Anthony Rizzo hosts kids' sports clinic, prepares to run Chicago Marathon for first time
Anthony Rizzo helped bring a World Series victory to the North Side for the first time in more than a century 10 years ago — yes, it was 10 years ago — and for that, he will always be a Cubs legend in Chicago.
But now, Rizzo is embarking on a new challenge as he runs in this weekend's Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
"I think it's a perfect time," Rizzo said. "We celebrate our 10-year anniversary of winning the World Series, and my wife ran the New York City Marathon three years ago now, and just so inspiring seeing her train and everything that it took to run the marathon, so I really got into the algorithms on social media of running."
Rizzo is running on his Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, raising money for pediatric cancer patients and their families. Rizzo is himself a survivor of Hodgkins lymphoma, with which he was diagnosed at 18.
Meanwhile, along with soccer star Jozy Altidore, long-distance runner Deena Kstor, and track Mica Rivera Wood, Rizzo is hosting a Bank of America "Sports with Us" clinic for Chicago kids on Wednesday.
Rizzo called the sports clinic "an awesome initiative, bringing in kids, 100 kids, just to teach them life lessons in sports. We've got golf, soccer, running. I'm the golf instructor today, which is funny, because I need to work on my own golf game."
Rizzo emphasized the value of sports, and how it goes beyond athletics.
"Sports teach you so many things in life, as far as discipline, commitment, being a good teammate, failure, success," he said. "So it starts at a young age, and I'm excited to be part of this clinic."
The "Sports with Us" clinic was under way Wednesday at the ComEd Rec Center, at 1434 S. Loomis St. on the Near West Side. Around 90 students from the James Ward School in the Armour Square community were set to rotate through six interactive stations covering soccer and golf, as Rizzo mentioned, but also covering endurance and financial health.
All the students will receive pair of shoes at the end of the event.
Meanwhile, we couldn't let Rizzo go without asking about the White Sox's impressive postseason performance. The Sox as of Wednesday morning were undefeated in the postseason after three consecutive seasons in which they lost 100 or more games.
"I'm very surprised. I was actually thinking that on the way driving here. I took my son to a game early this year when they played the Marlins down in Miami — probably opening week — and I believe they got swept. They lost two of three. I saw Will Venable and Chris Denorfia, one of Will's bench coaches, and got to see them and catch up with them a little bit," Rizzo said. "And to see their development throughout the year, and how good this team is this year, and how much they've come together — you just see these guys saying, 'It's like I fielded a team with all my best friends.' So that's a good formula to win. They may not be the most talented team, but they've proven that they're an amazing team, and they've been fun to watch."
Rizzo said as the White Sox take on the Cleveland Guardians for Game 3 of the ALDS, "it's going to be rocking there on the South Side."
