The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) is looking to cut the funding of the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center (OTC), a premier facility helping Olympic and Paralympic athletes achieve their dreams. Chula Vista houses, trains, and financially supports many Olympic and Paralympic athletes from around the country. The center is especially important to paralympians like myself who use a wheelchair or other equipment in their training. Chula Vista is the only Olympic training center in the country where we can train all year long without the weather interfering. If the Chula Vista OTC training center loses it’s funding many of the athletes there will have no where to go. Every four years you cheer us on to victory. Today I need you to do the same with your signature. Please join the Olympic and Paralympic community in asking the USOC to keep the training center open and our dreams alive.

The Chula Vista Olympic Training Center opened in June 1995 in Southern California. The warmer weather year around makes the location an ideal place for elite athletes to train. Athletes train for their respective sport with access to the best coaching, state of the art facilities, and top of the line sports medicine and nutrition. All of the hard work and investment at the Chula Vista OTC is to earn a spot on the U.S. Olympic/Paralympic team and bring home the gold for our country.

When I was accepted to train at the center, I knew I’d be able to reach my full potential and be in the company of some of the world’s greatest athletes and trainers. The facility has given me and so many athletes a rare opportunity to do what we love. Starting this petition is a way for us to give back and make sure the opportunity doesn’t end with us.

Today discussions are in progress to discontinue funding for the Chula Vista training center. The USOC has engaged the city of Chula Vista as a potential third party owner which would result in a change in status from training center to a training site or a community training facility. This would mean an end to the critical funding that allows many of us to train full time, a loss of high quality staff, and reductions in key resources such as facilities, housing and food. Costs to the athletes would rise exponentially and ultimately result in the loss of current and future elite athletes. With the loss of those athletes, would also be the loss of future Olympic glory.

Instead, let us unite to get the USOC to maintain funding. Together we can keep these teams together, allow them to continue their focused training, maintain the amazing camaraderie amongst athletes and staff, and keep winning medals for Team USA at all future Olympic and Paralympic Games. Please show your support by signing and sharing this petition. Be the team behind Team USA. Tell the USOC to keep the Chula Vista OTC the way it has been since 1995.