I started participating in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in my fifth grade year, when our school’s program advisors Lori Hastert and Nancy Eklund asked me to join the team. During that year, I learned the basics of the program, and put on a variety of events for my school, such as “Morning Walking (more like running!) Club” and a dodge ball tournament. The following year I returned to the program with my twin brother, Patrick, as one of the more experienced members, though not leaders. We continued to build on what we had started the previous year, while adding in more nutrition based events such as “A Hero’s Breakfast,” “Super Bowl Party,” and “Yogurt Taste Test,” while also starting a “Morning Soccer Club.” I pushed a little for the latter, as soccer is my passion! Patrick also became the state ambassador for the 2012-2013 school year!
In my seventh grade year, I transferred to the middle school, where I was astounded to find out that there was not a Fuel Up to Play 60 program! My fantastic program advisor Karly Eyre, Patrick, and I set out to change that, and together, we started the program. By the time the program was started, we only had time for one play, so we followed the tradition of my previous school, and held a dodge ball tournament. It was a huge success, with 21 teams! That year, I was selected as the 2013-2014 state ambassador, and went to the Ambassador Summit in Charlotte, NC, where I learned a massive amount about Fuel Up to Play 60, and about leadership.
I put those new tools to the test during the 2013-2014 school year, when Patrick and I led our team to do four major things for our school: 1st period class dance competition (where first period classes choreographed and recorded their own dance routines), breakfast smoothie program (where we bought with the money from the Fuel Up to Play 60 grant a blender to promote breakfast), school breakfast challenge (to challenge kids to eat school breakfast, with prizes on the line), and, of course, a dodge ball tournament. We added two more advisors: Malcolm Robb and Tom Price. We also had a newspaper story on our successes! Our student team was phenomenal, and participants Ethan, Brad, Kirsten, Demi, Mary, Nina, Patrick, Miles, Morgan, and Carson. Brad was selected as the 2014-2015 state ambassador!
I very much enjoyed being a leader of something beneficial to my schools and community. It felt good to make such a large impact on the people around me. I got to work with many great people, and accomplished many great things. It was a pleasure to be the Wyoming State Ambassador!
About the Author
Gregory M. was the Wyoming State Ambassador for Fuel Up to Play 60 for the 2013-2014 school year.
