Newark Youth Speedsters Attend Championship With Nonprofit's Help

NEWARK, NJ — The New Jersey Children's Foundation (NJCF) recently announced that it provided a $10,000 grant to KIPP Life Academy, helping its track and field team to participate at the USATF National Junior Olympics in Sacramento, California.

According to the NJCF, the KIPP Life Academy “1st Track Club Speedsters” are in their first year participating in track and field and competing against other 3rd and 4th grade teams. The school doesn’t have a formal track, so students had track practice in the school hallways and local parks during the school year. But that didn’t slow them down; during the last year, the team dominated their competition, winning every event they attended and finishing at the tops of races ranging from the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash, 800-meter run, 1,500-meter run and the high jump.

To get to the USATF National Junior Olympics, the team competed in the New Jersey regionals, where each team member placed in the top five, qualifying them to go to the national competition in California. Unfortunately, without the budget to travel across the country, the team was forced to set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of travel.

Despite seeing community support, the team found itself “well short” of the funds needed in the days leading up to the event.

And that’s why the NJCF decided to step in, according to Galen Johnson, director of external affairs.

Through the nonprofit’s donation, the entire cost of airline flights, hotels, and on-the-ground transportation was provided for six student-athletes and two chaperones.

“When the New Jersey Children's Foundation was made aware of the current economic challenge in sending this great team to Sacramento, we acted quickly,” Johnson said. “We can think of no better group of students to represent our city.”

Coach Rilwan Adeniran said the team’s dedication and talent is a “story of great inspiration,” and thanked the NJCF for their support.

“This is our first year in competition, and we could not be more thrilled,” Adeniran said. “We are all so proud of our students' great accomplishments during the last year, feel blessed to be able to compete in Sacramento, and embrace the responsibility of representing all of Newark in competition.”

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