12-year old Winter Vinecki of Salem, Ore. honored
NEW YORK (October 20, 2011) -The ANNIKA Foundation and The Women’s Sports Foundation presented the second annual ANNIKA Inspiration Award to Winter Vinecki, a twelve-year-old triathlete from Salem, Oregon, at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports awards dinner in New York City on Wednesday evening.
Vinecki, who has been participating in triathlons since the age of five, founded Team Winter, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding prostate cancer research and raising prostate cancer awareness, in honor of her late father, who lost his life to an aggressive form of prostate cancer. To date, Vinecki has raised more than $300,000 to battle prostate cancer and has no plans of slowing down.
Vinecki’s passion for raising awareness has earned her national acclaim including winning the 2010 and 2011 IronKids National Championships, and she acts as the IronKids youth triathlon series Ambassador.
The national ANNIKA Inspiration Award, presented by the ANNIKA Foundation and The Women’s Sports Foundation, was established to honor exceptional young female athletes. Each year, the award is given to a young woman who has been inspired by someone in her life and who now excels in her sport while demonstrating leadership qualities, taking time to give back to her community or sport, and, in turn, serving as an inspiration to others.
“I credit much of the success in my career to my father’s inspirational words, ‘There are no shortcuts to success,'” said Annika Sorenstam, founder of the ANNIKA Foundation. “Knowing how impactful one person can be, I am honored to be a part of the recognition of amazing young women who continually inspire and encourage those around them.”
Annika, who is among the greatest icons in golf and sports, has garnered countless achievements throughout her illustrious career including: 10 LPGA major championships, eight LPGA Tour Player of the Year Awards, and inductions into the World Golf Hall of Fame and LPGA Hall of Fame. Aside from her achievements on the golf course, Annika is dedicated to sharing her formula for success with youth who don’t have the same opportunities, experiences, education or resources available to them.
The ANNIKA Inspiration Award will promote and advance the educational mission of the ANNIKA Foundation as well as the primary goals of the Women’s Sports Foundation. These goals include teaching children the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, increasing fitness participation and access for girls where none is affordable to them, and creating a safe space for girls, and girls with disabilities, to participate in fitness related activities.
About the 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 several key organizations to promote healthy and active lifestyles for children, including SPARK, the leading physical education program for schools; Florida Hospital for Children, supporting its Healthy 100 Kids initiative; and The First Tee, developing the Nine Healthy Habits curriculum for children. The Foundation annually conducts three major golf events for aspiring junior girls, including the ANNIKA Invitational at Reunion Resort in Orlando, Fla., the award-winning American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) event; the ANNIKA Invitational at Mission Hills in China for top Asian juniors; and the ANNIKA Cup, a team event for the top juniors in Sweden. The Foundation awards SPARK grants to schools, is a financial supporter of Healthy 100 Kids, and has endowed an ACE scholarship with the AJGA. Other key Foundation initiatives include ANNIKA Junior Day, the ANNIKA Inspiration Award and scholarships for aspiring Swedish juniors. More information about the ANNIKA Foundation can be found at www.annikafoundation.org.
About Women’s Sports Foundation
The Women’s Sports Foundation, founded in 1974, is the leader in promoting sports, health and education for girls and women. With Billie Jean King as its founder and ongoing visionary, the Women’s Sports Foundation continues to have a profound impact on female athletics, from its vigorous advocacy of Title IX legislation to providing grants and scholarships, grassroots programs for underserved girls, and groundbreaking research. An agent for change, the foundation has relationships with more than 1,000 of the world’s elite female athletes and is recognized globally for its leadership, vision, strength, expertise and influence. For more information, visitwww.WomensSportsFoundation.org.
Contact:
Elizabeth McCollum, Brener Zwikel and Associateselizabethm@bzapr.com, 813-421-0550
