Checking in with U.S. Olympians Bob and Mike Bryan

(This article is sponsored by Citi.)

Twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan are used to doing everything together, especially tennis, and next on their horizon is the hope for a celebratory chest bump at the London 2012 Olympic Games after winning the men's doubles title.

The Stanford products train together, eat together and have won 11 Grand Slam Men’s Doubles Titles as well as a bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Known as the Bryan Brothers, the 34-year-old twins are known for their trademark celebratory chest bump after their tennis wins and are currently ranked number one in the world in doubles tennis. Off the court, the twins are in a band together named the Bryan Brothers Band.

Adding to their list of accomplishments, Bob and Mike are now two of 13 athletes whom Citi is sponsoring in its Every Step of the Way^SM program. This innovative digital program benefits U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and athletes of all ages in communities across America.

Already a corporate sponsor of Team USA and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), Citi wanted to do more by creating a way to help fund U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sport Programs that have inspired Citi's team of 13 athletes. They also wanted to make it possible for its customers and Olympic fans to get in on the action.

Citi launched its program with a $500,000 donation to the USOC represented by 50 million ThankYou® Points - the currency of Citi ThankYou Rewards. The unique Every Step of the Way program allows fans to help allocate these ThankYou Points to Sport Programs through activity on Facebook and Twitter, allowing Team Citi athletes to say "thank you" to the Sport Programs that have inspired them.

The more fans participate through Facebook and Twitter, the more ThankYou Points they can direct to their Sport Program of choice, until its goal is reached. At the end of the program, the USOC will use Citi's donation to give the cash equivalent of the ThankYou Points directly to the Sport Program matched with the Team Citi athlete.

Bob and Mike are supporting National Recreation and Park Association Tennis in the Parks, which helps make the game of tennis more accessible to millions of kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to learn and play. The Bryans’ efforts will help to ensure that children in underserved communities will be taught how to play tennis using kid-sized tennis courts and rackets in local parks and recreation agencies.

Support Bob and Mike Bryan’s quest for gold and National Recreation and Park Association Tennis in the Parks through the Every Step of the Way application on Facebook. Follow them on Twitter.

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