Orlando, Fla. (October 7, 2010) – Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam will speak at the Florida Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport (FAHPERDS) annual conference on Friday, Oct. 8, in Orlando, Fla. Annika will share her love of sports and her efforts through the ANNIKA Foundation to teach children the importance of living a healthy, active lifestyle through nutrition and physical fitness. She will address the largest gathering of physical education leaders in Florida at the opening session of the FAHPERDS conference and also tour the exhibition hall
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 is to develop fun and educational programs to promote this mission and to build relationships with strategic partners to reach as many children as possible.
The ANNIKA Foundation has a partnership with School Specialty’s SPARK Programs to help educate America’s youth about the benefits of physical fitness and proper nutrition. SPARK has proven, research-based success at positively affecting fitness and influencing healthy behaviors among pre-kindergarten through 12th grade children with its award-winning wellness programs. One of the ANNIKA Foundation’s major goals is to implement the SPARK programs in as many Florida schools 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. In 2008, she 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 and wine label.
Annika has also served as a national spokesman for The Make-A-Wish Foundation and their Destination Joy campaign. In 2008, Annika joined Arnold Palmer as only the second 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 and aided in the successful bid for golf in the 2016 Olympic Games.
About 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. The Foundation has partnered with SPARK, the award-winning physical education program for schools, and Florida Hospital’s Healthy 100 Kids initiative to promote its physical fitness and nutrition initiatives. In support of junior golf, the ANNIKA Foundation hosts the ANNIKA Invitational, an American Junior Golf Association championship for the top-ranked junior girls from around the world, and the ANNIKA Cup, an annual team match play event for the top female juniors in Sweden. More information about the ANNIKA Foundation can be found at www.annikafoundation.org.
About Annika
Annika is the greatest female golfer of our generation and often regarded as the best of all-time. During her 15-year Hall of Fame career, she rewrote the LPGA and Ladies European Tour record books, won countless awards and changed the way women’s golf was played, viewed, and covered. She amassed 89 worldwide professional victories, including 72 LPGA wins, ten of which are Major Championships. Annika stepped away from professional golf after the 2008 season to focus on her family and the ANNIKA brand of businesses, including the ANNIKA Academy, ANNIKA Financial Group, ANNIKA Course Design, the ANNIKA Collection of apparel with Cutter & Buck, signature high-end wines with Wente Vineyards and an online retail shop, shopannika.com. Annika will serve as a vice-captain for The 2011 European Solheim Cup Team at Killeen Castle in County Meath, Ireland, Sept. 23-25. More information can be found at www.annikasorenstam.com.
Contact:
Elizabeth McCollum (formerly Benz)
Brener Zwikel and Associates
p: 813-421-0550
e: elizabethm@bzapr.com
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