| April 18, 2005 Kansas City, KS -- With a passion for athletics, good health and fitness, an NFL star is on a quest to put the city where deafening crowds once roared his name on the map. Christian Okoye, former all-pro running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, is launching his inaugural Health & Fitness Expo and associated Road Races over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.
This Expo will become an annual event, the first of its kind in this area of the Midwest. The Health & Fitness Expo portion is being held on Friday and Saturday, May 27 & 28 at the Overland Park Convention Center. The road races will follow on Sunday May 29th just down the road at Arrowhead stadium.
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"With the worldwide explosion in interest in health and fitness, we figured it would be a good time to start on ongoing event [in Kansas City].
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Christian Okoye (above), the "Nigerian Nightmare", the famous running back for the Kansas City Chiefs has started a new fitness expo and marathon event.
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A Windfall for the Midwest
The event will be a boon to this area of the Midwest. Christian Okoye exclaimed, "There's absolutely nothing like this event in the Kansas City area, absolutely nothing! With the worldwide explosion in interest in health and fitness, we figured it would be a good time to start on ongoing event. We also wanted to start a tradition of holding a world class experience in Kansas City, not only for its own population, but because it is central to currently underserved areas including St. Louis, Wichita, Nebraska, Iowa, and other states."
Okoye, who since retirement from football, has kept busy as a motivational speaker to business people and helping disadvantaged youths through his Christian Okoye Foundation. Several years ago he started conducting 10K and 5K road races in his hometown of Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California. With the success and experience gained from those road races, he is now offering an exemplary road race in Kansas City.
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This year’s initial contest will offer a half marathon and a 10K road race held just outside Arrowhead Stadium where Okoye pounded out yardage for the Kansas City Chiefs. However, in 2006 the race will be expanded to a full marathon which Okoye plans will attain the elite status of the Boston, New York and Chicago marathons.
Twenty-five thousand visitors are expected to attend this first-of-a-kind expo in Kansas City. Booth spaces are still available for vendors desiring to get in on the ground floor of this major event. Attendance at the Expo is free to the public.
"We purposely designed the weekend to have a two-day expo preceding the road races. We have people registered from as far away as California and Florida. Many are planning to attend the expo and then run in the races over the long holiday weekend," said Okoye, "In fact, the racers will be picking up their information packets at the expo, so we'll get a lot of foot traffic from that."
Helping Underprivileged Kids
Through the Christian Okoye Foundation, Okoye became active in helping underprivileged kids gain skills and confidence through athletics. His foundation is helping to conduct the expo weekend and a portion of the proceeds will go towards helping underprivileged kids.
The "Nigerian Nightmare"
No stranger to Kansas City, Okoye is adored by all who follow football. Many fans still remember his thundering style of running. He was a two-time NFL All-Pro running back for the Chiefs in 1989 and 1991.
Originally from Nigeria, Okoye was awarded a track and field scholarship by California's Azusa Pacific University. While at Azusa he went on to win seven NAIA national championships in the discus, shot put, and hammer throw.
Okoye also learned to play football for the very first time at Azusa. A natural power runner, his abilities earned him a second round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he spent his entire professional football career. Nicknamed the "Nigerian Nightmare", Okoye led the NFL in rushing with 1480 yards in 1989, and in 1991 UPI named him the American Football Conference's Offensive Player of the Year.
About The Christian Okoye Holdings
Christian Okoye is active with the Christian Okoye Foundation, which he created in 1990 to help underprivileged children. He also owns Okoye Fitness and Nutrition, a company that manufactures and distributes a variety of food supplements.
In 2005, the first ever Okoye Health & Fitness Expo and Road Races will launch May 27-29. Exhibitors, attendees, and race contestants can register online at: www.okoyefoundation.org/KC-Marathon.htm
People that want to conduct seminars at next year’s 2006 Health & Fitness Expo, Marathon and fitness conference are encouraged to visit www.OkoyeFitness.com and www.OkoyeFoundation.org
Source: Okoye Foundation
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