For Immediate Release
Contact WAVE Public Relations, Inc.
Wayne Henninger or David Wieme
202.232.9283 / wave@wavepr.com

U.S. Olympic Racewalker Named a Spokesperson for Athlete’s Competitive Edge (A.C.E.)
Andrew Hermann to Promote World’s First Online Sports Assessment & Training Program

San Diego, CA (April 17, 2000) - Andrew Hermann, a United States Racewalking Olympian competing in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, has been named a spokesperson for Athlete’s Competitive Edge (A.C.E.), the world’s first and most comprehensive on-line sports assessment and training program from Enhanced Performance Systems (EPS).

Hermann, a native of Portland, OR, will promote A.C.E. (www.TAKEACE.com) to athletes, teams and sports groups throughout the world, offering expert testimony on how A.C.E. helped him better Perform Under Pressure™. He will also explain how A.C.E. can help all athletes increase their performance by focusing their.mind. As spokesperson, Hermann will play a key role in conveying the A.C.E. message and the program’s capabilities through the media.

In early 1999, as Hermann was training for a position on the U.S. Olympic Racewalking Team, he used A.C.E. to sharpen his mind and increase his mental toughness. At that time, he was 11 minutes behind the top U.S. Racewalker. After taking A.C.E. and applying the program’s training techniques, Hermann was able to close the gap to just one a half minutes. The improvement helped him place second at the Olympic trials in late 1999 and secure a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

“There is a direct link between concentration and performance,” explained Hermann. “ For me, as well as thousands of other athletes at every level, that link is A.C.E. To perform at full potential, an athlete must be able to focus his or her mind; physical abilities will only take them so far. A.C.E. helped me pinpoint my mental strengths and weaknesses. This recognition allowed me to use my strengths more efficiently and improve my weaknesses to compete at a higher lever. After I learned to better concentrate and focus, my performance improved dramatically and my confidence soared. A.C.E. can help any athlete who needs a competitive edge. As spokesperson, I look forward to introducing the many benefits of A.C.E. to athletes at every level and in all sports.”

“We wanted a spokesperson who believed in and had first-hand experience with the benefits of A.C.E.,” explained Marc Sagal, COO of EPS. “Andrew’s experience in international competition and overall understanding of how the mind can improve performance, gives him the background and credibility to relate A.C.E. to athletes from around the world.” (more).

ABOUT ANDREW HERMANN – Andrew Hermann will be representing the United States in the 50 K Racewalk in the Olympic Games in Sydney. He is currently the second ranked racewalker in the United States. He has competed in professional events in the U.S., France, Spain, Greece, the Czech Republic, China, Mexico and Canada. Andrew is a graduate of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon where he was a two-time NAIA Track & Field All-American.

ABOUT ATHLETE’S COMPETITIVE EDGE (A.C.E.) - A.C.E. is an easy-to-understand, 50-question online sports assessment and training program that highlights and studies 23 critical performance factors including; focus, confidence, discipline, decisiveness, leadership, resilience and performance under pressure. The entire test, including analysis, takes just 10-15 minutes to complete. A.C.E. is based on the internationally respected and widely used TAIS (The Attentional and Interpersonal Style) inventory, an analytical self-evaluation system developed by EPS in 1976. EPS has been collecting TAIS data for over 25 years from comparison groups, including Olympians, professional athletes, coaches, high-level amateur athletes, military leaders, business executives and sales managers.

Those already using the A.C.E. technology include teams and players from Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Soccer (MLS), Italian World Cup Soccer Teams and the Australian Institute for Sport, as well as over 1,000 amateur athletes.

A.C.E. can be taken on-line for a nominal fee of $35 at www.TAKEACE.com. Reduced rates for teams, coaching staffs, sports recruiters and other organizations with more than 20 individuals are available. To organize a customized face-to-face assessment and training program, e-mail Geoff Miller at gmiller@enhanced-performance.com or call 1.800.EPS.7894 (1.800.377.7894).