APRIL 17, 2024 — As spectators around the world get ready for the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, one Army program prepares Soldier athletes to compete in the games.
The Army’s World Class Athlete Program, or WCAP, allows top-ranked elite Soldier athletes to perform at the international level while serving in the military.
Since 1948, 446 Soldiers have represented the United States at the Olympics, earning 111 medals in a variety of sports.
WCAP sports include boxing, wrestling, track and field, modern pentathlon, archery, shooting, taekwondo, winter sports and rugby. Its Paralympic sports include archery, shooting and swimming.
The Soldier Athletes
WCAP Soldiers come from the active duty, reserve and National Guard components and are selected for their ability to perform at the highest level of their sports, said Willie Wilson, WCAP program director.
Many of the Soldiers had a strong showing in college in their respective sports, earned scholarships, and wanted to give back to the U.S. so they joined the Army.
“I wanted to learn a skill, serve this country and continue running,” said Staff Sgt. Leonard Korir, a track and field athlete from Kenya. “God made me motivated to be a Soldier.”
Korir earned a college scholarship to Iona University, New York. He is a two-time NCAA champion, winning the men’s indoor 5,000-meter title and outdoor 10,000-meter title in 2011. He took third in the 2014 Boston half marathon, won the 2015 New York half marathon. After becoming a U.S. citizen, he placed in the top three in the Olympic trials in 2016. He finished third in the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, potentially earning him a spot on the Paris team.
Sgt. Colett Rampf, a track and field competitor from Germany, agreed with Korir on the importance of WCAP.
“It’s important to have opportunities like these to help advance your career both as a Soldier and as an elite athlete,” she said. “My goal is to make it to the Olympic trials and then to make it to the Olympics. I want to represent the Army the best way I can. It would mean a lot to me.”
Rampf grew up in Germany and also became a U.S. citizen. She earned a scholarship at Saint Leo University, Florida and took NCAA All-American seven times. She took third in the women’s Army Ten-Miler division.
Sgt. Lisa Greer, from Chicago, earned first place in the USA Boxing Olympic Trials in Lafayette, Louisiana, last year.
“This program helps Soldiers accomplish their dreams and goals in the sport they choose,” she said. “It’s a platform to help showcase the programs we have available.”
She went to a local gym, found a coach and began training. She qualified at a national Golden Gloves tournament and applied. Since then, she took first in the USA Boxing Women’s Championships tournament and second place in the Colorado State Golden Gloves Championships.
“I always wanted to join the Army,” she said. “My mom didn’t want me to join. I left my jobs and went straight to a recruiting station. I signed the contract right then and there, and then I went home and told everybody. They were a little upset at first but then they got over it.
“It’s an honor to represent the Army and the U.S. as a team,” she said with a smile. “I get to represent my brothers and sisters in arms. It’s bigger than me.”
Next Generation, Soldiers for Life
The Soldier athletes visit high schools throughout the country to promote the WCAP and Army.
“I get to show the students that there’s a positive way out, that there’s more than one aspect of life,” said Greer. “The Army will lead you on the right path. Research what the Army provides you with educational needs. You are more than your environment. The military guided me in the right direction. If you’re looking for a way out, the Army is definitely here to help you with that. I’m a Soldier for life, especially after the 2028 Olympics.”
Staff Sgt. Samuel Kosgei, track and field coach, qualified for the Olympic trials in 2020 and used to run professionally. A combat medic since 2017, he said he joined the Army for stability.
“I have a family, and I wanted to get my master’s degree, which I did through the Army,” he said. “I am so honored to be part of WCAP and to serve in the Army. In my life, this was the best decision I’ve ever made, to join the Army.”
Kosgei won the 2014 and 2016 Marine Corps Marathons. He hopes to serve in the Army until retirement. His sister serves as a nurse in the Army.
Support Team
Many of the athletes served in the Army in their respective career fields, earned national titles, applied for the program and then transferred into the program. Once they no longer compete, they can become coaches and mentors or go back into their career field.
“We’ve also had a number of them go on to become leaders in various national governing bodies,” said Wilson. “The previous CEO of USA Bobsled was part of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program. The Soldiers who participate in this program do a very good job of representing and promoting the Army.”
Just like it takes a team to make an Army mission happen, a Soldier athlete needs a high-performance team to make the Olympics a reality. The World Class Athlete Program high performance team consists of experts in strength and conditioning, athletic training, nutrition and massage therapy.
The team works closely with the athletes to provide medical care and support to ensure the athletes stay healthy and injury-free, design customized training programs to optimize a Soldier’s strength and endurance, develop customized nutrition plans and provide massage therapy to prevent injuries and aid in recovery.
“At this high of a level in sport, the slightest edge can be the difference between winning and losing, so I try to leverage that in my education to them,” said Maj. Kelly Kaim, performance dietitian. “Each individual needs to be treated differently to maximize their success.”
She said some examples are going over a scan with coaches to recommend the athlete to compete at a different weight class for health purposes, sitting down with an athlete to discuss timing of their nutrition to put on muscle mass to give them the edge in their weight class, helping them figure out how to best fuel for a marathon or drawing performance labs to identify a vitamin deficiency that needs to be addressed such as iron to keep them at their top performance.
“It’s vital to be embedded into not only the WCAP program but with the teams and to travel with them,” said Lt. Col. Jason Barber, physician assistant and chief training officer. “It’s important they have people there with them who know them, who care for them every day, train them and are in the fight with them. That concept gives us the edge over our competition.”
WCAP is like a family, Wilson said. He said the medical staff helps the athletes become better boxers, wrestlers, runners and more.
“It’s a close-knit family,” he said. “They’re rooting for each other, helping each other get better, supporting each other as they go through this journey toward their Olympic dreams.”
By Shannon Collins