U.S. national champion, international medalist partners with sponsor for “Give Back” event at his alma mater, presenting 10 student-athletes with new Nike gear at recent basketball game

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

One of the world’s elite sprinters decided to go the distance to return home and deliver some early holiday gifts to several deserving teenagers.

Ronnie Baker has been a two-time NCAA Indoor champion at Texas Christian, U.S. Indoor champion and World Indoor medalist in the 60-meter dash, but a recent visit to his alma mater Ballard High School in Louisville, Ky., was one of the most rewarding moments of his professional career.

Baker, a 2012 Ballard graduate and two-sport athlete for the Bruins, attended the Dec. 14 boys basketball game against Henry Clay.

VIDEO OF RONNIE BAKER RETURNING TO BALLARD HIGH SCHOOL

Partnering with his sponsor and coordinating with Ballard boys basketball coach Chris Renner and former track and field coach Donald Goodwin, Baker presented 10 student-athletes – five boys and five girls – with new Nike gear as part of a “Give Back” event that recognized their efforts in the classroom and highlighted their integrity, class and discipline.

“It was an awesome opportunity. Thankfully I got both of my coaches involved that I played for in high school,” Baker said. “It was something that was really cool to me. It not only made me feel good, but I knew it was something that I needed to do as far as just giving back and going back to my roots, kind of where it all started and where I started to develop my talent and skills and learn all the tools that allowed me to be where I am today as far as a college graduate with a degree in kinesiology and running professionally.”

Baker was a two-time Gatorade Boys Track and Field State Athlete of the Year in Kentucky in 2011 and 2012, capturing a combined four 3A state championships in the 100 and 400 meters. During his senior year, Baker was one of two prep male athletes in the country who ranked in the top 50 in the 100, 200 and 400.

But even more than his growth on the track, Baker continues to reflect on how much he matured during his time at Ballard, benefiting from mentors who saw great promise in him at a young age.

“I definitely grew a lot and learned a lot while I was at Ballard and that was largely in part due to a lot of my friends, along with my teachers, counselors and my coaches, who saw a lot more in me than I did in myself,” Baker said. “They really just motivated me and pushed me to unlock that potential and that’s kind of been a recurring theme in my life. There have been a lot of male, father-type figures and mentors who have seen a lot of potential in me and seen what I could do and they’ve definitely helped me to mature into the man that I am today.

“They also really helped push me to realize my own potential and then execute on that to be at the level that I am today, which is competing and running and being ranked No. 2 in the world.”

Although Goodwin has recently retired, which allows him to travel to watch Baker run globally, Renner is still coaching basketball at Ballard, which made the experience even more special for his former point guard, who averaged 5.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.5 assists as a senior.

“Being able to come back and see the people that were involved in my life and really just to see how they’re still supporting me, it shows that what they did for me is still prevalent and I wasn’t just someone that they needed for those four years to score a basket or run the 100-meter dash or win a state title,” Baker said. “I can’t even describe it. I feel like even if they weren’t still coaching there, they still would have shown up to support me and just having their support shows that they really do care about who I am and not just what I do.

“All of that stuff goes back to the mentorship and really the leadership qualities that both my coaches and the counselors and teachers at Ballard High School instilled in me, along with obviously my mom and my family. They were a huge part of that. They really helped shape me into what I am today and who I am today.”

The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of several student-athletes and seeing their reactions upon receiving the Nike gear was an emotional experience for Baker, who came from humble beginnings during his youth in Alaska and Kentucky that didn’t feature similar gestures.

“It was very touching for me and it brought me back because I was in a position where I wasn’t the most fortunate growing up. Some of the things I gave to the kids, that wouldn’t have happened for me at their age. I would have been one of those kids who needed that stuff in order to have it,” Baker said. “It really brought me back to my roots and helped me to realize that although I’m not at home and I’m doing other things outside of Louisville, it helped to realize how far I’ve come and I think sometimes, we lose sight of that because of where we are in the moment.

“It made me realize how much God has blessed me and how much he’s blessed my life from being a person that couldn’t have nice things or nice athletic gear to compete in or train in to someone who gets that stuff all the time and really is able to bless someone else with it.”

With the positive response from those involved in the “Give Back” event at Ballard, along with the support of the Louisville community surrounding the return of one of their hometown heroes, Baker looks forward to more opportunities in the future to continue to make trips from his residence in Texas to impact student-athletes and the athletic programs at his alma mater.

“I really have to thank Nike for being totally on board with it. I asked them one time and it was a go from there, so I’m glad to be with a brand who supports the youth and that values giving back,” Baker said. “I think this is just the beginning for that. I want to be able to do way more than what I did. Nike was really gracious for this first event, but ultimately I know they can do more and I know I can and I know we can together. This is definitely a sign of bigger things to come because I want to do a lot more for Ballard and the Louisville community.”