Olympian Anthony Lobello Visits Capital City Runners

January 2011

Tallahassee – After a short visit with family over the holidays and before flying back to Northern Michigan University for the spring semester, Tallahassee native Anthony Lobello visited Capital City Runners, a local specialty running store owned and operated by Kevin Sullivan and Nate Brannen.  Anthony visited the store after he heard that both Kevin and Nate were members of the Canadian Olympic Team and also because he needed to find a good pair of running sneakers for a marathon that he promised a friend he would run in after he finished the 2010-11 ISU short-track speed skating season in March. 

During Anthony’s Fit Process he learned that Kevin finished 4th in the 1500 at the 2006 Olympic Summer Games in Sidney, Australia and had moved to Tallahassee in 2007 when his wife, Karen Harvey (former Canadian national team 3000 m steeplechaser), accepted the women's cross-country and track and field coaching position at Florida State University. As Kevin explained to Anthony, Capital City Runners started with an idea after a lunch between his wife and the wife of co-owner Nate Brannen. They realized that they both had the same interest in owning a business and the need for a specialty running store in Tallahassee.    

During their conversation about the inception Capital City Runners and how Anthony was gearing up for his last Olympic run, Kevin put Anthony through their Fit Process, a free video gait analysis provided to all customers to correctly identify a running shoe that fits a person’s biomechanical needs. Ultimately, Kevin was able to recommend several running shoes for Anthony to select from.  The decision was tough but Kevin’s knowledge about each shoe made it easier for Anthony to select the right pair.  

In the end, camaraderie between Olympians cannot be measured.  As a token of good will from one Olympian to another, Kevin offered Anthony the running shoes and wished him good luck in his training for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.





Olympians Anthony Lobello and Kimberly Derrick are among USOEC athletes participating in Opening Ceremonies at the Winter Special Olympics at Northern Michigan University

January 16, 2011

MARQUETTE – Olympians Anthony Lobello and Kimberly Derrick were one of a handful of United States Olympic Education Center athletes to participate in the annual Upper Peninsula Winter Games for Special Olympic athletes.  Anthony and Kimberly joined hundreds of athletes at Northern Michigan University to help kick-off the opening ceremonies for Special Olympic athletes.

The games are named in honor of Rico N. Zenti, longtime department head of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at Northern Michigan University.

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.  It gives them the continuing opportunity to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families and other Special Olympic athletes and the community.

January 8, 2011

By JOHANNA BOYLE  Journal Ishpeming Bureau

MARQUETTE - Kids participating in the Bell Hospital Strength from Within Wellness Challenge got a chance have fun and exercise with two Olympians Thursday.

Olympic short track speed skaters Anthony Lobello and Kimberly Derrick hit the ice at the Berry Events Center at Northern Michigan University to hang out with west end middle school students who are working to improve their health through the Bell program.

"I think most importantly, we have used everything to build onto the next step. We used athletics to build into education and we used education to build onto other facets of our lives," Lobello said. "There's all kinds of things you can do as long as you stick to what you feel good about, what you're passionate about. If it's designing clothes or building rockets, it doesn't matter."

Lobello and Derrick spent some time talking with the middle schoolers before heading out onto the ice to skate and play some relay games.

"They came up with this idea of a skate with the Olympians night," said Josh Drew, wellness manager at Bell Hospital, of Lobello and Derrick.

The Strength from Within program is a school year-long challenge for middle school students in which participants set health goals, improve fitness and attend educational workshops for the chance to win a year of tuition at NMU.

"We thought this would be a good opportunity for the kids to relax," Drew said. "Attitude, perception - these things are so important."