Ready, Set, Gold! Launches Enhanced Eight-Week Virtual Classroom Series featuring Top Olympians and Paralympians

October 22, 2020

The Ready, Set, Gold! Fall Series is made possible through the support of Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films, will be available online through Classroom Champions and the YMCA of Metro Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – Ready, Set, Gold! has announced the launch of a new, eight-week digital classroom series designed to help kids stay active while distance learning from home. The series will be made available for free online to all students through the support of The Foundation for Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films and will also feature standout Olympians and Paralympians, including gold medalists John Naber and Rudy Garcia-Tolson.

Leading social and emotional learning provider Classroom Champions will host the Fall Series through their customizable and intuitive online platform, putting resources, developed by Ready, Set, Gold!, at teachers’ fingertips. Each of the eight lessons will be released weekly and are available every Monday throughout the eight-week program. The first lesson launched on October 12 and the content is available on-demand throughout the program.

The 30-minute Virtual Ready, Set, Gold! lessons will give students the opportunity to exercise with a talented Olympian or Paralympian and learn a life lesson along the way. The series will teach students about a variety of topics that include the growth mindset, embracing challenges, healthy living and nutrition, perseverance, and self-awareness. Corresponding workouts will put these concepts into action.

“The virtual series provides a safe way for students to benefit at home from Ready, Set, Gold!,” said Michaela Reynolds, Program Director for Ready, Set, Gold!. “We are proud to partner with organizations like Classroom Champions and the YMCA of Metro LA to make these resources available to so many, and we plan to continue to use our virtual programming as a complement to our in-school programming when in-person classes resume.”

The Foundation for Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films serve as long-time supporters of Ready, Set, Gold! and are a key sponsor for this innovative project.

David Ulich, GSD Executive Board Member agreed, stating, “I believe this program may be a lifeline for some young people. The guidance and encouragement offered by the Olympians and Paralympians will surely inspire students during these challenging times.”
In addition to the series’ availability on Classroom Champions, all lessons will also be made available specifically to students at the YMCA of Metro LA and at Ready, Set, Gold! partner schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Claremont Unified School District, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, the Snowline Joint Unified School District, and the Chula Vista School District.

The series will kick off with 2008 Olympic silver medalist and indoor volleyball player Kim Glass, who will cover the importance of gratitude with an endurance workout. Other athletes in the series include Olympic swimmers John Naber and John Moffet, who will head to the kitchen to talk nutrition and healthy living with students, and Paralympian gold medalist Rudy Garcia-Tolson, who will talk about goal-setting and focus on a strength-based workout.

The complete virtual series includes the following Olympians/Paralympians:

• Anita Alvarez, Olympian – Artistic Swimming
• Samantha Bosco, Paralympian – Cycling
• Tasha Danvers, Olympian – Track and Field
• Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Paralympian – Swimming, Track, and Triathlon
• Kim Glass, Olympian – Indoor Volleyball
• Kristy Kowal, Olympian – Swimming
• John Moffet, Olympian – Swimming
• John Naber, Olympian – Swimming
• Alex Roelse, Olympian – Water Polo

To learn more about Ready, Set, Gold! visit www.readysetgold.net.

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About Ready, Set, Gold!

Ready, Set, Gold! is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, community health and fitness program that promotes healthy and active lifestyles to children in Southern California schools. This one-of-a kind program launched in 2006 with the mission to promote fitness and life-long healthy habits by pairing Olympians and Paralympians with schools throughout Southern California. Ready, Set, Gold! Olympians and Paralympians work with students to educate them on the importance of the growth mindset while teaching them how them to adopt healthy habits into their daily lifestyle. Ready, Set, Gold! aims to help to students of all backgrounds, encouraging them to achieve their dreams and live their best life.

About Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films

The Foundation for Global Sports Development and Sidewinder Films leverage the impact of philanthropy and the power of film to promote sportsmanship, education, fair play and ethics among the world’s youth. Giving special emphasis to groups and communities that are most in need or most underserved by current programs, the foundation strives to include women, minorities, and youth in its mission. The foundation’s media division, Sidewinder Films, supports this mission by producing groundbreaking documentaries that bring untold stories to the international community.  Visit www.globalsportsdevelopment.org and www.sidewinderfilms.org to learn more.