American Fitness Magazine July/August 2007 • Page 8

HELPING KIDS COPE

Thomas d'Aquin, one-time coach to Chris Everett Lloyd, reaches out to economically disadvantaged youths in Biloxi and Baton Rouge through the Aces Tennis Foundation. In response to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, he recently teamed up with various associations along the coastal areas of Mississippi and Louisiana to find sponsorships to repair public tennis facilities.

"We're currently trying to figure out how we're going to do it. I'm having a dialogue with the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino, and the Isle of Capri Resort Casino on the Gulf Coast. We are trying to work out the logistics of getting this initiated," says d'Aquin.

He is also working with KettleBell Concepts of New York, to integrate the Russian weights into a training program for kids in the region. "I hope that all the kids will become tennis pros and use kettlebells to improve their game and their bodies," says d'Aquin.