Zee Speed
“Determination, Dedication, Drive and Desire”


     I will never forget my first day at Zee Speed.  I attended the opening day 
held on a Saturday in sweats and it happened to be a very hot summer day.  I 
went thinking I would get information on Zee Speed and return home to start a 
few days later.  I did not expect to start workouts that day; how naïve I was!  
Unfortunately, I was not prepared to run the sixteen 110’s we did as well as do 
an entire workout of grueling exercises.  I have never pushed myself as I did 
that day and I thought I would surely die.  Fortunately, I survived and went 
away that day having learned the first of the many lessons I would be taught 
from participating with the Zee Speed program.

     Zee Speed taught me many of life’s lessons that, if I put to practice in my 
life, will make me a better person and a person who can help others.  It taught 
me to be prepared to perform no matter what the weather might be, where the 
location was, or how I felt.  It taught me to use my time wisely and never waste 
the time I have.  It also taught me I need to work hard to achieve my dreams as 
the largest obstacle to me achieving my goals is me.  

     Zee Speed takes youth from all aspects of life.  At Zee Speed I met others 
from all walks of life and although our lifestyles and backgrounds were 
different, we worked next to each other each day, all doing the same activities 
and working towards bettering ourselves.  The sense of family and unity was very 
strong and I made great friendships with those I never would have otherwise met.  
The Zee Speed staff is the backbone of the program and they are carefully chosen 
and genuinely concerned to motivate youth to keep them going and to do their 
best.  They also come from all walks of life and I met police officers, yoga 
instructors, an Olympian, star athletes, university personnel, and others.  
Throughout the program they were always there to keep the program running and to 
keep the youth going as well.  Their concern did not stop when we left the field 
each day, but continued into our personal lives as they were interested and 
involved in our accomplishments off the field too.  I learned a lot from the 
examples they set to be prepared, keep positive, to not give up, and to give 
back to others.       

     One of the methods Zee Speed uses to teach important lessons is through a 
series of physical exercises to build both physical and mental strength.  These 
are not meant to be easy exercises and are non-stop.  We were divided into small 
groups making it easier for the adult leaders to give us one-on-one attention 
and harder for us to slack off.  Sometimes when I felt like there was nothing 
left in me and I just wanted to fall on my face and give up, I was quickly 
reminded to reach deeper inside, keep on going, block out those things holding 
me back and continue fighting.  There was a bit of positive competition thrown 
in for fun and as a motivation factor.  I will never forget running the stairs 
at Stadium High School’s sports bowl and mentally pushing myself as I was 
motivated to beat the boys.  However, no one was ever made to feel bad, but were 
constantly encouraged to reach higher and always had their advancements 
recognized by the leaders and the group.

     An important part of Zee Speed is about giving back to the community and 
helping others.  Those involved as leaders do so on a volunteer basis.  The 
organization is supported by several companies and organizations who donate 
their time and products to the program.  We had opportunities to give back to 
the community through donating to organizations with food and book drives.  This 
taught me another important lesson in life; there is always something I can give 
to others even when I might not think I am in a position to give.  I cannot grow 
or be happy if I am always on the receiving end.

     I would like to thank the Zee Speed staff for the time and dedication they 
have shown and given me.  They are all examples of the goodness life has to 
offer.  I especially want to thank Zach Small for achieving his own dream of the 
Zee Speed program through his great work ethic and enduring dedication making 
this program the “Best of the Best”!  Zee Speed has inspired me to look forward 
to my future life and work hard to make it the best life I can.  I will always 
be grateful to all the professional caring staff involved in this program and 
the lessons I have learned.  Thank you Zee Speed!

								Chelsey Thatcher - 2009
								Graham-Kapowsin High School