The Washington Commanders may not have reached the National Football League playoffs this year, but they are Special Olympics superstars in our book.

On Friday, December 16, 2022, just two days before playing the New York Giants in a crucial NFC East Division showdown, the Commanders were kind enough to invite five Special Olympics Virginia athletes who write a quarterly fitness and nutrition newsletter to their training facility in Ashburn, Virginia. 

The trip was organized by offensive tackle Charles Leno, Jr., and his wife, Jennifer, who together created a non-profit organization called Beyond the Entertainer to give back to their community. Special Olympics Virginia is one of many groups to benefit from their endeavor, but the first to be treated to such a hands-on experience! 

Not only did we get to watch some football practice, tour the facility, eat lunch with athletes and staff members, and meet star players – we also sat down one-on-one with the Lenos and several coaches, trainers and nutritionists for interviews. What we learned about getting and staying in shape helps all Special Olympics athletes – not just those who are Commanders fans!

Anyone Can Be Strong

An Interview with Kavan Latham

By Nick Zweerink

Kavan Latham is the assistant strength and conditioning coach of the Washington Commanders. That means he’s responsible for keeping the players in shape, both during the football season and in the offseason. 

We Want to Stay Super-Mobile

An Interview with Lindsay Gately

By Jamie Spiering

Before meeting Lindsay, Jamie thought that when a player got injured, they just magically got back up and went to the locker room. He discovers that there is a lot more than magic in training rooms that helps players stay their best.

Athleticism, Vision and Toughness

An Interview with Jennifer King

By Kyler Reese

Jennifer King, the Washington Commanders’ assistant running backs coach, is the NFL’s first African American woman to serve as an assistant position coach. She played women’s tackle football and coached at the college and professional levels before coming to the team two years ago. 

It's All About

Performing Well

An Interview with Jake Sankal

By Emily Bower

Jake Sankal, assistant strength and conditioning coach and team nutritionist, sat down with Emily to explain how players manage to stay fit and healthy while consuming large amounts of calories. They even made a protein-packed Hulk Smoothie together!

From the Readers

"Thanks, Alex, for spotlighting coach Leggett! It shows that we all have different

reasons for getting involved, but the spirit of athletes is what keeps us participating

in this great organization."

-Cynthia Clark

Purcellville, VA

Is there a story you like from the Newsletter? Do you want the editorial team to cover a specific topic? Write to us! Top comments will be included in the next Fitness Newsletter!

Thank you to the Washington Commanders organization for the fantastic experience. We loved the day and writing about it. Readers, we hope you enjoyed this special edition of the newsletter and we look forward to the next one!

Happy reading!

Alex, Emily, Jamie, Kyler and Nick