Ian Warner 2004- 2008

BEAP helped me in some not so obvious ways. The first thing it did was help me develop the ability to make sacrifices. I lived far away from Birchmount, so to get there every morning it took a lot of time on the bus. Doing this day in and out meant that I had to give a lot of other things up that most high school students get to do. It sucked at the time but looking back at it, and I am so thankful because it kept me focused on my goals. 

The second way that BEAP changed my life was from the health education. We learned a lot about human anatomy, drugs and living a healthy lifestyle and that information has proven to be valuable to me today. If you are not living a healthy life, there is not a whole lot else that matters. 

BEAP helped me to reach my athletic goals by putting me around like-minded athletes. You are who you hang around is one of the most important concepts for a high school student to understand. BEAP put me around other athletes that wanted to get scholarships and use their athletic gifts to better their lives. 

The main thing the BEAP program helped me to do was get an athletic scholarship. Since graduating from the program here are some of the things I have been able to achieve:

Graduated from Iowa State University 

Became an All-American in the NCAA

Made the 2012 Olympic Team

Lived in Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Des Moines, Ann Arbor, and Phoenix 

Founded Kho Health which is a mobile app that helps athletes stay healthy

My future goals are pretty straightforward. I break life down into four areas. Health - Wealth - Love and Happiness. For me to succeed all four of the regions must be up to par because they all play a role. Right now, I have a growing family, so I am putting a bit more effort into loving my family and others. 

BEAP was awesome because it never felt like I was not a regular high school kid. I had some friends that were in BEAP and some that were not. One thing about Birchmount that is unique is the school has an excellent mix of students from different backgrounds, socioeconomic classes, cultures, and students with very different goals. Being around such a unique student body is an education in itself, and it teaches you to be comfortable around anyone.