USOC launches pilot program to connect Team USA with job shadow opportunities in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic Committee’s Athlete Career and Education division launched a job shadow pilot program today by connecting Team USA athletes with local employers in Colorado Springs – Olympic City USA. The pilot is scheduled to run through the first week of October and will feature seven Team USA athletes participating in interactive learning experiences with four local employers.

Participating Team USA athletes and organizations include:

• Tammy Delano, 2016 Paralympian (Para shooting) – Colorado Springs Police Department
• Taylor Farmer, Paralympic hopeful (Para shooting) – Colorado Springs Police Department
• Jimmy Moody, world champion (fencing) – Colorado Springs Police Department
• Charles Platt, Olympic hopeful (shooting) – Colorado Springs Police Department
• Mohamed Lahna, 2016 bronze medalist (Paratriathlon) – USA Weightlifting
• Mindy Miles, Olympic hopeful (shooting) – Visit Colorado Springs
• Mirai Nagasu, two-time Olympian and 2018 Olympic bronze medalist (figure skating) – KOAA  

“We are thrilled to launch the job shadow pilot program and grateful for the support from the participating organizations here in Colorado Springs – Olympic City USA,” said Leslie Klein, USOC director of ACE. “The program features a variety of opportunities for Team USA athletes to learn and expand their skill set as they explore professional avenues, both in and outside of sport. The experience and traits that make athletes successful on the field of play also transfer well to the workplace, and this pilot is a fantastic opportunity to highlight that transition.”

As part of the USOC’s ongoing commitment to support holistic athlete development, ACE aims to provide current and retired Team USA athletes with career, education and life skills resources to support athletic performance goals and facilitate their successful transition to careers post-competition. Through ACE, the USOC has provided more than 1,500 U.S. athletes with career and education services across 91 percent of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Through the pilot program, ACE aims to enhance long-term positive engagement within Colorado Springs, which is home to nearly half of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic family’s 50 National Governing Bodies.

Formerly known as the Athlete Career Program, the USOC expanded the program in 2014 to emphasize education under the new name, ACE. The program – which is supported by the USOC’s Official Career Management Services Sponsor, The Adecco Group, and the USOC’s Official Education Provider, DeVry University – delivers high quality, comprehensive career, education and life skills resources to help promote athlete performance, and personal and professional development. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org/ACE.