Kim McConnell has had a clear and immediate impact since taking over the Peak to Peak cross country and track programs this year. So, it's not a huge surprise to us that she found herself nominated for this year's Brooks Inspiring Coach of the Year.
And, if you hurry, you can still cast a vote on her behalf, but voting closes very soon. Below is the bio for McConnell from the Brooks Inspiring Coach of the Year page.
Coach Kim McConnell grew up in South Africa and then attended Rice University on a running scholarship, and like many former elite athletes, Kim decided to invest in the sport that gave her so much through coaching. Today, whether it’s coaching disabled athletes, her high school teams or local community members, everyone describes her with the same word: “inspiring.” Coach McConnell has “frequently come to the aid of students who don’t have the funds to provide their own running apparel, or who forget their supplies at a meet,” wrote an athlete’s parent. McConnell utilizes inspiring emails, quotes, pep talks and personalized messages to coach her athletes. In fact, one parent wrote, “She knows each athlete better than they know themselves. Each athlete has a different set of motivations, levels of passion, levels of natural ability and reason why they are part of the team.” In the words of Coach McConnell herself to her team, “You have these incredible gifts in your life: strength, health, families who support you, great friendships, awesome teammates, the chance to go for something; know that you’ve given all you had on that day and be happy with that. Then, no matter what the outcome, you can be proud.”
And doesn't this make two very successful Colorado distance coaches from South Africa?