Heroes Meet Heroes 2015 at the New York Athletic Club

A heartfelt thank you to all our members – veterans, military personnel and their families – and the world-class athletes who joined us for our fourth annual Heroes Meet Heroes event at the New York Athletic Club in New York City.  

Lin Higgins, Co-founder and COO of Veterans Advantage, conceived of this event to give Veterans Advantage members the unique opportunity to meet face-to-face with those training as qualified world class competitors, many who have achieved Olympic medal status in the U.S. Olympic games, at the historic New York Athletic Club (“NYAC”) in Manhattan. We are happy to report that the fulfillment of her vision – now in its fourth year – continues to be an outstanding success!

We had 19 stellar athletes and Olympians – who were in town for the New York Athletic Club’s All Sports Dinner – meet, mingle and snap photos with over 40 veterans along with their numerous family members and guests.

Not only did we get to enjoy the company of Veterans Advantage members in attendance, but it was also a pleasure to chat with some of America’s strongest and fastest, including judoka Janine Nakao, high jumper Priscilla Frederick, sprinter Brycen Spratling, hammer thrower Amanda Bingson and boxer Nikos Spanakos ­– who once roomed with another boxer you might have heard of: Cassius Clay!

We were once again we graced by the presence of former NFL star and the club’s Athletic Director, Cedric Jones, who has supported us every year in hosting this wonderful event. The New York Athletic Club’s historic Trophy Room provided us with a beautiful backdrop for Heroes Meet Heroes, with plenty of food and drinks to satisfy all our guests. This was also made possible in part by our generous sponsor – and Veterans Advantage partner, so they are also deserving of our gratitude.

One last thank you to our good friends (and Veterans Advantage Board of Advisors members) Gerry Byrne and Paul “Bud” Bucha for helping us put this together. It’s a highlight of Veterans Week NYC for all of us at Veterans Advantage and for all of our members who attended. We were all inspired by the great athletes we had the pleasure of meeting in such a memorable setting, but we are certain that even the famous Olympians depart Heroes Meet Heroes motivated by our veterans.

If you’ve yet to join us for Heroes Meet Heroes, we are inviting you now! You can register for free on our website, and we would love to see you there next year! If you would like to receive some photographs from yesterday’s event, email us at [email protected].