Fuego Run Club – Holiday Toy Drive

December 19, 2024 7:00 PM

Manchaca Sports Bar

Event Speakers

Trip O’Connell

Program Manager

Read bio

Trip O’Connell

Program Manager

Trip O’Connell is a Program Manager, a 2023 MPU Fellow, and on the Brickyard Leadership team in Austin, Texas.

Born in Virginia and raised on the DC/Maryland border in Chevy Chase, Trip is the son of Terry O’Connell highly decorated Vietnam Veteran and Linda Foley who kept Terry in line for almost 50 years prior to his passing in 2019. As a multi-sport athlete in high school Trip learned to express himself on the field of play and how to debate with his teachers. He took that same spirit with him to the University of Delaware where he was a member of the UD football team for two seasons. At university, he found his love for political engagement, principled debate, and community building.

His time at UD allowed him the proximity to partake as a security organizer at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston and lead to his participation as an Advance team member with the Kerry/Edwards campaign in New York for the Summer prior to his senior year. This valuable experience was a benefit when Trip moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2006 to work on the GOTV team for the Jack Carter for US Senate campaign. Unfortunately, the campaign was not successful and altered Trip’s planned trajectory of returning home to DC to work on the Hill as staff to Jack Cater, but taught him many valuable lessons in communication, team work, and organization.

Following the campaign, Trip took his community building and relationship skills into the hospitality industry in Las Vegas and Los Angeles for the next 4 years from 2006-2010 where learned about business operations, human resources, management and promotions. Despite the valuable learning experiences and relationships that the hospitality industry had to offer, Trip felt that he needed to engage in a more purposeful pursuit. One that he had always dreamt of.

After 2 years of training and preparation, Trip left for Air Force basic training to become a Tactical Air Control Party(TACP)/Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) with the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron in New York for 6 years. During his time in the USAF, Trip was an Honor Graduate of several schools including the TACP Schoolhouse and recipient of the Commandant’s Award at Airman Leadership School.

Following his separation from the Air Force at the end of 2019, Trip returned home to his native Washington DC and entered into the Health & Wellness space after seeing a lack of community, connectivity, and accountability by opening multiple F45 locations in the DC/VA.MD area. His success in opening 5 successful locations in 3 years on the studio franchise side of the business caught the eye of F45 HeadQuarters who brought Trip on to their team to develop the programming for the F45 Military Division which was built to help aid in the transition of US Military members out of service and into the civilian community through training, education, and operational placement within the F45 Studio system. That program still exists today and has helped transition hundreds of military members out of their time in service and into qualified positions in F45 studios.

Trip is building his passion project with Sandlot Technology and GORUCK to develop an application that brings people together in the real world via technology to spend less time with their faces buried in devices and participate in group fitness, community building, and human-to-human engagement.

We are focusing this run club event with Fuego RC on SERVICE!!!

Attendees are encouraged to attend with a Toy, Toys, or gift cards for us to donate locally to families in need! Pleae make yoru toys child safe and the best age ranges are those appropriate for children 3+.

So come, bring a friend, and some toys! headlamps as the sun is going down earlier and portions of the trail are dark. Reflective vests are available.

Attire

The weather is a changin’ here in South Austin. So come prepared to brave the 50-60 degree evening temperatures.

Running this time of year will test your commitment and your virtuosity. YOU CAN DO IT!

We have reflective vests for use if needed, but all runners are encouraged to wear lighter clothes and bring a head lamp as some parts of the loop are darker than others and safety is a priority.

We have two distance options: 1.5 miles and 3 miles(see image below). The 3 mile option is two(2) of the same laps.

Additionally we have several pacers for your to match your speed from a walking pace(with Dogs) to a 7 minute mile speed crew.

Come early, make a friend, find a pace buddy.

Event Partners

About the Austin Chapter

Across cities and towns just like yours nationwide, we serve our communities by starting with bringing different neighbors together for events centered around Service, Leadership, and Civics.

By rolling up our sleeves side-by-side, we can begin to see that we have more in common than what divides us; that first and foremost we are fellow Americans with a common love for our families and communities.

These Chapters – also known as our Brickyards – are mobile places for neighbors to connect and solve local problems. We do this through respectful and open conversations, and to find higher ground as we work together brick-by-brick.

Visit the Austin Chapter Page

Downtown Austin Texas, with big skyscrapers, a river, and bright green trees.