BOISE, ID-- Mayor David Bieter announces the naming of Boise’s Municipal Park in honor of three-time Olympic gold medal winner Kristin Armstrong on Sunday.
The new name, Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park, was unveiled before hundreds gathered at the park today to honor the Boise cyclist. Earlier this month, Armstrong won an unprecedented third consecutive gold medal in the women’s cycling time trial at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“Kristin’s amazing achievements are an inspiration to each of us,” said Mayor Bieter. “The pride we’ve all felt each time Kristin won will be forever memorialized here in the name of this park. Future generations of Boiseans will always know her name, her accomplishments and her meaning to our community.”
After Armstrong won the gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Bieter awarded her the Key to the City, the highest honor the city can bestow upon a resident. In 2009, the City of Boise also proposed and advocated for the naming of the Kristin Armstrong Bikeway, an eight-mile stretch of Bogus Basin Road that she continues to use for training today.
In 2012, after Armstrong won gold again at the London Olympics, the City of Boise created the Kristin Armstrong Youth Scholarship fund to help children and families access the city’s youth activities at a reduced rate. Just last year alone, the fund provided scholarships to children for 10,949 activities in the amount of $146,684.
Additionally, the Kristin Armstrong Children’s Bike Trail is a .6-mile, gently rolling mountain bike trail named after Armstrong at Boise Hills Park – the path is suitable for kids age 12 and younger who want to improve their cycling skills in a safe environment.
Municipal Park, a 28-acre park on the banks of the Boise River, is one of Boise’s oldest and most popular parks, especially for families. Created in 1918 as Boise Tourist Park campground, the city purchased the park in 1927. Kristin Armstrong Municipal Park will now join a series of other major regional parks along the Boise River and Greenbelt named after prominent Boise residents known as the Ribbon of Jewels.
“We thought hard about a proper recognition for Kristin’s accomplishments,” said Mayor Bieter. “None seemed quite big enough for such a great achievement – until we landed on this. I think it’s perfect.”
