Ever wondered what "perks" Olympic athletes enjoy most? That’s what the physical education teacher at Reston’s Aldrin Elementary asked Reston-raised Olympic track star Alan Webb.
"There are so many. Can I give you my top three," answered Webb. They included traveling and doing what he loves to do. "I get to travel for free and get to see a lot of different countries and meet a lot of people," said Webb. "I enjoy racing and competing and my job is keeping me very fit and healthy."
The U.S. mile record holder visited Aldrin on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 14. School principal Marty Marinoff said the students and the school were lucky to have an Olympic athlete visit them. "It is a great privilege," said Marinoff. He told Aldrin students that Webb probably started doing the right training and eating while he was in elementary school, in order to "make his body a fine-tuned machine."
Webb, 24, was born in Michigan, but came to Reston when he was three years old. He started taking interest in running when he was in fourth grade, the second fastest student in his class. He wanted to be the fastest in his class and achieved that by fifth grade. In sixth grade he was the fastest in the school. He still holds the Terraset Elementary mile record at 5:44.
Marinoff challenged Aldrin students to come as close as possible, or even beat, that time when they do their run. Webb, who will be running in Olympic qualifying races for the 2008 games in Beijing next year, promised that if he wins a medal in Beijing he would come back and visit Aldrin. He also invited the students to join him at Reston Town Center on Friday, Nov. 23, for his annual Race for Kids.