This weekend coach Vallan Hodge Richardson of the Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA) will be participating in the Hamptons Half Marathon on September 28th 2013. Vallan is using this opportunity to prepare for the NYC Marathon that will take place on November 3rd 2013.
Vallan, who has been out pounding away the miles in his training programme over the last six months, will aim to complete the 13.1 mile route and to return to Anguilla ready for the last few long training runs in October. Vallan will be accompanied on his trip to the Hamptons by Mr. Mitchelle Lake, Founder and President of the ATA, and his training partner Lesley Purcell who will also be participating in the Hamptons Half Marathon.
Special support for the trip is being underwritten by Ms. Christine Schott and Mr. Paul Lowerre and his Family. Christine K. Schott, former director of special events for Tennis Week Magazine stated, “Having been involved with tennis all my life, I can say that the ATA run by Mr. Mitchelle Lake is a top notch program on par with the USTA National Training Center in Boca Raton and at Flushing Meadow where the US Open is played. Much like New York Junior Tennis and Learning founded by Arthur Ashe -which provides free tennis lessons and academic tutoring to more than 100,000 children each year, the ATA is a program which inspired children to be the best they can be, and should receive great support from the Anguillan community and beyond as it has a proven track record of affecting children’s lives in a positive way.”
The ATA is soliciting the support of the Anguillian community and friends of Anguilla. Persons are asked to make a pledge for each mile that Vallan will run on November 3rd 2013.
The Lowerre family remarked “Vallan Hodge Richardson is a leader who continually brings powerful positive behavioral images to the young players at ATA. As he prepares himself to compete in the New York City Marathon, he embodies optimism, a winning self image, dedication to a cause, team spirit and discipline in his training regimen. The young players at the ATA are watching him closely, and these images will be reference points in each of them for the rest of their lives. That is why the Lowerre family continues to support the ATA, and Vallan’s training for the big day ahead.”
The mission is to raise money to assist with the ATA’s Capital Campaign. In addition, all money raised will be used to facilitate ongoing operations and help to sustain the children’s After School Programs. For more information on the life of the ATA and it’s children’s programs, visit them at http://www.anguillatennis.com/
Or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/anguillatennis.
– Press Release
