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GOING FOR THE GOLD:
Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation Honors
Olympic Champions Nadia
Comaneci & Bart Conner, Vice Chairman of
Millennium Management Simon M. Lorne and USA
Gymnastics Hall of Famer Bruno Klaus
Olympic
athletes joined supporters, students and
community leaders to celebrate the
Harlem-based nonprofit that brings
affordable gymnastics to underserved urban
communities
NEW YORK,
NY — October 12, 2018 — Last
night, the Wendy
Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation (WHGF),
a nonprofit organization that provides free
and low-cost quality gymnastics for urban youth, hosted
their 6thannual benefit, the Going
for the Gold Gala in New York City at National
Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey.
At the event, Olympic Champions Nadia
Comaneci & Bart Conner were
presented with the Champions Award.
Additional honorees included Vice Chairman
of Millennium Management Simon M. Lorne who
was presented with the Corporate Award, and
USA Gymnastics Hall of Famer Bruno Klaus who
was presented with the Spirit of Sport
Award.
Nadia Comaneci is the first gymnast to be
awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the
Olympics. Bart Conner is a two-time Olympic
gold medalist and television commentator.
The two have been married since 1996, the
same year the WHGF was formed. Simon M.
Lorne is the Chief Legal Officer and Vice
Chairman of Millennium Management LLC. Bruno
Klaus is a living legend in the sport of
gymnastics and runs a family-owned
gymnastics camp. All have been exemplary
supporters of the WHGF.
One hundred percent of the gala’s proceeds
will support the WHGF gymnastics programs
which, to-date, have served
more than 17,000 local youth, developing
elite athletes and international gymnastic
performers in the process. The WHGF’s
programs don’t stop in New York. The
foundation expanded to another community in
need and is now celebrating their third year
of programming in Hilliard’s hometown of
Detroit.
At the gala, attendees
were treated to a ‘parade of athletes,’
whose names and accomplishments are listed
below, kind words and sentiments by the
honorees, and performance by the WHGF’s
competition team members ages 7 to 17. Maurice
DuBois of
CBS-2 News served as the event’s Master of
Ceremonies and
was coached by Bart and Nadia on how to do a
handstand!
Additional athletic luminaries and VIPs that
were in attendance included but were not
limited to:
· Camille
Duvall, five-time World Champion Water
Skier;
· Niahlah
Hope, WHGF alumna, stunt double for Lupita
Nyongo in Black Panther;
· Phaidra
Knight, USA Rugby's Player of the Decade
2010;
· Gail
Marquis, USA Basketball 1976 Olympic
Medalist;
· Dawn
Riley, first woman to manage an America’s
Cup syndicate, the first American to sail in
three America’s Cups;
· Collette
Smith, New York Jets’ first female coach;
· Audrey
Smaltz, Fashion and Cultural Icon;
· Rose
Voisk, competed in gymnastics in 1948 Summer
Olympics;
“Interest in
gymnastics among African-American youth
continues to skyrocket with the help of the
recent Gold Medalists Simone Biles and Gabby
Douglas, yet the sport is not accessible in
most urban areas. With 22 successful
years in Harlem and recently expanding to my
hometown of Detroit, the WHGF is changing
that,” said WHGF Founder, Wendy Hilliard.
“It’s been truly an honor to have the
support of these remarkable, record-setting
athletes and the ongoing support of all of
our generous donors, sponsors and partners.
We are committed to helping
underserved youth achieve improved
physical, emotional and mental health
through gymnastics and supporting
all students who have the determination and
ability to compete.”
“Wendy and her
team are making a huge impact in the
community and have established an incredible
track record of providing quality programs
for people of all ages and abilities in the
sport of gymnastics - a mission that we’re
so proud to support,” said Olympic
Champions Nadia Comaneci & Bart
Conner.
“All of Wendy’s students are getting
lessons that will provide them with
confidence that will serve them throughout
their lives, whether they go on to the
Olympics or become doctors or school
teachers. We admire and applaud Wendy for
her work and we’re so honored to receive
this award.”
“Wendy
Hilliard, through her Foundation, has used
gymnastics as an entry point to provide
discipline and incentives for goal-oriented
behavior to a large number of children in
generally underserved communities,” said
Vice Chairman
of Millennium Management, Simon M. Lorne. “I
am humbled to receive this honor from the
Foundation, and will treasure it greatly.”
Hilliard was
a member of the U.S. Rhythmic
Gymnastics National Team for a record
setting nine times but early in her career
she had to fight for her spot on the team.
In 1983 Wendy was denied a spot on the World
Championship Group Routine. The coach said
that she stood out too much for the
synchronized routine. Wendy challenged the
decision and U.S.A. Gymnastics then selected
the team based on the ranking from the
National Championships which allowed Wendy
to participate in her third World
Championship. It was the pivotal incident
that set the stage for her long career as an
advocate for an athlete’s right to compete.
For more information about
WHGF visit: https://www.wendyhilliard.org.
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