Two years ago, Chad Leinen registered for the century ride in the inaugural L’Etape San Antonio by Tour de France, part of San Antonio Sports Fiesta FitFest. In addition to participating, he volunteered. “I find that being active and involved with people who want to make improvements in their own lives inspires me in all areas of my life,” he explains.
Chad is an active person who believes in the power of sport. He says San Antonio Sports is a great fit for him because of the diversity of opportunities, “and more importantly, for the culture and positive team environment they promote. Whether it’s a three-hour soccer tournament or a three-day event, people are smiling, helpful and appreciative.”
“I make it a practice to volunteer for events in which I’m participating as a way of giving back and being more connected to the event mentally.” Like many of our volunteers, he’s a fan of Volunteer Manager, Tony Benke. “Tony is fantastic at aligning people’s passion and ability with jobs that bring out the best in them and the focus is always on the participants and their experience. This is a highly skilled team coordinating the biggest events in San Antonio and it’s a privilege to be able to work with the team.”
His favorite events have to do with running. “I get most excited about the Fit Family Challenge 5Ks as well as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Series and Fiesta FitFest. I enjoy being outside and like seeing people being active with friends and family.” He enjoys meeting people who are trying to change their lives or their children’s lives and finds making an event a positive experience for these individuals extremely gratifying.
In his relatively short time volunteering with San Antonio Sports, Chad has had several memorable moments, including meeting Mayor Nirenberg three times during a five week period at different events, and helping Manu Ginobili find a member of his party at Fiesta FitFest. But the most gratifying event was the 2022 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. “I was able to volunteer all three days in a variety of ways. Meeting people from all over the country and helping them get the most out of the experience was lots of work, but it was a ton of fun!”
The gratitude is ours! It’s no small feat to find volunteers who will fill multiple shifts over the marathon’s three days, or at some of our other multi-day events. We know we can count on Chad as one of our key volunteers. If you’d like to join him at an upcoming event, you can find a list of opportunities on our website.