In his role as lead strength and conditioning coach, Ambrose Serrano helps American athletes reach their full potential.

When the Winter Olympics kick off in Beijing, Ambrose Serrano can be forgiven if he has some sleepless nights. As lead strength and conditioning coach for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), he oversees training plans for as many as 40 athletes, primarily in the winter sports of biathlon, bobsled, luge and skeleton. Working with individuals day in, day out for years to help them reach their goals can be particularly nerve-racking when the only thing left to do is compete.

“Coaching is a personal relationship with athletes, and we are proud, nervous, excited, anxious and any other normal emotion that comes with competition,” he said. “The biggest reward as a coach is when an athlete is able to achieve the goals they set for themselves.”

After working with athletes for more than a decade from his post at the Lake Placid Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in New York, Serrano has helped countless athletes in pursuit of their dreams.

“This is the most enjoyable part of my role as a strength and conditioning coach,” he said. “The on-the-floor coaching and personal communication I have with the athletes is an irreplaceable aspect of my role with the USOPC.”

To do his job effectively, Serrano not only trains with athletes five to six days per week, he also stays current on the most up-to-date research in the field and collaborates with other coaches and colleagues to promote sport-science initiatives that support athlete wellness and performance. He also takes into account they are individuals with their own lives and needs.

“Programming training plans and coaching athletes requires consistent and frequent communication between coach and athlete to determine what the best approach for each athlete may be as an individual,” Serrano said. “All areas of an athlete’s life need to be considered when optimizing their training. This may include the specifics of what they are doing in the weight room or on the track, but also what their work schedule looks like, their commute to/from training, or any other activity that would not normally be under the umbrella of training.”

Another aspect of the job is travel, particularly to World Cups, the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Serrano’s role shifts a little by the time the team arrives to compete.

“Once the athletes are preparing to compete, it is just that: preparing to compete. There is no more development,” he said. “The Olympics is an all-hands-on-deck mentality. Any capacity in which I can assist athletes, coaches or Team USA, I will be available to assist.”

It was at this time during the 2018 Olympics in South Korea when Serrano had one of the most memorable moments of his career. After helping an athlete warm up for the men’s luge event, he went on to take silver, the first medal in the event in the history of USA Luge.

“It was a big one. I sprinted down the mountain to get to the bottom to be a part of all this excitement,” he said. “It was quite the experience.”

Excitement over the luge is something Serrano never expected while growing up in Carlinville, Illinois. He knew he wanted to work with top athletes, and after completing his degree in exercise physiology from Truman in 2009, he went on to earn a master’s degree in sport physiology and performance from East Tennessee State University. He then worked his way up from a USOPC intern into his current position as lead strength and conditioning coach.

“I grew up in the Midwest, so the winter sports were less popular since I was surrounded by corn fields, not mountains,” Serrano said. “It was not until I started working with the USOPC that I had a true understanding and appreciation of the Olympic movement.”

Serrano was surprised to learn fans in Europe tailgate at events like the biathlon just like Americans would for a football game. It is one of the many things he has come to respect about the Winter Games and its athletes.

“I never really realized these were sports that had a full competitive season each year, even in a non-Olympic year,” he said. “Olympic sports pose a unique atmosphere, different than other sports. The athletes do not just represent a team, but Team USA, and having the opportunity to provide support to athletes while striving to be the best in the world is a special one.”

Connecting with faculty helped Calaneet Balas on her journey to CEO and president of The ALS Association.

As internet fads go, the Ice Bucket Challenge is one of the most memorable. The perfect combination of an easy-to-do, yet still uncomfortable stunt, all done in the name of a good cause. Even those who did not personally participate likely know someone who did. People who had no clue what ALS is suddenly became aware, and many more opened their wallets in support. For alumna Calaneet Balas (’97), who serves as the CEO and president of The ALS Association, the lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon is having long-term impact and giving her hope for the future.

“Money drives progress. When you put money into research you get answers, and then you follow the things that are promising,” Balas said. “I really see the amount of progress in the number of phase two and phase three clinical trials compared to where we were before the Ice Bucket Challenge.”

Balas joined The ALS Association in 2016, two years after the viral sensation, but she is managing its exciting results that come with great opportunities and great challenges. She estimates late-phase clinical trials have nearly quadrupled in recent years, an unusually significant amount of progress.

“Things like the Challenge are good because they help with awareness, and that opens the door for a deeper conversation,” she said.   

