A Note of Gratitude (Special Thanks).

by Hugo Munoz, Founder of Kangaroo Track Club

Kangaroo Track Club officially started in 2005, but it really started more than 25 years ago….

Today and every day I would like to thank all the people that helped me / Kangaroo TC / Kangaroo Athletics / Kangaroo High Jump Festival along the way, so I can pass the best of each one of you (below) to the Kangaroo Track Club Jumpers and the sport.

To God: For the opportunity to meet everyone, and for keeping me positive 
To my family:  For always being there for me in every way, love you guys.
To all my athletes (including collegiate and post collegiate): Thank you for the opportunity to be able to coach you. You guys are the reason why Kangaroo Track Club was formed and still here. My biggest reward is not only to see you improve in high/long/triple jump, but most important to see you grow as a person, by taking what you learn from the sport and using it to move forward to bigger and better things in life. I will always be very proud of each one of you.
To my PE Teachers Berenguel and Rabanal (Colegio Maristas del Perú):For introducing me to high jump by encouraging me to join the track team.
To Roberto Abugattas (2x Olympian from Peru – 1964 & 1968): For taking time, out of his parents soccer game at Colegio Reina de los Angeles (La Molina, Peru) to teach me what he liked to call “the art of high jump”.  Thank you “maestro”.
To Moises del Castillo: For being my first Coach. Thank you for believing in me from the first time that I walked through the door of the San Luis Track and Field Stadium (Lima, Peru)
To Edgar Baez (R.I.P.): For being my coach and friend in Venezuela. Dear Edgar thank you for everything you did for me, I will always remember you with a lot of affection.
To my PE Teachers of  the Liceo los Arcos (Caracas, Venezuela), Jorge Suchaneck, Argelis, Efren y Victor: For believing in me and for receiving me with open arms when I arrived to Venezuela in my last year of HS.
To the coaches in Peru – Augusto Malaga, Santiago Lozada, Diego Gorriti, Akira Wataya (Japan), Duberly Mazuelos:Thank you all for the infinite hours that you guys dedicated to me with no more reward that to see me succeed. From you I not only took your great knowledge and passion for the sport, but most important your great quality as a person. Thank you for believing in me.
To the Peruvian jumpers Fernando Valiente, Hector Caceres,  Ricardo Valiente, Alvaro Fernandez, Sergio Otoya, Oscar Valiente, Roberto Abugattas, Gilda Massa, Oscar Canqui, Piero Vojvodic, Santiago Lozada, Valery Abugattas, Tommy Muhvic, Daisy Zereceda, José Caceres, Nicolas Abugattas, Alfredo Deza, Franco Moy, Carlos Atencio: It was an honor to train and travel with you guys.
To Juan de Dios Puicon y el gimnasio ENZO (Lima, Peru): For not only sharing his great knowledge about power development, but also for his giving personality by opening the doors of his gym to me and many Peruvian athletes. I was always treated like family while training at your gym.
To Lucho Nieri and  Banco de Crédito del Peru: For his great help in being sponsored by El Banco de Credito del Peru (my main sponsor). Without their support it would have been impossible to continue jumping internationally.
To Backus y Johnson, Brooks Peru, Asics, Adidas Peru: Thank you for all your help and support.
To the doctors in Peru  Schiantarelli, Díaz (Cuba), Tello y Araujo: Thank you for your care every time I had an injury.
To the sport trainers at University of Idaho, Barry & Jackie: Thank you for your care every time I had an injury.
To the sports journalists Patrick Espejo, Manolo Castillo, Judith Chuquipul, Rocio Oyanguren and many more: For their support at the time I was living in Peru.
To Abelardo Castillo: For your great coaching and mentorship that helped me jump my best (2.30mts – 7’6 ½) and for teaching me that balance is not only applicable in high jump but most importantly in life. Dear “Profe” thank you for believing in me.
To the Gehlen Family (Eagan, MN) and the Pepin Family (Stillwater, MN):For believing in me and for letting me coach and mentor your kids. Your kids were the first athletes of Kangaroo Track Club.
To Michael Keller (former Head coach at University of Idaho) and all the coaching staff at University of Idaho: For giving me the opportunity to do track, earn my college degree and meet my wife at the same time - Thank you coaches!
To my teammates at the University of Idaho Track Team: It was an honor to share the track with all of you.
To the WSU coaches (at the time) Rick Sloan, Dan O’Brien, James Li & Kris Grimes: For their support and hospitality every time that I wanted to train at WSU to try to qualify for the 2000 Olympic games.
