Do you want to support two young men with a dream to be Olympians for the US National Team? My dear sons (Zachary Alva, 25, and Petri Alva, 19) have worked consistently and diligently to be two of the top athletes in the nation in the sport of Sprint Kayaking. They both competed in Team Trials at Lake Natoma, California, and both qualified for the National Team this year. What that means is, they will go to Szeged, Hungary from May 7-May 18 to compete on the world stage at World Cup 1 with the national team. Zachary will go on in the fall to compete in Germany at the World Championships, while Petri will compete at Nationals in Florida.

If you are a US citizen, Zachary and Petri are competing for YOU, and whatever you contribute will only fuel them to go faster and do even better! Your support will inspire them to represent US on the world stage in this highly competitive Olympic sport. To give you an idea of their dedication, they practice a total of 11-12 times per week (eight on the water, one on the track, and two-three in the weight room).

Our boatyard is humble, consisting of an "alley" between two containers that we rent from the rowing club and where we store our boats and paddles. We have a port-a-potty onsite and no showers, so after workout and before work, the boys hose down with ice cold water to get ready for work and school. Right after work and school, they are either back on the water for another workout, or spending their time lifting or doing what we call "dryland" training (running, pushups, pullups, situps, etc).

To give you an idea of what they are up against, several European countries have what they call "sports schools" where children at very young ages are trained with up to THREE workouts a day, building their education time around the workouts. Their pool of athletes country-wide is therefore much larger, and the awareness of the sport in the general population much greater. You may think this creates a disadvantage for our boys, but I don't see it that way; it only makes them more determined to make it, despite their unique challenges here in the US.

Zachary and Petri's dream is to qualify for the Olympics in Los Angeles, CA in 2028. Please, if you have the means, help them reach their goal. These young men truly represent the best of the United States of America, and I guarantee they will make you proud.

So far we have raised $1,250 toward our goal. Please visit our page any time to see how the fundraising is going!

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