2014 Winter Olympians Visit the Elmhurst YMCA!
The Elmhurst YMCA hosted two very special guests on Monday, May 12, 2014 – a pair of 2014 Winter Olympics athletes! Silver medalist in women’s ice hockey Kendall Coyne (from Palos Heights, IL) and speed skater Emery Lehman (from Oak Park, IL) visited the YMCA on behalf of the United States Olympic Committee's Team for Tomorrow program. Coyne and Lehman both grew up in metropolitan Chicago, and the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, marked their first time representing the U.S.
Coyne and Lehman spoke with 75 students from the YMCA’s afterschool program about their experiences during the Olympics and the importance of active and healthy lifestyles. The athletes also showcased some of their individual sports’ uniforms and gear, lead participants in various physical activities, signed autographs and donated sports equipment to the Elmhurst Y on behalf of Team for Tomorrow.
“We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to interact with our local community through Team for Tomorrow,” said Coyne. “It was fun to meet these young people, and we hope we left a lasting message of courage and inspiration that any dream, no matter how big, can come true with hard work, focus and dedication.”
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Elmhurst YMCA Executive Director Angie Flesch presented Coyne and Lehman with honorary Y memberships, along with green Y hockey jerseys. She invited both of them to visit again anytime they are in the area!
In the fall, Coyne will be a junior at Northeastern University (Boston, MA) and Lehman will be a freshman at Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI). Their fans can keep up with their training and activities via Twitter @KendallCoyne and @TheEmeryLehman.
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The USOC launched Team for Tomorrow in 2008 in partnership with U.S. Olympians and Paralympians to provide a vehicle through which U.S. athletes can offer their assistance and support to those in need around the world, as well as a means to continue spreading the Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect. Through this initiative, U.S. athletes offer assistance and support in the form of donations, volunteerism, disaster recovery support, advocacy and other contributions to communities.
Since the Sochi Games, Coyne, Lehman and several of their 2014 Olympic and Paralympic teammates have been volunteering their time to act as advocates and champions of the Team for Tomorrow effort in communities nationwide. For more information on Team for Tomorrow, visit TeamUSA.org/teamfortomorrow.
For more information on the YMCA, visit ymcachicago.org/elmhurst
