Today we’d like to introduce you to Eboni Thompkins-Webber.
Eboni, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Eboni Thompkins-Webber, and I was born and raised in Tuscumbia, Alabama. I currently reside in North Charleston, South Carolina with my wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters. I have always had the opportunity to be around sports because my mom was a high school volleyball coach in addition to a track and field coach. It was no surprise that as I matured, I would fall in love with sports. It was through watching her coach that my drive and passion as an athlete developed. There were no sports that I felt were off-limits. If I had the opportunity to participate you can best believe I took full advantage. I fondly remember the Hershey track and field softball throw as my first taste at what the world of track and field had to offer. As the years past, my involvement grew more and more. My drive to become a track and field athlete led me to join the North Alabama Trackers team my freshman year of high school. It was then that I realized that I had found my niche.
I believe it was my freshman year of high school when I joined the youth track and field organization, North Alabama Trackers. That’s when I really started to fall in love with the sport of track and field. Don’t get me wrong, my mom was an awesome coach, but being coached by someone else was cool. The program offered us so many opportunities that I didn’t even think was that important until I became an adult. After graduating from the University of South Alabama, I moved to Charlotte, NC and started working in my career field, Computer Science.
Fast forward a few years, I moved to Charleston, SC. In 2011, I joined the running club Black Girls Run. My passion for running and track and field started slowly coming back after being away for so long. During this time, I became an ambassador for the local chapter and trained several women often. That is really when my passion to have my own nonprofit youth track club came back. However, I kept putting the idea into the back of my mind because I have a full-time job and wasn’t sure I would have enough time to make it happen.
As the years went by and my children started showing interest in the sport my desire to coach youth track and field grew stronger. With the support and motivation of my husband and neighbor, I sat down and started doing the research on how to start a nonprofit organization. After completing my research, I took a leap a faith and started the process. So, in June 2019, A Touch of Speed was founded. During the process, I attended USATF Level 1 and Level 2 coaching clinics to educate myself a little more regarding coaching track and field and youth athletes. It was the best decision I could have ever made. I was able to understand the why behind every workout and drill.
My passion behind creating A Touch of Speed™ came from me wanting to show our youth track and field athletes the possibilities that the sport could offer them with hard work and dedication.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, due to the pandemic. We had our first registration in October 2019 with the hopes of having a season in 2020. Due to COVID all of that was put on hold and we had to pivot. Our marketing strategy had to change as well as how to reach sponsors and donors.
We’ve been impressed with A Touch of Speed™, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
A Touch of Speed™ (ATOS) is a youth track and field organization located in North Charleston, South Carolina. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide a safe, supportive, and fun environment for youth athletes in the Tri-County area. To ensure each athlete achieve the highest level of competition to further transcend their lives and to challenge their minds, bodies, and content of character one step at a time.
Our organization currently has about 45 student-athletes. Our athletes age range is from 6 to 18. This past year we had 29 athletes to make it to the AAU regional meet and 12 qualified for the AAU Junior National Games. We also had several athletes that participated at the USATF Junior National Championships. We had 1 AAU All American and 3 USATF All Americans.
We continue to strive to do our part in the communities that we serve.
We are so proud that we were able to offer more scholarships to athletes that want to participate in our programs.
We started a Kid’s Couch to 5K program in 2020, to help with the fight against childhood obesity. This program is available to youth that want to get into running, but don’t want to participate in the sport of track and field. It is a way to keep our youth active.
We partnered with Chick-fil-A Dorchester Road to offer a “Track Forward” Scholarship to one female and male senior athlete who participated in track and field while in high school.
In 2021 we held our first fundraising event, which was a 5k and Kid’s 1 Mile Fun Run. We look forward to hosting this event for years to come.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is having the opportunity to travel around the United States and participate in USATF youth meets and going to nationals. I was able to visit different cities which allowed me to experience different things like going to the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone Park, and seeing the Seattle Space Needle. I attended my first major league baseball game.
Contact Info:
- Email: ebonitwebber@atouchofspeed.com
- Website: www.atouchofspeed.org
- Instagram: atouchofspeed
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atouchofspeed19
- Twitter: atouchofspeed1
Image Credits
Kim Craven Photography
