Five Years Running, Swimming, and Out-Competing Our Way to the Top
For the fifth consecutive year, and sixth out of the past seven, MRIGlobal has taken gold in our division of the Kansas City Corporate Challenge. This Olympic-style series of events – including basketball, track & field, pickleball, cornhole, flag football, swimming, and many others – is hosted at locations across the city. And the MRIGlobal team has once again come out on top.
Coordinated by the MRIGlobal Staff Activities Committee’s Kansas City Corporate Challenge Committee, teams of competitors are fielded from across the Kansas City office, including athletes from support staff, research scientists and engineers, and executive leadership. Such broad participation challenges bodies and minds, while boosting institute-wide camaraderie.
“Corporate Challenge has been an important part of the corporate culture at MRIGlobal since I first started here in 1998. My manager at the time recruited me during my interview process,” said Pete Deardorff, Capability Manager. “Since then, I’ve really enjoyed the competition and seeing old friends I’ve made through the years. Some competitors participate to earn points for their team while others competed at a high level in high school and even college – the performance quality is very high.”
More than 70 MRIGlobal athletes participated in various events, helping our team top competitors from across the city like Design Resources, Forvis Mazars, Cboe Global Markets, Labconco Corp, and Athletico Physical Therapy.
“Over the past decade, I’ve participated in several different events, but really enjoy running the 5k,” said Dan Friedrichsen, Staff Chemist. “I’m also involved in recruitment and scheduling of the track team, getting as many employees to participate as possible, which earns points for the team. It’s a great way for people from across the organization to get involved and get to know their colleagues.”
“Though I’ve participated in Corporate Challenge the past several years, it wasn’t until this year that I think I understood it on a deeper level,” said Ian Colrain, Ph.D., President & CEO. “In addition to participating in several events, I attended the swim meet to cheer on our team. There were participants who really could not swim, but jumped in the pool anyway to complete their event and earn participation points for our company. The commitment and devotion exhibited by all participants was very inspiring.”
During an awards ceremony in late July, the team was recognized for winning our division… for the fifth year in a row.
