NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot
Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New
York-based specialty athletic retailer, announced the roster
of its annual "Foot Locker Five Borough Challenge" team today.
Comprised of five runners – one from each borough of New York City – who have each overcome
significant challenges, Foot Locker will unite these five inspiring
individuals on Sunday, Nov.5 for a unique race-within-a-race to
honor their motivational stories and achievements. The team
will run the first 13 miles of the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon
together, before continuing on to finish the remainder of the race
at their own pace. The runner who crosses the finish line first
will win a Tiffany plate as well as city-wide bragging rights.
In support of its official TCS New York City Marathon
sponsorship, Foot Locker celebrates the five athletes who have used
running to overcome personal trials and tribulations.
"Each member of this year's Five Borough Challenge team exudes
determination and perseverance," said Andy
Gray, vice president and general manager for Foot Locker
U.S. "Running has played an integral role in coping with their
hardships, and Foot Locker is proud to provide these amazing
athletes with a platform to showcase their physical and mental
strength."
Inspired by their stories of conquering adversity, Foot Locker
is proud to introduce its "Five Borough" Challenge runners:
- Bronx: Katie Zottola
- Brooklyn: Peter O'Rourke
- Manhattan: Dorothy Carlow
- Queens: Roger Mendoza
- Staten Island: Chre Genao
Katie Zottola, Bronx
Bronx native, Katie
Zottola, has always been fit. A casual runner since high
school, her passion for the sport grew during her time as a
collegiate athlete. After graduating from college in 2008 and
beginning a career as a registered nurse in a neonatal ICU, she
continued running with two of her childhood friends as a way to
relieve stress. In December of 2011, one of those friends,
Margaret, tragically passed away unexpectedly. "We had always
dreamed of running the NYC marathon together. After her passing, my
passion for running intensified and had a deeper meaning. It became
a time for me to reflect on the valuable memories we shared, and a
way to keep Margaret's memory alive," said Zottola, who is set to
run her second marathon.
Peter O'Rourke, Brooklyn
As a young kid growing up in
Bay Ridge, Peter O'Rourke struggled
with childhood obesity. By the time O'Rourke entered high school,
the scale read more than 300 pounds, and he decided to do something
about it. "I dealt with a high school bully who made me hate myself
and ruined my self-esteem," said O'Rourke, who is preparing for his
27th marathon. "I started running as a means to lose
weight. Within a year, I lost 140 pounds, and was able to rebuild
my self-esteem." Peter's passion for his new-found healthy
lifestyle led him to a career where he could impact others. He's
currently a New York City physical
education teacher, hoping to inspire and help his students who are
struggling with their health and/or dealing with the stresses of
bullying.
Dorothy Carlow, Manhattan
Manhattan resident, Dorothy Carlow, was 17 years old when her father
was convicted of a felony, and sent to prison. Carlow's family lost
everything, leaving them with the burden of picking up the pieces
that were left behind. Soon after his conviction, she began running
habitually. "I ran from the feelings of sadness, shame and anger,
but then started running into those feelings, and eventually
through them," said Carlow. "I learned to get comfortable
with the uncomfortable." Carlow equates running to life, "There is
pain, there is doubt, there is fear, but we fight to come out
victorious, smiling and high-fiving!" Carlow's father will be at
this year's TCS New York City Marathon cheering her on, as she runs
her fourth marathon.
Roger Mendoza, Queens
In 2007, Roger shattered his
foot after falling two stories while practicing parkour. Doctors
told him it was one of the worst breaks they'd ever seen, and that
he would never run again, let alone walk without a limp. Mendoza,
however, was determined to prove them wrong. The day his uncle
passed away, after a long struggle with Diabetes, he took his first
steps without crutches. "Life can be taken away in an instant. He
gave me the strength to will myself forward and take those steps
without crutches," said Mendoza. After eight years of painful
therapy, Mendoza ran his first marathon in 2015. In addition to the
physical challenges he has overcome, he's also battled with
depression that caused him to contemplate taking his life in 2016.
He attributes his relationship with his nephew as the driving force
to continue on. "I saw my nephew's face, and didn't want him to be
left with his uncle's suicide as the story he'd have to tell," said
Mendoza. "Running has helped me prevail over both physical and
mental challenges." This will be Mendoza's fourth marathon.
Chre Genao, Staten Island
Chre Genao, will be running her fourth TCS New
York City Marathon. Running regularly has helped Genao overcome the
losses she's experienced throughout her life. In 2004, soon after
her marriage and while she was pregnant with her first child, her
mother was diagnosed with metastatic uterine cancer, and shortly
after succumbed to the disease. In the years that followed, Genao's
marriage fell apart, and her father was diagnosed with colorectal
cancer in 2012, sadly losing his battle in 2014. "I was grateful
that he got the opportunity to see so many of my races and
accomplishments, but nothing compares to the hardship of being a
single mother to three children, and losing my parents," said
Genao. "I run to prove to myself and my children that I'm stronger
than anything life throws at me."
Foot Locker is dedicated to inspiring and supporting all
runners, whether they are beginners, weekend warriors,
ultra-marathoners or anything in between. In addition to its
official TCS New York City Marathon sponsorship, Foot Locker has
supported running for the past 40 years through partnerships,
campaigns and Foot Locker Cross Country Championships. This year's
TCS New York City Marathon and Foot Locker Cross Country
Championships are sponsored by New Balance.
About Foot Locker:
Foot Locker is part of Foot Locker,
Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates more than 3,350
stores in 23 countries in North
America, Europe,
Australia, and New Zealand. Through its Foot Locker, Kids
Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker,
Champs Sports, Footaction, SIX:02, Runners Point, and Sidestep
retail stores, as well as its direct-to-customer channels,
including, footlocker.com, eastbay.com and six02.com, the Company
is a leading provider of athletic footwear and apparel.
Additional information may be found
at footlocker.com | Twitter: @footlocker |
Instagram: @footlocker | YouTube:
youtube.com/footlocker |
Blog: unlocked.footlocker.com |
Facebook: facebook.com/footlocker
About the TCS New York City Marathon
The TCS New York
City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR)
and the largest marathon in the world. Over 1,000,000 people have
finished the race since its first running in 1970 with just 127
entrants and 55 finishers running four laps around Central Park.
The race expanded to all five boroughs in 1976 and just celebrated
its 40th year as a five-borough affair. Held annually on the first
Sunday of November, the race features over 50,000 runners including
the world's top professional athletes and a vast range of
competitive, recreational, and charity runners. Participants
from approximately 125 countries tour the city, starting
on Staten Island at the foot of
the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and running through the neighborhoods
of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx before ending in Manhattan. The NYRR Youth Invitational at the
TCS New York City Marathon covered 1.8 miles of the race course in
Central Park, beginning near mile 24 and finishing at the famed TCS
New York City Marathon finish line. More than one million
spectators and thousands of volunteers line the city streets
in support of the runners, while millions more watch the
television broadcast in 175 countries and territories, including
viewers in the New York area on
WABC-TV, Channel 7, nationally on ESPN2, and via various
international broadcast partners. The race is part of the Abbott
World Marathon Majors, which features the world's top
marathons—Tokyo, Boston,
London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—and crowns the top
professional male and female marathoners each year. Tata
Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services,
consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier
partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City
Marathon. The 47th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set
for November 5, 2017. To learn more,
visit www.tcsnycmarathon.org.
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SOURCE Foot Locker, Inc.