To Gary Basket: for all his help when I was living in Spokane.
To Javier Sotomayor: For his friendship and all his technical advice not only to me, but to any other high jumper that needed his help. You were the best high jumper of all time, but most important, a very simple and humble person.
To Pat Licary UW (Jumps Coach): For all your help, friendship, and support. For giving me the opportunity to train with you and coach at UW. Thank you for believing in me as an athlete, as a coach and as a friend.
To Rob Graham and the Eagan HS Track Team: For all your help and friendship and for giving me the opportunity to coach at Eagan HS. Thank you for believing in me as a coach (first HS I coached in MN) and as a friend. For always opening the doors of your team to me, Kangaroo Track Club, Teneo Track and Field Shoes, and the Teneo High Jump Festival.
To Geri & Rod Dirth and the Apple Valley HS Track Team: For always opening the doors of your team to me, Kangaroo Track Club, Teneo Track and Field shoes and the Teneo High Jump Festival. Thank you for your friendship.
To Jorjean Fisher and the Eastview HS Track Team: For always opening the doors of your team to me, Kangaroo Track Club, Teneo Track and Field shoes and the Teneo High Jump Festival . Thank you for your friendship.
Chris Dallager and USATF, Minnesota: For all their support and hard work to make Minnesota a track state. For believing and helping promote Kangaroo Track Club, and The Teneo High Jump Festival.
Dennis Friedman, Jeff Freeman and North Star United Track Club in Eagan MN: For their friendship, help and support. For their hard work in making Eagan a track community. You guys were an inspiration to KTC.
To Bill Thornton (former Head Coach at St. Olaf College): For giving me the opportunity to coach at St. Olaf College. Thank you for believing in me as a coach and mentor.
To the South American jumpers Fernando Pastoriza, Fernando Moreno, Ricardo DAndrilli, Jose Bruno, Gilmar Mayo, Alejandra Garcia, Felipe Apablaza, Erasmo Jara , Orlane Lima Dos Santos:It was an honor to share the track with you guys.
To Dusty Jonas: Thank you for your friendship and for sharing your great experience in the sport and knowledge with the KTC young jumpers on the website and at the Kangaroo High Jump Festival (next day camp).
To Solange Witteveen: Thank you for your friendship and for sharing your great experience in the sport and knowledge with the KTC young jumpers on the website and at the Kangaroo High Jump Festival  (next day camp).
To Marino Drake: For your friendship and for being willing to share your great experience in the sport with KTC young jumpers on the website.
To Tim and Julie Taylor (Throws Coaches at University of Idaho): For your friendship and mentorship. Thank you for adopting me as a part of the throwers family at U of I, despite that I was too skinny to be considered a thrower:)
To Jesse Lima: Thank you for your friendship and for sharing your great experience in the sport and knowledge at the Kangaroo High Jump Festival (next day camp).
To Rasa Troup: Thank you for your friendship and for sharing your great experience in the sport and knowledge about Nutrition for Jumpers at the Teneo High Jump Festival (next day camp).
To Jim Dilling: Thank you for coming to the fist Kangaroo High Jump Festival.
To Francisco Miranda and Dillon Saxhaug: For their friendship and creativity. You guys are geniuses!
To Charles Austin: For the invitation to train in San Marcos (1996) and for sharing his great experience in the sport and knowledge with the KTC young jumpers on the website.
To Choco Vivanco: For all your help and support as an official for the Peruvian Olympic team in Sidney 2000. Thank you for going above and beyond by even accompanying me to the track to train, since I went without a coach.
To Daniel Abugattas and Masad Abushaibed: For their friendship, help and support at the time that I was jumping in Peru.
Philip y Olga: For their friendship and support, you guys are awesome.
To all the athletes, volunteers, and sponsors that made the Kangaroo High Jump Festival possible. 
Daisy Zereceda: For your friendship and support while I was jumping in Peru. You always worked very hard for the sport in Peru. I am very proud of you.
To the Track and Field League of Arequipa, the club Inter and Mr. Zuniga: For their hospitality every time I competed in Arequipa.
To Tim Trosper (SCI Spider Company Inc): For his friendship and his great support to make the Kangaroo High Jump Festival possible.
To coach David Jantzen at Houston Christian HS in Houston TX: For his hospitality and friendship. Thank you coach for opening the doors of your track to me and Kangaroo TC. You made our transition from Minnesota to TX a lot easier.

In the end, it was not about jumping. Thank you