SPIRE Academy, a premier sports training facility and boarding school is proud of its Elite Athlete Training Program, aimed at providing high-level track and field athletes who have completed their college eligibility, with the resources and support needed to train and qualify for the Olympics and other major competitions.

Under the shared guidance of SPIRE’s Olympian coaching staff, SPIRE is fostering the development of athletes aspiring to make a mark both on the national and international scene. The program targets athletes determined to qualify for various high-level competitions including the USA Track and Field Olympic Trials where they may secure a spot on the Olympic Team. In a recent interview, coach Tim Mack told us SPIRE Academy “is the best place in the country for a post collegiate track and field athlete to train.”

The Elite Athlete Training Program offers post-collegiate and Olympic athletes the opportunity to train at SPIRE where they will have access to the school’s top-notch facilities, world class recovery equipment, onsite mental and athletic training staff, weight room and track. If the athlete ranks in the top 50 worldwide, they are eligible to live on campus for an additional fee (which includes 10 meals per week).

This program also allows athletes to work part-time at SPIRE, getting paid while pursuing their competitive dreams, whether that’s the Olympics or other national and international competitions. This is also an important opportunity as it allows these athletes to fund their training while building both work-related and athletic skills, which can serve them well in the future whether they continue competing or if they become coaches themselves. Work opportunities can range anywhere from Facilities Maintenance to working at the numerous camps and campus wide events that SPIRE offers throughout the year.

Notable athletes currently enrolled in the program, while living and working on campus include Matt Ludwig and Branson Ellis. Ludwig, a 2020 Olympian and 2017 NCAA National Champion, is currently ranked 7th in the USA, while Ellis, the 2021 NCAA Pole Vault Champion, holds the 13th spot. Both athletes are set to compete in the 2024 Olympic Trials this summer.

Ludwig recently shared, “The elite training program at SPIRE provides all the resources, facilities, and staff to efficiently maximize high-level performance in our sports. Led by proven, world-class coaches, training in the highest level Olympic Facilities, growth becomes less of an option and more of an expectation.” Meanwhile, Ellis told us, “Being a part of the Elite Program here at SPIRE is great because you have everything you need to succeed in one place. The facility is the nicest I’ve ever trained at, the food for the meal plan is amazing, everything you need for recovery and training is always available, and housing is not far from the facility.”

Other elite athletes include Dutch hammer thrower Denzel Comenentia (currently under coach Kibwé Johnson’s guidance) and pole vaulter Ricky Van Boxel (under coach Tim Mack’s guidance). Comenentia had this to say about his time in the program, “My experience has been great so far. In my first year, I improved my personal best and competed at the 2023 World Championships. I think it was very significant because I haven’t thrown a personal best since 2019, but because of my coach Kibwé Johnson and the Elite Athlete Training Program, I was able to become an even better athlete.”

Some athletes that enroll in the program choose to bring their own coaching staff, like Olympian Damian Wariner, a Canadian decathlete preparing for the upcoming Olympic games in Paris. They come to SPIRE to utilize the cutting edge facilities and top of the line equipment, echoing the previous statements of the other elite athletes.

SPIRE Academy envisions the Elite Athlete Training Program as a hotspot for high-level track and field athletes, creating a community where athletes can train, work and live while contributing to developing aspiring talents. The program aims to bring exposure to the academy by showcasing its high level facilities and attracting more athletes to benefit from the world-class training environment.