Professional racer Brennan Poole joined our loveisrespect National Youth Advisory Board (NYAB) members at their annual conference in July to get ideas and inspiration about how to prevent dating abuse. Poole participated in board conference sessions, observed how Break the Cycle talks about issues surrounding teen dating violence and participated in outreach — all to become a better advocate.
In fact, Poole was one of the main attractions at the table Break the Cycle set up on Santa Monica Third Street Promenade. There, he signed hero cards for people who came to the table to learn more about ending domestic violence among young people. Along with NYAB members, he helped educate visitors about the signs of unhealthy relationships and engaged them on how they could encourage healthy ones free of violence.
“Loveisrespect NYAB members are some of the greatest young people in America today,” said Poole. “I was honored to participate in the annual conference and hear their varied and dynamic perspectives on why healthy relationship education should be part of everyone’s life. I am looking forward to partnering with a brand that will join us in spotlighting the healthy relationship message we champion,” said Poole.
As a spokesperson for Break the Cycle, Poole drove with the Break the Cycle logo on his car last month and won the Patriot Pumps 200 at Michigan International Speedway helping to spread awareness about teen dating violence and prevention. “This is a very serious problem few people talk about,” said Poole. “We must continue to educate people and help them find solutions so we can promote healthy relationships.”
Brennan explains why he’s passionate about ending dating abuse in this video at A Day to Connect, Inspire and Heal, the groundbreaking summit on domestic violence prevention presented by Verizon in partnership with Break the Cycle.
“When my sister was in eighth grade and I was in high school, she was dealing with a lot of issues with her friends who were going through some form of abuse in their personal relationships,” said Poole. “And so in trying to come up with advice in how to tell my sister how to reach out to her friends, I started getting involved and finding out as much as I could about the issue.”
Brennan Poole is one of the top driver prospects in the country. He was recently selected by an esteemed panel of NASCAR insiders as one of the top 21 drivers in America that will dominate NASCAR for the next 15 years. Poole’s first race was shortly after his fifth birthday, and after graduating highschool early at 17, Poole committed to pursuing a career in NASCAR racing. He has racked up 215 wins racing on 75 tracks in 24 different states and has been crowned champion 9 times, most recently when he won the 2011 UARA Championship. In 2012, Poole was awarded the ARCA Hoosier Superspeedway Challenge award.
The loveisrespect National Youth Advisory Board is comprised of selected teens and young adults that are dedicated to ending dating violence in their communities. During their annual conference, they discussed upcoming goals and plans for the following year to help spread awareness about dating abuse.