Posted: October 7, 2004

Athletics: Female Athletes Bare All To Support Team USA Monterey Bay

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

2005 Wall Calendar Ready for Release October 12

MONTEREY, Calif. - (October 6, 2004) - The 2005 wall calendar "Strength and Grace: Monterey Bay Women Athletes" is not for the faint of heart. The calendar, however, is for anyone who appreciates the elegance and beauty of the athletic human form.

"Strength and Grace: Monterey Bay Women Athletes" will be officially released on Tuesday, October 12 in Carmel, CA (see media advisory below) as a fundraising project for the Team USA Monterey Bay Distance Running Training Center at California State University, Monterey Bay.

The calendar, which has a retail value of $20, is offered as a complimentary gift for Team USA Monterey Bay supporters who make a minimum tax-deductible donation of $25 to the non-profit organization. All donations are used to directly support Team USA Monterey Bay's mission to develop U.S. stars in the sport of long distance running and to provide athlete role models in the general community who promote physical fitness and healthy lifestyles.

The 2005 wall calendar contains photos of 13 local female athletes, ages 20 to 60, who posed "au naturelle" for photographer Helen MacKinlay's camera in support of Team USA Monterey Bay. The black and white images emphasize the beauty of line and form of the athletes who remain anonymous in the calendar. The project is MacKinlay's follow-up work to her 2004 calendar, "The Full Monterey: Sexagenarian Male Athletes," which contains photos of male athletes age 60 and over. The 2004 version brought in over $4,000 in donations for the running center. MacKinlay's husband, Rod MacKinlay, who sits on Team USA Monterey Bay's Board of Directors, helped produce both calendars.

The unveiling of the 2005 calendar is part of Team USA Monterey Bay's fall fundraising drive during which the charity organization hopes to raise $25,000, almost a quarter of its annual operating budget. The center in Monterey at CSUMB, which currently supports five full-time resident athletes, is affiliated with USA Track & Field (the sport's national federation), but depends upon funding from individual and corporate donors and sponsors. It is one of six similar long distance training centers for American elite and emerging elite distance runners around the country.

In variations of the skin-revealing theme popularized by the English housewives depicted in the popular film Calendar Girls, elite female high jumpers and pole vaulters have uncovered themselves for wall calendars promoting their causes. The women featured in "Strength and Grace: Monterey Bay Women Athletes," however, are not professional, full-time athletes. They are everyday recreational sports participants and fitness enthusiasts--runners, walkers, cyclists, and swimmers--who find satisfaction, purpose, and a joyful spirit inside a sound body.

"I work out daily and believe in the importance of physical fitness," said Jiraphon Garrard of Monterey who is one of the calendar models. "Posing for the calendar gives me an opportunity to support and help promote Team USA Monterey Bay's athletes and the kids running programs they're involved with in local schools."

Said photographer MacKinlay, "I believe strongly in physical fitness, and, as a photographer. I appreciate the sensual energy of the body's line and form which I try to capture in my work."

MacKinlay has photographed the human figure for 20 years. She has exhibitions and credits in many cities worldwide, and has published a book of nude images in black and white.

Individuals may obtain the 2005 calendar by making a donation of $25 or more using the downloadable donation form on Team USA Monterey Bay's web site at http://www.csumb.edu/teamusa. Donors may deduct the portion of their contribution above the $20 value of the calendar (always consult your tax advisor).

Calendar enthusiasts can also obtain copies, personally signed by the models and photographer, at the official calendar launch on October 12 (see details below). Team USA Monterey Bay's athletes will also be present at the launch where Bob Sevene, the team's head coach, will present roses to each of the calendar models.

In addition, the calendar will be available after the official launch at the following locations: Big Sur Half Marathon Expo, (October 16, Monterey Convention Center), The Treadmill (Carmel Crossroads Shopping Center), Carmel Crimpers (Su Vecino, Carmel), Fleet Feet (Monterey, Del Monte Shopping Center), and Phrasemaker Word Processing/Resume Services (Main Street, Los Altos).

Team USA Monterey Bay, Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit organization, operates a year-round training center at California State University, Monterey Bay to develop, support, and promote U.S. distance runners capable of winning medals in Olympic and World Championship competition. The organization is also committed to creating role models for the general community who promote physical fitness and a positive and productive lifestyle for people of all ages.

Photo courtesy of Helen MacKinlay Photo