New Balance Sponsors Walkers
Dateline: 03/14/99
New Balance is proving its commitment to recreational and competitive walking with sponsorships of the major recreational walking club organization in the USA, the American Volkssport Association (AVA), and the New Balance Racewalking Team.
New Balance signed on as the shoe sponsor for the AVA in January in a deal that will assist the 450 local walking clubs of the AVA with event support supplies and an informational brochure. New Balance features AVA events on its website and is a major sponsor of the International Marching League/AVA Discovery Walk Festival, fourth weekend of April.
Press Release courtesy of Jonathan Matthews on the New Balance Racewalking Team:
New Balance Racewalking Team As the only
American athletic-shoe-company currently making a shoe specifically designed for
racewalking (the MRW100W pictured), New Balance is proud to
announce the formation of its American racewalking team: Michael Rohl, Dave McGovern, and
Jonathan Matthews. In keeping with the company's "Achieve New Balance" theme,
none of these men are full-time athletes. They lead diverse lives in which their
racewalking serves as a balancing, centering source of fulfillment and well-being.
Jonathan Matthews arrived on the national racewalking scene in 1992 at the age of 36, after earlier running and National Team bicycle racing careers. In each of the last seven years (aside from an injury-hampered 1996 season), Jonathan has placed in the top 3 in the U.S. National Championships in at least one (and often both) of the two Olympic-distance walks for men, 20 Kilometers and 50 Kilometers. During this seven-year period he has set 4 open American Records and 18 masters American Records. Representing the USA in international competition, Jonathan has been the top American finisher in his event in the Pan American Racewalk Cup (twice), the World Cup of Racewalking, and the World Athletics Championships. Jonathan is also a two-time Olympic Festival champion. At the athletically advanced age of 42, Jonathan continues to be competitive in the open ranks. His wife of 10 years (Stephanie) and he have two young sons, Kyle, 4, and Connor, almost 1. Since receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1994, Jonathan has worked as a college professor. He is currently a professor of education and the director of certification and student teaching at Carroll College in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of western Montana.
Dave McGovern has been a member of the US National Racewalk Team since 1986. He has won 11 National Championships at distances from 10 - 40 Kilometers and has walked 20Km in 1:24:29--making him the 5th fastest American ever at that distance. He has also made 4 World Cup 20K teams in addition to numerous Pan Am Cup, World University Games, and other international track and field teams. Dave is a coach, a writer for Walking Magazine, and the author of The Complete Guide to Racewalking Technique and Training. Dave is also the leading provider of racewalking clinics in North America.
Since earning All-American Status in each of his four seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the 1980s, Michael Rohl has been a strong competitor on the U.S. racewalking scene. Aside from an injury-hobbled three-year period in the beginning of the 90s, Michael has been ranked in the top 10 in the walks throughout the decade. Among Michael's recent competitive successes have been 2nd place finishes in the National 15 Km Championships (1997), the Chase Manhattan Millrose Games (1998) and the 30 Km National Championships (1998), and a 1st place finish at the National Invitational (1998). In addition to his own competitive career, Michael is a track and field coach. Under his guidance, West Georgia College made its first two appearances at NCAA Division II Cross Country Nationals and produced its first-ever cross country All American. He is now the Assistant Women's Distance Coach at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and is pursuing a head coaching position of his own. Michael is the father of three and is married to U.S. women's record holder and two-time Olympian Michelle Rohl (who also will be provided with training and racing shoes from New Balance, a challenge for the company, considering her size 4 feet!).
If you see one of the New Balance athletes at an event, please feel free to approach them and introduce yourself (after the race!). They'd be interested in meeting you and talking with you about the sport that they love.
Congratulations to Jonathan and the other team
members!
Thanks to New Balance for their support of both recreational and competitive walking.
Net Links:
Top
Picks for New Balance Shoes
Top Picks for Racewalking
Shoes
How to Racewalk
Walking with the AVA and IVV
Shoes
