CATHERINE NDEREBA & "PREFONTAINE"!?!?!

ONE WEEK FROM TONIGHT! 

If you are in the Philadelphia area, or within a reasonable driving distance, DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY to MEET CATHERINE NDEREBA 
at a special event!

Advanced Sports Chiropractic

Tickets are limited and only $10.00!

GUARANTEE YOUR SEATS BY PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS ONLINE NOW!  
CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKET VIA PAYPAL

Sponsored By:

 If you are not able to attend, you can STILL HELP! Please visit our IndieGoGo campaign, check out our incentives and donate there! (contributions tax deductible according to the information on the IndieGoGo page) 

And, don't forget to visit us on Facebook and re-post any of these events to your page:  http://www.facebook.com/wincatherine

WinCatherine on IndieGoGO now accepting Tax-Deductible Donations!

I mentioned an announcement would be coming regarding the IndieGoGo campaign and now it is official: Our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas, has now  partnered with IndieGoGo which is great news for anyone making a donation to WinCatherine!  Now in addition to choosing a perk or incentive for your donation, your contribution is tax-deductible (to the extent of the law)! Click here to visit WinCatherine on IndieGoGoo;  check it out and be a part of making this film happen!    

Now on to other news:

I spoke to Catherine today for the first time since her return from the UK in conjunction with the Kenyan Community Bedford program (see previous post). She said it was an excellent trip! Along with a few other top elite athletes from Kenya,  they visited an elementary school, a high school and a university where they ran with the students.  They visited a hospital where Kenyan Community Bedford has been involved with raising money to support the children's ward, and they also did a run on Saturday with adults. The program was designed to  inspire both the British and Kenyan people in the communities.  The schedule was quite busy and there was not much time for training but Catherine said it was all a great experience!

Photo by Ken courtesy of Kenyan Community Bedford

Catherine is now back in Kenya again and continues to heal from the injury to her piriformis muscle which forced her to withdraw from the Boston Marathon back in April. At this time she is not in pain and has just begun to add speed work back into her training.  One of Catherine's many strengths is that she has always been able to listen to her body and progress as she sees fit. She's hoping to be fully healed soon so she can resume her racing! For now she is enjoying being back home with her family. Her daughter arrives home tomorrow for an extended weekend break from school and Catherine is very excited to spend time with her and celebrate Jane's belated 13th birthday!

Want to see footage from Catherine's visit to the UK and much more?  Please don't forget to check out the IndieGoGo campaign and our website and donate whatever you can to help us get this film finished; there is a lot of amazing footage and interviews waiting to be assembled!

WinCatherine on Rick's Running...

Rick's Running picked up the trailer today! His site is pretty cool; you can follow his journey to the 2010 London Marathon and his quest to run 2:45 here Rick's Running

Back in Kenya again!

Monday morning came quickly and it was time to go back to Kenya! I was very excited and had been looking forward to getting back since I left. I still didn’t feel 100% prepared but also knew that I had to just jump in and force myself to get it done! Once again we flew British Airways and this plane was even nicer than the previous! Business class has seats that recline into beds and it is a really nice way to travel! It is how Catherine travels which is good because it allows her to sleep as well as not have to sit in a cramped position. The flight was great and we even landed early. Waiting at the airport were two people: One was the driver for the place Jon and I were staying, Wasini Luxury Homes and the other was Willy, our sound technician for the length of our stay. Since Anthony and Jane would not be flying in until 6:30am on Tuesday, Catherine needed a ride home so I asked Willy if he would give her a ride. Technically I had contracted for him to begin today, the 27th but this way he would know how to get to her house since he will be our driver as well while we are here. So off he went with Catherine and we piled our bags into the van to Wasini. I should mention another great aspect of flying business class is that you are allowed to have 3 checked bags and two carry ons so we needed it with our equipment!

We arrived at our home for the next 5 weeks and it was great! Wasini Luxury Homes is operated very similar to a hotel but they are apartments. We have a two bedroom apartment with one large bathroom that has a Jacuzzi tub, living room/dining room area and a kitchen. It is also fully service which means we have someone come in and clean daily as well as replace our towels with fresh ones. I took the master bedroom and Jon the other (one of the perks of being the boss!). They are pretty similar but I think the master bed is a tad larger ;-). We settled in and got some sleep knowing we would have a long day on Tuesday.

London Calling.....

Gardens at Buckingham Palace


On Friday I had planned to film the sites around London. I worked in the morning making arrangements and planning our route and we headed out just after noon. We wanted to catch the afternoon light and hopefully film sunset over London from the London Eye. We took the tube to a station we thought was near Buckingham Palace but got off too soon so instead of getting back on we decided to walk. It was a gorgeous day again and a really nice walk. London was never a city that I cared whether or not I went to but I did like it. It is really very nice although extremely expensive! We filmed at Buckingham Palace (where the marathon will end),
Buckingham Palace
walked over to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Parliament.
London Phone booth, Big Ben & Parliament

The light was hitting Parliament and Big Ben in just the right way and we got some beautiful shots.

