By Sarah Conklin

On Rule 40 Blackout Eve

The Rule 40 Blackout starts tomorrow, which means any public “claiming” of an athlete who is bound for high level competition in the southern hemisphere* is off limits for unofficial sponsors of that real big worldwide sports event.*

*intentionally vague to comply with non-sponsor regulations

We’d like to give our athletes – both Picky Team and Feed the Dream’ers – a fair send off before our vocal cords are tied. If you feel compelled to share some love for them during the events, that’d be super rad. We’re silently, not publicly, cheering for them right along with you.

So to our brazil-bound athletes, we salute you. We’re super proud, honored, and stoked to have had a spot in your corner during the journey that got you here, and can’t wait to root you on during one of (but likely not the last) biggest moments of your athletic career. See you on the other side of the blackout!

ATHLETICS

Jeremy Taiwo – Decathlon

Shadrack Kipchirchir – 10k

Paul Chelimo – 5k

Molly Huddle – 10k & 5k

Maria Michta-Coffey – 20k Race Walk

VOLLEYBALL

David Smith

TRIATHLON

Ben Kanute

Allysa Seely – Paratriathlon

SWIMMING

Anthony Ervin – 50 Free, 100 Free relay

David Plummer – 100 Backstroke

Elizabeth Beisel – 400 IM

Maya DiRado – 200 & 400 IM, 400 Free

Mel Margalis – 200 IM, 200 Free relay

Haley Anderson – 10k Open Water