Sprinter and Olympian, Tyson Gay, Speaks to Sylvan Middle School Students about Healthy Living

On Wednesday morning, September 12th, United States Olympian Tyson Gay visited in Southwest Atlanta to talk to students about under-aged drinking and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

With his Silver Medal in hand from the 2012 Olympics, Tyson encouraged students to fight against peer pressure, and to not follow people that are "so-called cool."  Tyson shared personal stories and memories of his times in middle school when he saw his friends begin drinking, and the sadness he has now for those old friends because they were never able to reach their potential.  Some were great football players and track stars, but they veered off and went down the wrong path.

"You guys are the future superstars," Tyson told the students, "make the right decisions."

Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix is a program developed by The Century Council alongside a team of educators and psychologists specializing in middle school-aged students to educate parents and kids about the dangers of underage drinking.

The Century Council created an interactive, physical fitness game that builds on the existing Ask, Listen, Learn program.  The game teaches kids about the health consequences of underage drinking and encourages kids to “say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking.” 

Ask, Listen, Learn’s website, www.asklistenlearn.com, gives kids the opportunity to join the Ask, Listen, Learn Team by pledging to make healthy choices.  The website features “Superstars” such as Tyson Gay, Bryan Clay, Rebecca Soni, Steven Lopez, and Mallory Weggemann who send positive messages to kids about staying fit and healthy and explains why these elite athletes say “no” to underage drinking.