Tampa, Fla. (April 2, 2009) – Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam will speak at the National Convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) on Thursday, April 2, in Tampa, Fla. Annika will share her love of sports and her efforts through the ANNIKA Foundation to teach the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through nutrition and physical fitness. She will address the largest gathering of physical education teachers in the country at the general session of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).
An eight-time ESPY award winner, Annika established the ANNIKA Foundation to educate and enrich young lives. The Foundation has a two-fold mission: to provide aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams; and to teach children the importance of physical fitness and proper nutrition. The Foundation’s focus in 2009 is to develop a fun and educational curriculum to promote this mission and to build relationships with strategic partners to reach as many children as possible.
A native of Stockholm, Sweden, Annika was very active as a child and played a number of competitive sports, including tennis, soccer and skiing, before focusing on golf. While studying nutrition at the University of Arizona, she won seven college golf titles and became the first foreign and first freshman player to win the individual NCAA Championship.
In her 15 year professional career, Annika became the most dominant women’s golfer and has transcended her sport to become a prominent mainstream athlete and celebrity. Her workouts were legendary and helped change how women’s golf is played, watched and covered, and she continues to have a positive impact on all of women’s sports. She recently stepped away from competitive golf to start a family and focus on her Foundation, along with the ANNIKA brand of businesses, including her golf academy, clothing line, financial group, course design, wine label and fragrance label.
Annika has also served as a national spokesman for The Make-A-Wish Foundation and their Destination Joy campaign. In 2008, Annika was named an Ambassador of the United States Golf Association, and in 2009, along with Jack Nicklaus, she was named a Global Ambassador by the International Golf Federation in an effort to bring golf to the 2016 Olympic Games.
HOPSports, an innovator of digital video-based fitness training headquartered in Valencia, Calif, and ING Run For Something Better are co-sponsors of the NASPE General Session.
ANNIKA Foundation
The ANNIKA Foundation teaches children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and offers aspiring junior golfers opportunities to pursue their dreams.
About Annika
Annika is the greatest female golfer of our generation and often regarded as the best player in LPGA history. Her prestigious list of accomplishments includes her 2003 induction into the World Golf and LPGA Halls of Fame, ten Major Championships, 89 worldwide professional victories, eight LPGA Player of the Year Awards, and participation on eight Solheim Cup teams. In June 2008, Annika was named a USGA Ambassador. Annika has worked hard on her off-the-course businesses, which include the ANNIKA Academy, the ANNIKA Foundation, the ANNIKA Collection with Cutter & Buck, ANNIKA Financial Group, a signature headwear line with Gogie Girl, numerous golf course design projects, tournaments she hosts, along with her website and blog. New projects include an ANNIKA fragrance and wine, both launching in May 2009.
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Media Note: Media interested in attending the general session from 10:15-11:15 a.m. should contact Elizabeth Benz at elizabethb@bzapr.com or 212-708-3329 for further details.
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