A Jefferson native recently received a prestigious award earlier this month.

American Athletic Incorporated founder Bill Sorenson received the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame Frank Bare Award. Sorenson started the company in the basement of a hardware store in Jefferson in 1954. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio what his proudest moments were with AAI.

“Our equipment was chosen for use in two Olympic games. Those were probably the proudest moments because suddenly, we had become the number producer of gymnastics equipment in the world. And I was very proud of that and thankful to all of the people in Jefferson.”

His equipment was of course used in the 1984 and 1996 summer Olympic games in Los Angeles and Atlanta respectively.

Sorenson points out that the award is really for all those who helped and supported AAI’s business.

“For the board down there to award me the Frank Bare Award was very humbling. An honor like this, I consider that an honor and a tribute to Jefferson and I just love being apart of it.”

The recognition happened at a ceremony in Oklahoma City on May 21st.