AIA Track Athlete Thrilled to Compete with Elite in Belgium this Summer

A senior at the University of Mississippi had the experience of a lifetime while competing on an Athletes in Action track team in Europe this summer.

Matt Daniels was invited to run in a “USA vs. the world” 4X400 meter relay in a meet in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium along with three other USA elite athletes. The meet managers of the KBC “Night of Athletics” Meet invited Daniels to run in the race against top teams

from Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.

“It was a great feeling to compete with some of the best athletes in America against some of the best athletes in the world,” Daniels says. “Our coach, Mike Crowhurst, helped me see how the AIA principles could help me maximize my ability physically, mentally, and spiritually to compete at the world-class level.”

Daniels and his teammates, including LaRon Bennett and Donald Sanford, ran 3:02:95 to finish second to the Belgian “A” team. On the way Daniels ran a personal best 400 meter split of 46.03. “It was really great to represent our country, and then to find that most of my teammates were Christian athletes gave us the opportunity to lift up the Lord as well,” Daniels says.

Following the meet, the team returned to their home base in Leuven and went out for a late dinner. While at the restaurant, Daniel’s race came on television and patrons of the restaurant realized that he was the runner on TV. “I not only got to represent the USA for the first time, but I also go to see myself run in a televised meet, and that made for a really cool day,” Daniels added.

The 12-member AIA track & field team competed in five meets during three weeks in Belgium this summer.

Top photo:  Matt Daniels in 400 meter at Memorial Léon Buyle meet in Oordegem

Bottom photo:  AIA European track & field team

By Dr. Mike Crowhurst, affiliate staff coach, AIA track & field, Somerset, KY

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