WINNEMUCCA - Olympian Torrey Palmer was in Winnemucca on April 19 to help French Ford Middle School launch the "World Fit" walking program.
"World Fit" is a program developed by Team USA Swimming Olympian Gary Hall, Sr. (1968, 72, 76), aimed at combating childhood obesity by promoting fitness and the Olympic values through a six-week spring walking program. Elementary and middle school students in grades 3- 9, as well as teachers, family and friends can participate. Olympians and Paralympians adopt schools to mentor and teach the importance of lifelong fitness and the Olympic values of perseverance, respect, and fair play.
Palmer said she was thrilled to help bring "World Fit" to the Winnemucca school.
"When you have the entire school sign up, from students to teachers and administrators that is awesome!" said Palmer.
Torrey (Folk) Palmer took sixth place in the women's 8+ in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
Having grown up in the Midwest, she didn't actually learn to row until she started college at Rice University in Houston, Texas. She fell in love with the sport at Rice, and transferred to the University of Wisconsin on a full rowing scholarship during her junior year.
From there she attended several summer rowing camps, and was invited to train with the U.S. National Rowing team at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., in the summer of 1997. She made the women's 8+ each summer, competing around the world at World Cup events and at the World Rowing Championships.
Palmer and her teammates placed second at the World Rowing Championships in 1998 and 1999, aspiring for a gold medal finish in Sydney. Various factors led to a sixth-place finish; and while it was disappointing, her Olympic experience was phenomenal - something never to be forgotten.
Palmer is now married to Sparks firefighter Jake Palmer and they have two young daughters, Ella and Jane. She teaches fifth and sixth grades and is the ELA coordinator for curriculum and instruction for the Washoe County School District. She loves spending time with her family hiking and skiing and keeping fit at the Battleborn Crossfit gym in Reno.
The Reno Tahoe Winter Games Coalition (RTWGC) partnered with World Fit and local McDonald's owner/operators to bring the program to northern Nevada.
Since the first "World Fit" walk in 2009, 23,614 students from 43 different schools across America have logged in a total of 2,872,900 miles ... numbers that certainly aim high and set records.
Find out more about the program at www.worldfit.org.
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