All About Us
How and who started F.A.S.T.?
Well let’s start with who I am. My name is Antonia Thomas. This is my 5th year of teaching and my 4th year teaching Kindergarten at Wyncote Elementary School. I remember growing up and being passionate about running. Whether it was running to first base in tee ball or racing against my twin brother, I wanted to run. I started my first experience in a running club in kindergarten at my elementary school . I competed against other classmates, participated on the sprint relay team and traveled to other elementary schools for track meets. As I got older I ran track and participated in several other sports up until grad school. Experiencing the running program in elementary school was truly a memorable moment. It was a place to socialize, build endurance and self confidence, It even allowed me to expand my knowledge and positive views of fitness.
I truly love the dedication and support from not only my school, students and parents but from our runners and community. The entire group exudes encouragement, energy, involvement and engagement; making coaching and continuing my passion with students rewarding.
Three years ago, a parent of one of my students Fran Brodsky and I decided to create a running program for students in grades K-2 at Wyncote Elementary School. We felt the need to provide K- 2 students with an extracurricular activity after school. Both of us having running experiences allowed us to create a positive atmosphere for students with all types of backgrounds to run collectively while completing personal goals. And boy have we grown! We are currently on year 4 of coaching our running club with over 100 members.
The response has been so great that I decided to reach out to other schools and communities to spread the word about F.A.S.T. as I believe kids everywhere should have this opportunity. With that being said, F.A.S.T. was created and is continuing to grow with the community.
About US
F.A.S.T. offers students grades K-4 the opportunity to participate in fun and exciting short and long distance races right at their school! From sprints to relay races to the mile run, students will become more fit, build stamina and most importantly increase their self confidence.
Who: F.A.S.T. is open to kids in kindergarten through 4th grade. Our max per session is “50” students. We encourage parent volunteers (clearances needed - see forms section) and enthusiastic runners to join us also.
Where: F.A.S.T. participants will meet at the respective elementary school. All activities will take place directly after school, on the school’s grounds for 1 hour. All students will need their own transportation home after the club.
Mission & Vission
Our mission is to have students realize that exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle and should be incorporated into their lives on a daily basis. We strive to build lifelong athletes by getting youth involved in running — a sport that anyone can do, anytime, anywhere!