The Magic Boost nurtures and promotes a diverse group of young creators who are passionate about track & field and telling its many compelling stories.
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Aaron and Joshua Potts of the 2 Black Runners podcast interview young track & field stars Kate Peters and Cooper Teare at the NSAF 2022 Nike Outdoor Nationals.
Photographer: Joe Hale
Chris Chavez poses with Raven Saunders at the 2021 Nike Prefontaine Classic after an interview for CITIUS MAG. Chavez is the driving force behind The Magic Boost.
Photographer: Johnny Zhang
Dana Giordano of the More Than Running podcast interviews Liz Dolan about her career and her work on the Board of Directors for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.
Photographer: Johnny Zhang
Booster Tiara Williams was hired as a content creator for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22, focusing on athlete stories in the mixed zone and showcasing stadium experience in the stands. Here, she brought her charismatic energy to the youth parade of nations that opened the event.
Photographer: Howard Lao
Booster Dominique Smith gains insights from NBC’s Sanya Richards Ross in an interview for his podcast Lactic Acid.
Photographer: Johnny Zhang
Sha’Carri Richardson is interviewed at the 2021 Nike Prefontaine Classic press conference, where the presence of many Boosters changed the dynamic of the traditional media scrum.
Photographer: Johnny Zhang
The Magic Boost Class of 2021 at Hayward Field.

(Top L-R) Hannah Borenstein, Emma Zimmerman, Nikki Merrill, Katherine Burgess, Dominique Smith, KaDeem Wynn, Dana Giordano, Matt Wisner, Ben Crawford (Bottom L-R) Tiara Williams, Joshua Potts, Aaron Potts, Matthew Parker, Johnny Zhang (Not pictured Elizabeth Hernandez and Ben Weingart).
Photographer: Johnny Zhang
The Magic Boost Class of 2022 at the Bowerman Sports Science Center at Hayward.

(Top L-R) Johnny Pace, Elijah Agurs, Sheridan Wilbur, Diana Ramos, Cole Pressler, Jasmine Todd, Anderson Emerole, John Larracas (Bottom L-R) Jay Bendlin, Alex Andrei, Jillian Michales, Sam Farris (Not pictured Katelyn Hutchison).
Photographer: Johnny Zhang
How does The Magic Boost work?
The Magic Boost is an ongoing experiential training program for aspiring young storytellers in the track & field space.

Virtual and in-person classroom exposure to industry experts and business people as well as on-the-ground access to athletes and newsmakers at track & field competitions across the United States and around the world provide Boosters with real world storytelling opportunities for them to build their careers upon.
Boosters’ work has been featured in
Why should you care?
The Magic Boost recruits and fosters young and diverse voices in the sport of track & field. Through The Magic Boost, participants gain access to learning opportunities, mentors, and creative collaborations. The program also offers support for participants seeking media credentials to track & field events. 

The Magic Boost does not just benefit its participants.  Young creatives covering the sport will attract new fans, create new platforms and help grow the sport.

In addition to working for other organizations, brands, and events, Boosters all have their own channels on new media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, podcasts, etc.).
Boosters have worked for
Looking ahead
2023 will be a year of continuing education for the classes of 2021 and 2022.

The next new class of Boosters will be recruited in early 2024, with application information here on TheMagicBoost.com in January 2024.
Who is behind this?
Chris Chavez
Lori Shontz
Keith Peters
Jessi Gabriel
Liz Dolan
Chris O’Donnell
Chris Chavez of CITIUS MAG, and Lori Shontz, a journalism professor at the University of Oregon, lead the program.

Keith Peters, Jessi Gabriel, Liz Dolan, and Chris O’Donnell provide strategic counsel.

Special thanks to the individuals and organizations that have helped support this program and created opportunities for the Boosters, including World Athletics, USATF, the University of Oregon, TrackTown USA, Phil and Penny Knight, Jack Wickens and FanHub, Ray Flynn, the Millrose Games and The Armory Foundation, and many more.
Copyright© 2023
The Magic Boost
Not your parent’s mixed zone