Posted: May 6, 2004

Athletics: Team USA Minnesota Partners with Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation to Develop "Heart of a Champion" Program

MINNEAPOLIS - (May 3, 2004) - Through a collaborative partnership, Team USA Minnesota, the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation and Augsburg College have launched a program designed specifically for 7th grade students called "Heart of a Champion." The program emphasizes positive behavior change through goal setting and decision-making, while stressing healthy food choices and the importance of physical activity.

Made possible by a $10,000 grant from the General Mills Foundation, the 50-minute Heart of a Champion program has been presented to more than 2,100 7th graders in nine Twin Cities area schools during March and April. More schools are scheduled for May. Six post-collegiate distance runners from Team USA Minnesota - Carrie Tollefson, Luke Watson, Toby Henkels, Johanna Olson, Kristen Nicolini and Mike Wisniewski - have been involved in this initial effort along with a student athlete, Tonnisha Bell, from Augsburg College.

The Heart of a Champion program was developed through the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation with significant input from the Minneapolis Public Schools' Health and Physical Activity curriculum advisor, 7th grade physical education and health education teachers, and Team USA Minnesota athletes.

"One of our primary focus areas includes educating individuals, families and communities about promoting health and preventing disease," said George Kroeninger, director of education for the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. "Reaching children and youth with a strong prevention message is critical to influencing unhealthful behaviors so prevalent in today's society, including smoking, poor nutrition and physical inactivity. These behaviors are often formalized in adolescence and carried into adulthood. The Heart of a Champion program has the potential to significantly and positively influence the health beliefs, and ultimately behaviors, of Minnesota youth.

"The partnership between the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Augsburg College and Team USA Minnesota has created a rare and shining opportunity for recognized community role models to interact with students and provide a catalyst for behavior change," said Kroeninger. "We developed this program because the percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight and obese is staggering, and of Minnesota youth, over half are insufficiently active or sedentary."

Twin Cities area schools that have received the Heart of a Champion program to date include: Anderson Open Elementary, Jordan Park Extended Day School, and Lucy Craft Laney in Minneapolis; Skyview Middle School in Oakdale; Minnetonka Middle School West; Capital View Learning Center in Little Canada; Oakgrove Middle School in Bloomington and Coon Rapids Middle School.

About the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation
The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit, community-based research and education organization founded in 1982 by the physicians of the Minneapolis Heart Institute. In addition to numerous ongoing research studies, the Foundation offers a wide range of community education programs in cardiac health for thousands of individuals each year. For the newest developments in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, as well as the latest activities of the Foundation, visit the web site at www.mplsheartfoundation.org.

About Team USA Minnesota
Team USA Minnesota, part of the Team USA Distance Running program, is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The non-profit organization was formed in January 2001 and began selecting athletes in April of that year. The Team USA Minnesota Distance Training Center is a coordinated effort to bring local resources together to improve post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians. The athletes are coached by Dennis Barker, head cross country and track coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. The Minnesota training center's major sponsor is Life Time Fitness (www.lifetimefitness.com) and its silver sponsor is the Twin Cities Marathon. For more information, visit the website at: www.teamusaminnesota.org.

Contact:
Pat Goodwin, (952) 924-1081
pfgoodwin@teamusaminnesota.org