Under the Empowering Women and Girls through Sports Initiative, ECA teamed up with U.S. Embassy Bogota to develop a fast-paced track and field program for Colombian girls. On May 29, twelve teenage girls and two coaches hit the ground running to start a ten day exchange aimed to increase the number of Colombian female participation in athletics.
Their journey began in Washington, D.C. where the visitors visited the State Department, toured the capital’s monuments, and made quick friends with their American peers during running clinics and Spanish class at a local school. The second leg of their trip in Oregon, they had an opportunity to attend the NCAA T&F Championship finals as well as take part in activities including a volunteer nature project to a gym session at the University of Oregon. The visitors expressed that one of their favorite activities was an afternoon of adaptive sports at Mobility International. They confirmed their plans to increase the amount of sports opportunities, clubs, and activities for everyone—regardless of gender or disability—upon their return home.