What do a 315-pound professional football player and a Miss America runner-up have in common? For one, a love of dairy. And on March 22, the pair took to Oklahoma City’s Southern Hills Elementary School to share that love with students and faculty as emcees of the Checkoff-sponsored Breakfast Games. The Olympics-style event focused on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.
Dallas Cowboys center Travis Frederick and former Miss Oklahoma (and runner-up to Miss America) Betty Thompson both have strong, but very different, ties to dairy and used their experiences to inspire the crowd. Thompson grew up working with dairy cattle in Chandler, Okla., while Frederick grew up in a family that consumed a lot of dairy. 14 gallons of milk per week, to be exact — something he credits to his overall health, strength and athletic success.
After their powerful speeches, students competed for gold, silver and bronze in a fast-paced obstacle course. The event capped off National Nutrition Month and put the spotlight on the most important meal of the day (and all of the ways dairy can fit in).
And that’s worth its weight in gold.
