Lolo Jones was named the Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year by USA Track and Field.
So what if you don’t win the Gold medal? After all, it’s the character and discipline you develop, and the friends you make along the way that is more important. In life, it’s not what you make that counts; it what you give that matters more.
I love it when athletes give back to the sport.
Off the track, Jones gave her $4,000 in prize money to a fund assisting Renee Trout, a single mother from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who was a victim of the Iowa floods after winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Olympic Trials. Jones’ sponsors each matched Jones’ $4,000 prize, bringing the total donation to $12,000.
While in Des Moines for the Drake Relays in April, Jones gave each girl on Theodore Roosevelt High School track team a pair of spikes and made a $3,000 donation to the school to repair the track and buy hurdles. While competing at Roosevelt as a prep star, Jones set the Iowa state record in the 100m hurdles (13.40), a mark that still stands today.
“I’ve been receiving help from charities and other assistance programs since I was young so it was only natural for me to give back,” said Jones.