Meb Keflezighi’s 5 Tips for Young Athletes

This article is sponsored by Citi.

Meb Keflezighi knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity. A fractured pelvis almost ended his successful running career in 2008. That didn’t stop Meb, now 37, from winning the New York Marathon the following year. He qualified for the London 2012 Olympic Games after winning the U.S. Olympic Marathon trials earlier this year.

Through plenty of hard work and the following fitness tips, Meb, a San Diego resident, regained his spot as one of the world’s best distance runners. So whether you want to get in better shape or to take your athletic abilities to the next level, the following advice is from the man dubbed “Marathon Meb” after his 2004 Olympics silver medal win:

Set Goals – What do you want to accomplish? Don’t set goals that are unreachable. You can always go back and set new goals for yourself. 

Be More Focused – This can apply to many parts of athletics and life. Be in good company, Meb says. Good friends will keep you active and motivated. 

Education is the Key to Life – Very similar to “be more focused,” but if you aren’t studying, you won’t do well in school. If you don’t do well in school, you won’t be able to compete in athletics.

Have Fun – If you have more fun, you’ll be able to do more and life will be more interesting, Meb says.

Be an Outdoor Person – You won’t get fit sitting in front of the computer. You won’t progress in your job by watching TV.

Meb knows the importance of being mentally prepared to compete, which is why he’s partnering with Citi to support the United States Olympic Committee Sport Performance Fellowship in sports psychology. Meb is one of 13 athletes whom Citi is sponsoring in its Every Step of the WaySM program. This innovative digital program benefits U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls and athletes of all ages in communities across America by allowing fans to help allocate Citi’s ThankYou® Points to Sport Programs through activity on Facebook and Twitter, thereby giving Team Citi athletes the chance to say "thank you" to the Sport Programs that have inspired them. 

Meb’s selected program is the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Sport Performance Fellowship. With the help of the Sport Performance staff, Meb was able to overcome the 2008 hip injury that could have easily sidelined him permanently. By supporting Meb, you’ll be helping the USOC fund the Citi Sport Performance Fellowship in sport psychology. This fellowship will help future Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls get ready for competition by utilizing the most advanced technology in biofeedback, neural training and mental preparation.

Citi, a proud sponsor of Team USA, has launched its Every Step of the Way program with a $500,000 donation to the USOC, represented by 50 million ThankYou® Points - the currency of Citi ThankYou Rewards. The unique Every Step of the Way program allows fans to help allocate these ThankYou Points to Sport Programs through activity on Facebook and Twitter.

The more fans participate through Facebook and Twitter, the more ThankYou Points they can direct to their Sport Program of choice, until its goal is reached. At the end of the program, the USOC will use Citi's donation to give the cash equivalent of the ThankYou Points directly to the Sport Program matched with the Team Citi athlete.

Support Meb and USOC Sport Performance Fellowship through the Every Step of the Way Application on Facebook. Follow Meb on Twitter.