learn how success in sports can lead to the development of valuable life skills. Athletes and coaches are brought to the U.S. for technical sports training, sports management, conflict resolution training and the opportunity to make connections with U.S. sports contacts. They are then encouraged to return home and share what they have learned with the youth of their home countries.

The Penn Relays include a Special Olympics division in the 100 meter dash and the 4x100 meter relay events.  Scott Otterbein, Head Coach of track and field for the Montgomery County program, has served as Head of Delegation for the Special Olympics Penn Relays team for three years. The visitors from Kenya and Nigeria were in attendance at the Penn Relays to cheer on Brauman, Canup and Griffith.  

Click here to read The Times Herald news article about the SportsUnified visit.