Michigan Teen Expresses Her Determination and Faith, Is Named Regional Winner of The Athlete's Foot in My Shoes Contest

Market Wire, October, 2007

For 17 year-old Hannah Hackbardt, soccer is life. She lives and breathes the game by playing year-round, watching a match anytime she can and even coaching an under-8 soccer team when she is not strength-training in the gym. A strong-willed young woman who believes that anything is possible, Hannah credits her faith in God as the reason she excels in sport and in life. Now, with the help of The Athlete's Foot (TAF) , Hannah will meet another athlete who shares her faith, as well as her tireless work ethic and dedication to achieving excellence. On Tuesday evening, October 16th, Hannah will be awarded the regional prize of The Athlete's Foot In My Shoes contest and spend quality time with Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna.

"The In My Shoes campaign encouraged students nationwide to share their performance goals for this school year so The Athlete's Foot stores in their communities could empower them to achieve and excel," commented Robert W. D'Loren, President and CEO of NexCen Brands, Inc ., parent company of TAF. "We have been impressed with participants like Hannah, who did an outstanding job of expressing her aspirations to perform at the highest level and are honored to introduce her to a pro athlete whose outlook and achievements are sure to be inspirational to her," added Mr. D'Loren.

Hannah, a senior at Tri County High School in Howard City, has been playing soccer since the age of four. She is a forward for the Tri County Vikings soccer team during the spring season. She currently plays for her Stinger Club team which, until a recent one-goal loss, was undefeated. Hannah has six goals in four games with her club team. In her winning contest entry, she expressed her long-term goal of becoming a professional soccer player as well as her commitment to her teammates, whom she'd like to lead to a District title, and her assertion that "nothing is impossible with God."

This is a sentiment she shares with Lions quarterback, Jon Kitna. The NFL veteran has been outspoken about his faith and its influence on his athletic performance. He and his wife are founders of the Eternal Blessings Foundation, which supports various Christian ministries and he credited his faith for his "miracle" comeback in September, when he rebounded from a first quarter concussion to rally the Lions to a late victory.

Just as Kitna is part of a team prayer group and hosts a Bible study for teammates at his home, Hannah also leads her team in prayer. She attends Grace Community Church in Howard City and attends youth group every Sunday night.

"I am so excited to have the opportunity to meet Jon Kitna," commented Hannah when notified she had been named a regional In My Shoes winner. "I know Jon Kitna always stands up for what he believes in. He is a strong team leader and achieves amazing things on the field."

The two athletes will meet on Tuesday, October 16th, at The Athlete's Foot store at 1448 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. There, Kitna will autograph commemorative photos provided for the public by The Athlete's Foot from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and will meet Hannah and present her with a gift card prize from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.

"As a TAF owner, it's always my pleasure to connect with athletes who value peak performance, like Jon Kitna and our young contest winner, Hannah," commented John Park, local TAF franchise owner. "As the owner of many TAF stores in the greater Detroit area, I am excited to be able to use the power of this global brand to serve my local community and give an aspiring athlete a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The TAF In My Shoes campaign, which the retailer launched in late July, invited students ages 13 to 18 nationwide to submit written or video ( YouTube ) entries stating their performance goals for the new school year. Local winners, selected from participating TAF stores, will receive a $75 TAF gift card.

In addition the Detroit event with Jon Kitna, nine other regional winners have won the opportunity to meet pro athletes from their communities, including:

-- Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis

-- Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward

-- New York Knicks forward David Lee

-- Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn

-- Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley

-- Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle

-- Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown

-- Houston Texans running back Ahman Green

-- New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston

One national winner will have a one-on-one coaching session with one of the hottest professional athletes in the country. The winner and athlete will be announced by late October.

About The Athlete's Foot ( www.theathletesfoot.com )

The Athlete's Foot® (TAF) is the world's first franchisor of athletic footwear stores and is recognized today as the world leader in athletic footwear franchising. Robert and David Lando opened the first The Athlete's Foot store in 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first athletic footwear specialty store of its kind in the United States. Soon thereafter, TAF began franchising domestically, with the first franchise store opening in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The first international franchise store opened in 1978 in Adelaide, Australia, the beginning of TAF's expansion into over 45 countries. In June, 2007, NexCen Brands launched a global re-branding effort for TAF. Plans for reinvigorating the 36 year-old brand to include an innovative new modular merchandising system, new in-store design, a modernized company logo, and a line of TAF branded apparel.