In a career dedicated to public health advocacy, Balas is prepared to have those deeper conversations on a number of topics. She also served as the chief executive officer of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, in addition to leadership roles with the Arthritis Foundation and the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. As a trusted voice in public health, she has testified before Congress and spoken with major news outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post and NBC Nightly News. Interestingly enough, her life may have taken a drastically different path if not for a call from a former professor.

After earning her degree in exercise science from Truman, the native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, did a post-graduate internship in St. Louis. She was contemplating a trip through Europe when Michael Bird, chair and professor of exercise science, encouraged her to pursue a graduate program at the University of Memphis. His connections put her on a path to a full scholarship while she earned a master’s degree in human movement science and education.

“I couldn’t have done that on my own,” she said. “He reached out and said, ‘you’re not going traipsing around Europe; you’re too smart for that.’ I owe him a great deal of gratitude for mentoring me in that direction.”

Balas also added an MBA from Herriot-Watt University to her credentials, but her career focus has remained on helping others, not on titles.

“I sometimes call myself the accidental leader,” she said. “I try to get out of the C-suite and I get pulled back into it. For me, it’s not about being an administrator, it’s about really being able to have an impact.”

The ALS Association has been making an impact since its inception in 1985. Unfortunately, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is one of the world’s most complicated and debilitating ailments. A progressive disease of the nervous system, ALS patients see reductions in muscle functionality, eventually inhibiting the ability to move, communicate or even swallow, all while cognitive awareness remains intact. Effected individuals essentially become trapped in their own body.

“It’s probably most of our worst nightmares,” Balas said.

According to Balas, ALS is not as rare as many might think. Its true devastation comes from its rapidity. Treatments that slow down progression could increase survival rates, and advances in technology have made life more manageable for afflicted individuals. While every advance is welcomed, Balas will not be satisfied with progress alone.

“My eye is always on the prize of a cure,” she said. “It’s an honor to try to fight for this community and fight for people and their families who are trying to deal with this. The days can be hard, but my days are no harder than theirs. They keep me going. I won’t give up on them.”

Utilizing a career in professional sports, Angel McGee is making an impact in her hometown of Kansas City.

Angel McGee is Kansas City through and through – Gates and LC’s are her barbecue destinations of choice – and since her return to the City of Fountains after graduating from Truman, she has worked to make her hometown better every day.

“My ultimate passion is to be able to give back to the city that raised me through philanthropic efforts and community involvement,” she said.

As the manager of community partnerships and events with the Kansas City Royals, McGee (’12) provides development, fundraising and administrative support to Royals Charities – the team’s foundation – as well as for the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy. If that were not enough, she is also an advisory board member of WIN For KC, a KC Champions board member for Teach For America, a member of the Kauffman Foundation Education Cohort and she works with the Tyrann Mathieu Foundation.

“I have had one amazing opportunity after another present itself through my various roles within the sports industry, specifically with the Royals and Chiefs organizations,” McGee said. “It has been even more rewarding to be an integral part of the impact the organization has had within the Kansas City community.”

Royals Charities supports children, education, youth baseball and softball field renovations, and military families in and around the Kansas City area. In 2020, the Royals Respond Fund was created to address food insecurity and other urgent needs related to the pandemic. To date, Royals Charities has put more than $18 million toward philanthropic endeavors in the area.

It comes as no surprise McGee found a career that enables her to empower youth through sports. Some of her fondest memories from childhood include watching Michael Jordan and the Bulls with her father and grandmother. As McGee studied communication at Truman, she dreamed of a career in broadcasting, working as an analyst and reporter for ESPN. After getting her foot in the door with two part-time positions with the Royals and Chiefs, she parlayed the opportunity into a successful career.

“I initially started as a mascot assistant with the Royals, and that position continued to open up doors to multiple positions along the way,” she said. “It’s been a humbling and reaffirming journey because it solidifies the notion that hard work and commitment really do pay off.”

For a Kansas City native, working in professional sports for the past decade has provided some extra special moments, including a close up view of two World Series, two Super Bowls and two titles for her hometown teams.

“The feeling is truly indescribable,” McGee said. “Growing up in Kansas City, it was always Chiefs, Royals and barbecue, so to be able to work for both sports franchises has been an incredible honor.”

As her career path keeps trending on an upward trajectory, McGee may one day be watching games from the C-suite. She has her sights set on being an executive with a franchise, and in keeping with her nature, she would use the opportunity to benefit others.

“I want to be a role model to the next generation of youth, especially for girls who look like me, to show them that there’s more to the sports industry than solely being an athlete,” she said.