Parliament

Then we headed over to the London Eye and did the overview shots. Jon got some nice shots but we were a little early and didn’t exactly hit sunset (the line moved much more quickly than anticipated).

View of London from London Eye

The one thing that struck me was how after each “pod” emptied out they scanned the entire inside for bombs before loading up with passengers again. On one hand it is nice to know that they keep us safe and on the other hand a bit unsettling that they have to do that at all! Anyway…it was pretty and had been a long day of walking and shooting and we headed back. I wanted to stop at Piccadilly Circus just so I could see it so we did and I saw; I was not very impressed! We hopped on the tube from there and headed back to download all of the footage from the day. We were both exhausted and neither of us had enough energy to get out to dinner so I just ordered in my room and learned later that he had done the same! We needed to be ready for Saturday so we could film some of Catherine’s preparations for the race.

Back to Kenya

Well, the time has finally come to get on with the production side of things. I have my business plan and proposal ready and just need to work on a pitch to go out and find the money to make this film and do it justice! I am planning to go over to London for the London Marathon and interview some of the other elite athletes there, then follow Catherine back home to Kenya and film there for a month. (providing I can come up with the necessary funds quickly enough!)
I can't wait to get back! I really loved it there. I especially can't wait to get back to where her parents live, where I witnessed the most amazing sky ever! I plan on capturing that sky for the film so you will get to see it as well if you've never been there! I also hope to be able to spend a little more time with Catherine and her family!

I will post a link to the fundraising trailer so you can all view it. Of course, if you know anyone who would be interested and able to help out, please don't hesitate to send them my way ;-)

Catherine is in training for the London Marathon and I'm looking forward to seeing her again soon. There is a very strong field lined up for this event so it will be an exciting race!

Stay tuned for more details on the return trip.

Update: First Post of 2009

Happy New Year! (ok, so I’m a little late!)I realize it has been awhile since I last posted and I have been working behind the scenes to put together the fundraising trailer (check back to view this soon), business plan and proposal that will lead to raising the money needed to make this film! I am dedicated to making sure this happens because I really believe this story needs to be told! The more I learn about Kenya and Catherine's journey to get to where she is from where she came from, the more I am convinced of this. In a country where education for women was not a given right as it is here in the US, where opportunities for girls were nowhere near equal to those for boys and where athletics for girls was certainly not a priority, Catherine's perseverance in her goals is an inspiration. How lucky girls are here in the United States to have Title IX! I'm sure many people don't even know what Title IX is and like myself, just take it for granted that girls are entitled to the same opportunities as boys, even if that doesn't always happen. But it actually is the law!

I have always known that Billie Jean King has been a pioneer in making sure women and girls have equal opportunities in sports and prize money in professional sports. I've always been a huge tennis fan and used to play a lot of tennis so I was familiar with her efforts and her organization, The Women's Sports Foundation. But it wasn't until last year that I really learned the extent of how far the U.S. has come in assuring that girls have equal opportunity in education and sports when I became aware of Title IX.

Today I attended a press conference at City Hall in Philadelphia called V is for Victory. So is IX. First of all, I have lived in Philadelphia all my life and I don’t think I have ever been inside City Hall. The press conference was held in the Mayor’s Reception Room and it was a magnificent room! Everything about it, including the ceiling, was just beautiful. There were paintings of all the previous mayors and a gold-plated chandelier that I just researched and learned is 8’3” and weighs 1680 pounds!(ok you can read more about the room on your own here: http://www.ajaxelectric.com/cityhall/tour7.htm" Anyway, back to the press conference. It was to announce a "new national campaign aimed to educate students, parents, and administrators on Title IX, the federal law banning sex-discrimination in schools." The following is from the official press release: The Women's Sports Foundation and the Women's Law Project are working together to help students, parents, coaches, athletic directors, administrators and community leaders advocate for equal treatment in school and community sports programs. This project will focus on evaluating sports programs and in taking the necessary steps to achieve athletic equity.
Wow. I know I, for one, have always taken for granted that girls were to have the same opportunities as boys in sports. I always knew that the boys had more teams than the girls when I was younger, and I don't remember having all the intramural sports and township sports that my kids had in school, but I knew there were plenty of teams that girls could try out for. I always played tennis. I played on my high school team. I played little league. I had opportunities. Maybe it was because I grew up in the suburbs. Or, maybe it was because Title IX was passed in 1972 and I was only eleven years old and didn't even know that I was benefiting from it. Yes, I took it for granted. But as with all freedoms we enjoy, I now know that there was a reason I was able to benefit, that there were girls and women before me who fought for the rights I enjoyed. And still are. There are still schools where girls do not have the same opportunities as boys, or the same equipment, playing fields, practice time or coaching as the boys. And, federal law mandates this must be equal.
Some people may ask why it is so important to have sports in our schools. What is the big deal? It’s just games. But it is SO much more than that. It has been proven that athletics is more than just fun and games. There are lower rates of depression and suicide among girls who are involved in sports.It has been proven that being involved in athletics decreases the likelihood of smoking, drug use, obesity, drop outs and teen pregnancy. Being involved in athletics leads to greater self confidence, self esteem and body image. It helps in learning time management skills and setting goals. Athletics creates more opportunities for girls to attend college through sports scholarships. These are all important tools for academic and professional success and insuring that girls become valuable and productive members of society. Wow! I can only think of what Kenya could be with a Title IX!

