Star-led A Day of Champions looks to support student athletes and hurricane victims with upcoming event

Former American bobsled athlete Jeremy Holm has put a lot of effort into educating student athletes in Utah. His organization, A Day of Champions, hosts events that are meant to educate student athletes and their parents and coaches on the art of competition.

“It’s pretty much a TED talk for student athletes,” Holm said. “We want to take our previous experiences and successes and teach the current generation of athletes how we achieved our goals,” Holm said.

The event involves a couple speakers that are helping Holm preach this champion attitude. Gretchen Jensen is a former Miss USA and ESPN commentator who lives in the Salt Lake Valley. Dr. Nicole Detling is a sports psychologist who has worked with the NBA, NFL, MLB and Olympic teams. Alan Tran is a high-performance chef who has worked with Olympic teams and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. The list also includes a Paralympic snowboarder and cancer survivor Nicol Roundy and three other Olympian athletes.

“Each of them will discuss their area of expertise and how it relates to being a champion. Tran will talk about how to eat well, especially as an athlete on a budget. Detling will talk about how to think like a champion, and the champion psyche. Roundy will talk about overcoming adversity, as she has overcome one of the hardest challenges life can throw at you,” Holm said.

However, due to recent hurricanes plaguing the coasts, the event will have a humanitarian aspect as well. “At first we wanted to donate the ticket proceeds to local high schools to help pay for sports teams and equipment. But with Hurricane Harvey and now Irma, it seems that those people need all the help they can get right now,” Holm said.

The event will donate 50 percent of initial ticket sales, and then after the event expenses are covered, they will donate the rest. “We haven’t decided on the organization yet, maybe the Red Cross or the LDS Humanitarian Center. We just want to give back and make a difference,” Holm said.

“People like these informative talk events. We can use our influence as world-class athletes to serve the Utah community and others. We decided that we need to get these funds to those who really need it. Everyone can be a champion,” Holm said.

The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at Cottonwood High School. If you would like to assist victims of Hurricane Harvey or Irma, you can donate to local organizations like the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, the United Way of Greater Houston or to national organizations like the All Hands Volunteers or Americares.