{"id":150151,"date":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=150151"},"modified":"2024-04-17T09:03:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T09:03:07","slug":"soldier-athletes-chase-olympic-dreams-through-wcap-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=150151","title":{"rendered":"Soldier athletes chase Olympic dreams through WCAP program"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Spc. Nina Pham, a wrestler with the Army World Class Athlete Program, throws a training dummy during a workout at Fort Carson, Colo. March 12, 2024.
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WASHINGTON \u2014 As spectators around the world get ready for the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, one Army program prepares Soldier athletes to compete in the games.<\/p>\n

The Army\u2019s World Class Athlete Program<\/a>, or WCAP, allows top-ranked elite Soldier athletes to perform at the international level while serving in the military.<\/p>\n

Since 1948, 446 Soldiers have represented the United States at the Olympics, earning 111 medals in a variety of sports.<\/p>\n

WCAP sports include boxing, wrestling, track and field, modern pentathlon, archery, shooting, taekwondo, winter sports and rugby. Its Paralympic sports include archery, shooting and swimming.<\/p>\n

The Soldier Athletes<\/strong><\/h5>\n

WCAP Soldiers come from the active duty, reserve and National Guard components and are selected for their ability to perform at the highest level of their sports, said Willie Wilson, WCAP program director.<\/p>\n

Many of the Soldiers had a strong showing in college in their respective sports, earned scholarships, and wanted to give back to the U.S. so they joined the Army.<\/p>\n

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\n Army Staff Sgt. Leonard Korir of the Army World Class Athlete Program and 2016 Olympian stands for a photo on a running track at Fort Carson, Colo. March 11, 2024.
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\u201cI wanted to learn a skill, serve this country and continue running,\u201d said Staff Sgt. Leonard Korir, a track and field athlete from Kenya. \u201cGod made me motivated to be a Soldier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Korir earned a college scholarship to Iona University, New York. He is a two-time NCAA champion, winning the men\u2019s indoor 5,000-meter title and outdoor 10,000-meter title in 2011. He took third in the 2014 Boston half marathon, won the 2015 New York half marathon. After becoming a U.S. citizen, he placed in the top three in the Olympic trials in 2016. He finished third in the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, potentially earning him a spot on the Paris team.<\/p>\n

Sgt. Colett Rampf, a track and field competitor from Germany, agreed with Korir on the importance of WCAP.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to have opportunities like these to help advance your career both as a Soldier and as an elite athlete,\u201d she said. \u201cMy goal is to make it to the Olympic trials and then to make it to the Olympics. I want to represent the Army the best way I can. It would mean a lot to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rampf grew up in Germany and also became a U.S. citizen. She earned a scholarship at Saint Leo University, Florida and took NCAA All-American seven times. She took third in the women\u2019s Army Ten-Miler division.<\/p>\n

Sgt. Lisa Greer, from Chicago, earned first place in the USA Boxing Olympic Trials in Lafayette, Louisiana, last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis program helps Soldiers accomplish their dreams and goals in the sport they choose,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a platform to help showcase the programs we have available.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went to a local gym, found a coach and began training. She qualified at a national Golden Gloves tournament and applied. Since then, she took first in the USA Boxing Women\u2019s Championships tournament and second place in the Colorado State Golden Gloves Championships.<\/p>\n

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\n Army Sgt. Lisa Greer, a boxer wit the Army World Class Athlete Program, sits for a portrait in the program\u2019s ring at Fort Carson, Colo. March 11, 2024.
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\u201cI always wanted to join the Army,\u201d she said. \u201cMy mom didn\u2019t want me to join. I left my jobs and went straight to a recruiting station. I signed the contract right then and there, and then I went home and told everybody. They were a little upset at first but then they got over it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to represent the Army and the U.S. as a team,\u201d she said with a smile. \u201cI get to represent my brothers and sisters in arms. It\u2019s bigger than me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Next Generation, Soldiers for Life<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The Soldier athletes visit high schools throughout the country to promote the WCAP and Army.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to show the students that there\u2019s a positive way out, that there\u2019s more than one aspect of life,\u201d said Greer. \u201cThe Army will lead you on the right path. Research what the Army provides you with educational needs. You are more than your environment. The military guided me in the right direction. If you\u2019re looking for a way out, the Army is definitely here to help you with that. I\u2019m a Soldier for life, especially after the 2028 Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staff Sgt. Samuel Kosgei, track and field coach, qualified for the Olympic trials in 2020 and used to run professionally. A combat medic since 2017, he said he joined the Army for stability.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a family, and I wanted to get my master\u2019s degree, which I did through the Army,\u201d he said. \u201cI am so honored to be part of WCAP and to serve in the Army. In my life, this was the best decision I\u2019ve ever made, to join the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kosgei won the 2014 and 2016 Marine Corps Marathons. He hopes to serve in the Army until retirement. His sister serves as a nurse in the Army.<\/p>\n

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\n Members of the High Performance Team Kyle Ekert, head athletic trainer, and Sgt. Cody Smith, healthcare specialist, work on an athlete during a workout for the Army WorldClass Athlete Program gym in Fort Carson, Colo. March 11, 2024.
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Support Team<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Many of the athletes served in the Army in their respective career fields, earned national titles, applied for the program and then transferred into the program. Once they no longer compete, they can become coaches and mentors or go back into their career field.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve also had a number of them go on to become leaders in various national governing bodies,\u201d said Wilson. \u201cThe previous CEO of USA Bobsled was part of the Army\u2019s World Class Athlete Program. The Soldiers who participate in this program do a very good job of representing and promoting the Army.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just like it takes a team to make an Army mission happen, a Soldier athlete needs a high-performance team to make the Olympics a reality. The World Class Athlete Program high performance team consists of experts in strength and conditioning, athletic training, nutrition and massage therapy.<\/p>\n

The team works closely with the athletes to provide medical care and support to ensure the athletes stay healthy and injury-free, design customized training programs to optimize a Soldier\u2019s strength and endurance, develop customized nutrition plans and provide massage therapy to prevent injuries and aid in recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this high of a level in sport, the slightest edge can be the difference between winning and losing, so I try to leverage that in my education to them,\u201d said Maj. Kelly Kaim, performance dietitian. \u201cEach individual needs to be treated differently to maximize their success.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said some examples are going over a scan with coaches to recommend the athlete to compete at a different weight class for health purposes, sitting down with an athlete to discuss timing of their nutrition to put on muscle mass to give them the edge in their weight class, helping them figure out how to best fuel for a marathon or drawing performance labs to identify a vitamin deficiency that needs to be addressed such as iron to keep them at their top performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s vital to be embedded into not only the WCAP program but with the teams and to travel with them,\u201d said Lt. Col. Jason Barber, physician assistant and chief training officer. \u201cIt\u2019s important they have people there with them who know them, who care for them every day, train them and are in the fight with them. That concept gives us the edge over our competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

WCAP is like a family, Wilson said. He said the medical staff helps the athletes become better boxers, wrestlers, runners and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a close-knit family,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re rooting for each other, helping each other get better, supporting each other as they go through this journey toward their Olympic dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spc. Nina Pham, a wrestler with the Army World Class Athlete Program, throws a training dummy during a workout at Fort Carson, Colo. March 12, 2024. (Photo Credit: DOD photo by E.J. Hersom) VIEW ORIGINAL WASHINGTON \u2014 As spectators around the world get ready for the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, one Army program prepares […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":150153,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=150151"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150158,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150151\/revisions\/150158"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/150153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=150151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=150151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=150151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}