Former University of Missouri Footballer Organizes Youth Camp at Kansas City Public Library, Advocates Health Education through Animal-Inspired Exercises

Former MU Football Player Hosts Youth Camp at Kansas City Public Library

Tony Temple Inspires Youth with Unique Physical Activities and Healthy Living Education

It was a day packed with energy, inspiration, and education at the North-East branch of the Kansas City Public Library, as Tony Temple’s Temple Made Fitness Summer Camp had its opening day on June 12, 2024. Temple, a former football player for the University of Missouri, started the camp with the goal of empowering young people through activities targeted towards mindful movement, food education, and life planning.

The Unique Approach of the Camp

The camp’s distinctive feature is its use of animal-inspired exercises to encourage and promote physical activity amongst its young participants. Dee Moore, the Director of Marketing, mentioned, “We lead a variety of physical activities based on animal movements, such as crawling like a bear or stretching like a giraffe.”

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

“Six zones in the Greater Kansas City area face an early death risk due to lifestyle choices,” Temple said, emphasizing the importance of adopting healthy habits at a young age to avert the risk of chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and mental health disorders in the future.

Educational Resources Provided to Participants

Each participant was gifted a copy of Tony’s Animal Movements Wellness workbook. The workbook, available in both Spanish and English, provided a mix of mindfulness exercise movements, animal food inspiration, fun snacks, and mindful journal prompts giving the children a comprehensive guide to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The Third Annual Temple Made Fitness Day

The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium will be buzzing with excitement as it hosts the third annual Temple Made Fitness Day on July 16, from 9 to 11 a.m. Over thirty vendors dedicated to promoting children’s health and wellness have plans to set up their stalls. The event, which is expected to attract approximately 1,200 children, will see the participation of Mayor Quinton Lucas and representatives from the Chiefs and Royals organizations.

Future Events

The Temple Made Fitness Summer Camp promises more action-packed, enlightening sessions, scheduled for June 26 and July 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Temple’s efforts to foster a generation of informed, active, and healthy individuals are laudable. The hope resonating from these initiatives is that the seeds sown today, nurtured with care, learning, and physical activity, will bloom into the adults of tomorrow leading healthier, happier, and more productive lives.