Fargo, ND (WDAY TV) — People in the F-M area turned off their engines, and fueled their bodies with a workout. The Streets Alive event encourages anyone and everyone to ditch their vehicles and pick up their sneakers.
The streets are alive once again for the annual event, but this year it’s a little different. People aren’t only flying through the streets, but through the air.
Shawn Francis – Pole Vaulter, Team Nodak: “I think it’s great. A bunch of little kids are high-fiving us left and right, so it’s just fun.”
Shawn Francis and other members of Team Nodak and The NDSU Pole Vaulting team took the place of all motorized vehicles in front of the HODO. They’ve been trying to show off their high flying skills each year, but this was the first time their plan worked.
Shawn Francis: “I think the more active we can get people and the more they enjoy it and have fun doing it, it’s just going to help with everything, not just childhood obesity.”
Streets alive encourages people to get active in any way possible, and help them realize they can leave their cars behind more often. Francis hopes with the skills they showed off today, future mini vaulters will get interested to run, vault and fly.
Shawn Francis: “I just think if you can be a good role model for a bunch of kids, and if it takes flying through the air a little bit to get that message across I think why not?”
Rick and Agnes Vernon couldn’t keep their eyes off the amazing athletes flying high through the air. 3 of the guys today were clearing 18 feet, that’s good enough to get you into the Olympic trials. They like most of the other bikers, walkers, and skaters made a stop at the street vault.
Rick Vernon – Fargo: “I think it’s a great deal to see the people so this activity out here on the street, it’s not something I’d expect to see.”
Agnes Vernon – Fargo: “I love it, I got to tell you though the pole vaulting is way better then any of the other events I’ve seen in the past it’s so unusual, I would have never expected something like this.
Francis and all other team members hope to show off their daring talent at every streets alive event, so while people are getting fit and active, they can also be inspired to go the extra mile.
by: Danielle Miller
from: http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/66352/group/homepage/
