John Underwood to Talk About Alcohol and Athletic Performance at RIT, Oct. 18

John Underwood, founder of the American Athletic Institute, will visit the RIT campus at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, to speak about peak athletic performance and the impact of alcohol and other drugs. The presentation, held in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center, is free and open to the public. Underwood is a crusader for drug-free sport at all levels.

Performance-debilitating drugs have surfaced in recent years as the top challenge facing athletes at all levels. The American Athletic Institute has conducted the only physiological test on an elite athlete under the influence of the residual effect of an alcohol hangover.

Underwood is a former international-level distance runner, coach and scientist. A former NCAA All-American and World Masters Champion, he has coached or advised more than two-dozen Olympians. He is the master trainer for the New York Public High School Athletic Association drug prevention program and has worked with nearly all sport federations including the NCAA, ECAC, NHL, the U.S. Olympic Committee, Sport Canada and the International Olympic Committee.

NOTE TO MEDIA: To interview Underwood, please contact Karen Pelc at 475-7081. He will be available for interviews on the RIT campus during the day on Oct. 19. The presentation on Oct. 18 is also open to media.