Do you have what it takes to train with an Olympic champ? Here’s a chance to find out
With her own dreams and aspirations for the 2020 Olympics on hold, beach volleyball superstar Kerri Walsh Jennings is looking to inspire a new generation of aspiring players ... virtually, that is.
A few weeks ago, the three-time Olympic gold medalist was informed that the Tokyo Games were postponed until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and she was okay with the decision.
“I am totally, totally at peace with this,” Walsh Jennings said to Volleyball Magazine. “I think it’s the most rational and most thoughtful decision you could make for all the stakeholders. I appreciate that they took their time to make this decision.”
While the volleyball star might be okay with the decision to put her dreams on pause, other young athletes around the globe are feeling the affects of being stuck inside the house and unable to train due to COVID-19.
“This is hard on everybody,” she told the Associated Press. “There’s no excuse to be a slave to your couch. We have a little bit of space. We can go outside and be free. And we just want to encourage people to do that.”
Walsh Jennings created a volleyball and lifestyle platform called p1440, which is an online program that mixes skills, fitness and mindset training that she started with her husband, seven-time AVP Open champion Casey Jennings. The four-week pilot “The Fundamentals” sold out in six days with “250 men, women, boys and girls of all ages, volleyball rookies up to semipro level,” the AP reported.
“Imagine this: We have a 13-year-old girl who is going through this and she is just devastated that her season was taken away. And she is thriving and she’s sharing her experience,” Walsh Jennings said to AP. “And then we have a 50-year-old man who’s gained 20 pounds in COVID and just loves volleyball, never played before, but wants to get better. He’s lost 15 pounds and he’s engaged with this program, sharing in the safe community that we created.”
“Virtual Summer Camps” is Walsh Jennings’ new project that will offer campers a chance to “Train with an Olympian.” Two versions will be released: one focusing on fundamentals and one called “Unleashed,” which is more intense. Campers will have access not only to Walsh Jennings, but also her husband Casey, UCLA beach volleyball coach Stein Metzger, and trainer Tommy Knox.
Walsh Jennings has been active in the virtual world during the coronavirus pandemic. She’s teamed up with KT Tape and holds at-home Instagram Live workouts.
Those who purchase “Train with an Olympian” will receive videos by email every weekday that lists their exercises for the day and campers can also log onto the p1440 website. Each workout is self-guided and can take up to two hours.