Athlete Bios
Meet two members of the extended HERSHEY'S family who are part of TEAM USA™ and will have a chance to "Go for the Gold" at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games this August.
Name: Donny Robinson
Birth date: 6/17/1983
Resides: Napa, CA
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Nickname: d.R.
Passions: Mountain biking, motocross, singing, dancing, tennis
Personality: Known for
his personable, down-to-
earth qualities and wholesome
demeanor
Favorite Candy: HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bar
Website: http://www.go211.com/u/DonnyRobinson
Meet Donny Robinson, BMX Biker
At the young age of 6, a friend took Donny to a local BMX track in Napa, CA for the first time. Today, after nearly 20 years of competing, he is still addicted to BMX more than ever. Through sheer determination, Donny has emerged as the #1 BMX rider in the world since turning pro in 2002. Donny took the sport by storm after winning over 20 races during the 2006 season. His wins include the 2007 BMX Olympic Test Event/UCI Supercross World Cup, US National Champion, 2006 National Bicycle League #1 Pro, 2006 American Bicycle Association National #1 Pro Cruiser, 2006 Overall UCI BMX Supercross Series Champion, just to name a few.
At 24 years of age, he continuously impresses his competitors, fans and industry insiders with his inherent talent, muscle-power, stamina and strength – thanks to using choreographed dance and gymnastics to cross train. And in a sport where most riders tower over 6 feet, Donny dominates despite his 5'5" stature. It's that underdog quality that furthers his motivation to prove his critics wrong, giving him the resolve to dominate the game and win! With BMX racing being newly added to the Olympic Games competition schedule this year, "d.R." has his mind set on winning a Gold Medal. Be sure to watch Donny as he tries to bridge the gap between traditional Olympic-style cycling and BMX-style!
Name: Sonya Richards
Birth date: 2/26/1985
Resides: Austin, TX
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 136 lbs.
Passions: Track and Field, Singing and Dancing
Personality: Known for being "poised, personable and oh-so fast"
Favorite Candy: HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
Website: www.sanyarichards.net
Sanya Richards, Olympic Gold Medalist and All Time US 400m Record Holder
Sanya Richards is a 2004 Olympic 4x400m Gold Medalist and one of the world's fastest women. She will represent the United States in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and hopes to take home Gold Medals in the 400m, 4x100m relay and the 4x400m relay.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Sanya arrived in the US at the age of 12 and became a US citizen in May 2002. Throughout high school, she enjoyed success both academically and athletically - graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Known for her poise and sense of style both on and off the track, Sanya has been called the "Glamorous queen of the track." She also spends a great deal of time working with adolescents in at-risk situations and with the USA Track and Field "Be a Champion" program, for which she was honored in 2005 with the VISA® Humanitarian Athlete of the Year award. Following in the footsteps of Olympic greats such as Carl Lewis, Bruce Jenner and Michael Johnson, Sanya's desire to pass the torch of physical fitness to adolescents also lead her to become involved with HERSHEY'S Track and Field Games, the nation's largest youth sports program of its kind.
In a stretch from 2005-2007, Sanya won 18 consecutive 400m races! In the 2007 World Championships, Sanya won a Gold Medal in the 4x400m relay. She ran the fastest 400m time in the world the same year at 49.27 and finished the season ranked No. 1 by the IAAF World rankings in the 400m.
As the youngest woman ever to break 49-seconds at 400 meters, Sanya will certainly be the "one" to watch during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games as she reaches for more Gold Medals!
