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Former U.S. Olympian weightlifter Kendrick Farris will combine two of his favorite things when he makes summer tour to local Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation parks.
Plant-based nutrition and fitness.
Farris will educate local youth in both areas as part of his FEED initiative (Fueling Every Eater’s Development).
FEED is designed to support the roll out of Louisiana’s Healthy Kids Act, a lifestyle choices pilot program which in part involves children making healthier food choices. legislation includes guidelines to improve school lunch nutrition by removing ultra-processed foods and foods with certain dyes and additives.
“I believe this initiative promoting movement, nutrition literacy and plant-forward eating to underserved youth can uplift students, schools, and families while making Shreveport a model for health equity,” Farris said. “As a three-time Olympian, husband, and father of four, I have seen firsthand how access to food, movement, and education shapes long-term outcomes.”
Farris, a Shreveport native and LSU Shreveport alumnus, said his visits will center around games involving healthy foods and topics.
“Take a relay race for example – teams will run to a snack station, pick the healthiest snack based on ingredients listed and its nutritional value, put it in their bucket and run back to tag their teammate,” Farris said. “It’s a race, so they’ll have to think quickly on their feet.
“But we’re bridging those healthy topics in a fun and competitive way. It’s a unique opportunity for kids to push through a barrier using sport in a supportive environment.”
Farris’ first appearance will be Friday at Valencia Park (1 p.m.). He’ll make these FEED Friday appearances most weeks throughout the summer, visiting Airport Park on June 26 (1 p.m.), Southern Hills (10 a.m.) and Billy Cockrell (1 p.m.) on July 10, Hattie Perry on July 17 (1 p.m.), A.B. Palmer on July 24 (1 p.m.) and David Raines (10 a.m.) and Lakeside (1 p.m.) on July 31.
Farris said he’s designed a fast-paced slate of activities meant to keep children engaged.
“I try everything out on my own kids first, from the games to the chants to the snacks,” Farris said. “Instead of playing the (basketball game) ‘Horse’, we play ‘Tofu,’ – anything to expose kids to food or topics that they haven’t heard of before.
“My kids love these certain fig bars, and those will definitely be part of the snack bucket.”
Farris, whose diet has been fully plant-based for more than a decade, advocates for more access to and education about plant-rich meals.
He made the diet change after his second Olympics appearance at the 2012 London games, fueling his third and final appearance at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Farris is the only American male to break two U.S. records in two different weight classes en route to three top-11 Olympic finishes in his weight class. He also captured two Pan American championships.
“I help young people understand how to fuel their bodies with accessible foods like lentils, beans, hummus, fruits, vegetables and other plant-rich meals that support both performance and long-term health,” Farris said.