Honoring Those Special People in Sports Who Know That Being a Positive Role Model is Not a Game

Successful Sports Legend Series Continues Looking Beyond the Score to Recognize Athletes and Coaches for Leadership, Character, and Integrity

XENIA, Ohio, July 2, 2007—When Madeline Manning Mims stretched across the finish line in record-breaking time to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the 800-meter run, it was more than Olympic Gold that made her such a shining example to others.  What makes her a real champion is the leadership, character, integrity, and faith she has shown both on and off the track. 

Each year Athletes in Action seeks to recognize truly positive role models in sports like Madeline Manning Mims.  During the 2007 Night of Champions dinner, Mims and UCLA basketball coaching great John Wooden shared the elite honor of being inducted into the Athletes in Action "Hall of Faith."

The Night of Champions is one of five premier events in the Athletes in Action Sports Legend Series.  The Sports Legends Series celebrates athletes and coaches who display exemplary character in the game, in their families, and in the community.  Other Sports Legend Series events include:

• Legends of ProRodeo Breakfast-Held during the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo Weekend in Las Vegas, ProRodeo's popular Jake Barnes and Allen Bach were honored at the 2006 event
   
• All-Star Breakfast-Held during the weekend of the NBA All-Star Game, the 2006 event highlighted Phoenix Suns' CEO Jerry Colangelo and four-time NBA All-Star Bobby Jones
   
• The Super Bowl Breakfast-The largest NFL-sanctioned event of its kind at the Super Bowl, the 2007 Bart Starr award was presented to John Lynch of the Denver Broncos
   
• Legends of the Hardwood Breakfast-The most popular faith-filled event of college basketball's Final Four weekend, National Association of Basketball Coaches' Jim Haney was this year's honoree

For more information on Sports Legend Series events visit www.AIASportsLegendSeries.com.

Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, works with athletes and coaches to use the unique platform of sport to help people around the world with questions of faith. Athletes in Action can be found on the Web at www.aia.com.

 

 -30-