Which brings me back to Catherine; these are all reasons why Catherine speaks to children in Kenya and encourages them to stay in school, pursue their education and why she wants all children to have the opportunity to pursue sports. At Q&A sessions at marathons around the world, she speaks to adults and children about the benefits of participating in sports. Because of the example Catherine has set for other young girls growing up in Kenya, there are more girls pursuing sports and even believing that they can earn a living through athletics. The young girls that you have read about in my blog and come here from Kenya to train in Norristown (outside of Philadelphia) cite Catherine as their role model and are thankful that she has paved the way for them to have careers in running.

At the press conference today, I listened to the various speakers talk about how Title IX has affected them or their children. I listened to Susan Slawson, Commissioner of Recreation for the City of Philadelphia talk about the city’s commitment to this campaign and to keeping girls active and healthy. She speaks from experience having been a teen mother and although she doesn’t regret having had a child, wonders if Title IX would have lead her down a different path. I listened to Carol Tracy, the Executive Director of the Women’s Law Project speak about the rights girls are entitled to and how there are still areas where there is non-compliance. It was inspiring to hear Carol Bower’s experience as a U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist in rowing and how sports affected her life. Because of Title IX, Christine Shimel was afforded the opportunity to play golf in high school and is the girls 2008 Pennsylvania High School State Golf Champion and has received a scholarship to attend the University of Maryland in the fall. And Lurline Jones, who for 27 years coached the inner city University City High girls basketball team, leading to an impressive 647-202 record and many championships, spoke about the number of her players who have gone on to become doctors and lawyers and have successful careers because their love for the game kept them in school, out of trouble and gave them the tools for success. It sounds like the education system in Kenya can learn a lot from examples such as these.

Pictured from left: Lurine Jones (Coaching Legend, University City High), Terri Lakowski(Women's Sports Foundation), Christine Shimel (Kennett H.S. Senior), Wilma McNabb (President, Professional Football Players Mother's Association, Executive Director, Donovan McNabb Foundation), Carol Tracy (Executive Director, Women's Law Project), Carol Bower (1984 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist, Rowing)

Probably the most recognizable name at the press conference was Wilma McNabb, mother of Philadelphia Eagles Donovan McNabb and a long time youth sports advocate. She understands the value of sports for children and wants to be sure that girls have the same opportunities as boys. Mrs. McNabb is also the Executive Director of the Donovan McNabb foundation which is dedicated to diabetes and she knows firsthand how important activity is in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Participation in athletics lays the groundwork for children to be active and why shouldn’t girls have the same opportunity as boys!

I now realize how lucky I am to have grown up with the benefits of Title IX. I think the goal of this campaign is great; reaching out to students, parents, coaches, athletic directors, administrators and community leaders to advocate for equal treatment in school and community sports programs. I can only imagine how much Kenya could benefit from having more women contributing to society outside of the home, with successful careers whether in sports or not, and earning an income. How wonderful to have girls involved in something that would reduce their risk of teen pregnancy, something that is quite common in Kenya.

Okay, I will step down from the soapbox now! I will say that it was a pleasure to meet everyone at the press conference yesterday, especially Wilma and Sam McNabb. They were both so nice and gracious and being that I’ve been a life-long Philadelphian and Eagles fan whose parents have had season tickets forever and who is the beneficiary of many of those tickets each year, it was really cool to meet them! I assured them I will be wearing my #5 jersey this weekend during the Super Bowl even though we didn’t quite make it!


Sam and Wilma McNabb

My website for the film is under construction and I will post it as soon as it is complete. I am hoping to get back to Kenya in late April following the London Marathon but of course this will all depend on the fundraising. Please feel free to contact me if you know of anyone who would be interested in helping with the funding of this project! :-)

In the meantime, you can find more information on the V is for Victory. So is IX. campaign at these two websites: www.vis4victory.org and www.vis4victory.org/girls

I hope one day WinCatherine: The Story of Wincatherine Nyambura Ndereba will inspire girls around the world, and in this country, make girls appreciate the opportunities that they have and how lucky they are!