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Brown hopes to run Down Under

Student to hold brat fry, bake sale

By Holly Neumann


Iola-Scandinavia High School junior Makenna Brown has an opportunity to spend part of her summer in Queensland, Australia, to participate in the 18th annual Down Under International Games.

“I found out about the Down Under program through my teammate, Erika Kisting, who participated last year in Australia,” said Brown, who competes in track and cross county for the Thunderbirds. “I was sent a letter by them asking if I would like to run there this year.”

The games are scheduled for July and will include competitions in football, cross country, golf, track, basketball and volleyball.

Down Under Sports’ goal is to provide athletes who excel in their sport the opportunity to experience the culture, beauty and grandeur of Australia through spirited and intense competition.

The program uses the common language of sports to bridge the continents and provide a forum for athletes from around the globe to compete head-to-head in the sport they love.

Brown is looking forward to the opportunity.

“I have put many extra hours in the gym training during the offseason,” she said. “It is good to finally see my hard work pay off.”

Brown will compete in the 200- and 400-meter dashes and the 400- and 1,600-meter relays.

“The thing I enjoy most about track is the atmosphere and the amount of dedication that many athletes put into the sport,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive of each other and their teammates.”

Brown has never traveled outside of the United States and looks at the opportunity as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“What I hope to take away from this trip is to meet many new people and learn from them,” she said. “Everyone has a different method of how they train for an event like this and I can really learn a lot from it.”

Brown is also excited to get to learn about Australian culture and how different the lifestyle is compared to her own.

“What I am looking forward to the most is getting to do activities that I would not get to normally do in the United States,” she said. “Going snorkeling and seeing the rain forest will be an experience that I have wanted to do for a long time and I am beyond excited to finally get the opportunity.”

Brown admitted being in the spotlight is not always easy.

“There is a lot of pressure to do well, but I am up for the challenge,” she said. “I know that there are a lot of people that are supporting me, from my community and family, and that is really comforting to me through this journey.”

Fundraising is a huge part of Brown’s trip as she needs to raise $4,500 to go.

She will hold a brat fry and bake sale from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at the corner of Division and John streets in Iola to raise funds.

Anyone wishing to show their monetary support of Brown can mail checks to Down Under Sports, P.O. Box 6010, North Logan, UT, 84341. Checks should be made out to Down Under Sports and include the name Makenna Brown in the memo.

Direct payments can also be made online by visiting DownUnderSports.com/payment/4EB3-6C0B-4DF7.
Brown is the daughter of Vicki and Steve Brown.

“I would just like thank everyone who has supported me to get this far into my running career,” she said. “I would not be anywhere close to where I am without the continuous support of my family, friends and coaches.”

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