Wings of America

02/03/2026

Want to help Wings coordinate free Running & Fitness Camps for Tribal youth this summer? Consider donating your unused- but mechanically sound- vehicle to the organization to help transport our summer camp Facilitators!

In 2025, Wings Facilitator vehicles covered over 30,000 miles in just eight weeks traveling to/from 17 camp locations across the southwest! In 2026, we plan to serve just as many communities. Please help us avoid the expense of renting minivans to transport our staff. In recent years, each Facilitator vehicle we've rented has cost the organization around $6,000!

If you have a reliable vehicle that safely seats 6+ passengers collecting dust in your driveway, donate it to Wings for a tax-deduction. Wings is happy to arrange for transport for the right vehicles to Albuquerque, NM before our summer programs begin in June. We thank you for your consideration and are especially looking for donations that meet the following criteria:

💺 Seats 6+ passengers with seat belts
🔢 Ideally, has 150K miles or less on the odometer
🌬️ Has working AC & Heat
🏜️ Loves "Rez Roads"

Contact Wings' CVO, Dustin Martin, at dustin@wingsofamerica.org with prospective donations and/or questions. Thanks for helping Wings get the wheels we need to this summer

01/14/2026

Reminiscing to those hot summer days with Wings! We hope everyone is having a great start to the new year—see you soon!

12/02/2025

Today's the day! It's , and we need the Wings family to show its love! If you can give, please do, and & .

The donation link is in our post below!

If you can't, it's okay, but PLEASE SHARE and make noise for your favorite non profit! The funds we raise today will help us grow our programs in 2026, and that means Native youth will have increased access to wellness, safe spaces, knowledge, confidence, friendship and joy!

This matters so much, especially today. Help us take advantage of a $50,000 matching donation opportunity!

Thank you to everyone who supports us - we love you right back!



Here is the link to Donate: https://www.wingsofamerica.org/contributions/

11/26/2025

🏁Announcing the 37th Wings National Team 📣

We are thrilled to announce the 14 young men and women that have accepted spots to represent Wings in the Gold Division race at the XC Championships in Huntsville, AL on December 6, 2025. As we finalize travel plans for this exceptional crew, we want to say a huge THANK YOU to all the talented young runners from across Indian Country that ran qualifying times at NXR regional races to be considered for selection to our team. All in all, 38 young women and 63 young men threw their name in the hat to be considered for the all-star squad that Wings has been helping since 1988. A list of the young ladies and gentlemen that were offered a spot on the team is posted below and lists of all qualifiers and their seed times can be found HERE:

Ladies: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18r9UB-oR71frBrsKKiwOLGmfegNCSFzi/view?usp=drive_link

Gentlemen: https://drive.google.com/file/d/114v-SM1gNGVCOyjIdP5WL5FKlTU_gbUu/view?usp=drive_link

It is important that we also recognize those that ran seed times fast enough to be offered a spot on the team but chose not to take advantage of the opportunity so they could run a different race, focus on another sport they excel in, or start a much-needed rest period after a long season. Even if it doesn't bring you into the Wings fold, we encourage all young runners to listen to their bodies and ambitions at all times.

We would also like to shout out for sending us enough singlets and pairs of Nike Pegasus 41's to be able to provide everyone that posted a seed time with a new Wings singlet and pair of trainers. If you posted a time to try-out for the team but weren't selected, be on the lookout for an email from our Program Coordinator, Esther Beck, with a survey that will gain you access to the perks mentioned above!

We cannot wait to make our way to Alabama next week to run the FAST loops at the John Hunt XC Park. Thanks to the RunningLane race directors and for welcoming the Wings squad into your race and even providing us a custom team kit to run with the best!

11/21/2025

📣 NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: ALI UPSHAW

As of right now, Wings is on the road with a group of young Native runners heading to Nike Cross Regionals in Mesa, AZ—where they’ll showcase their talent and compete against some of the best in the Southwest, all with the hope of earning a spot on the Wings National Team.

We’re honored to highlight words of wisdom from our very own Ali Upshaw—an incredible runner and an even more incredible human being on and off the racecourse. Ali hails from the Navajo Nation and currently attends Northern Arizona University (NAU), where she has continued to shine as a collegiate athlete. During her time at NAU, she contributed to one of the strongest women’s distance programs in the country, training and racing alongside nationally recognized athletes and helping elevate the team’s success at the conference and national level.

Ali has made a powerful name for herself in the running world, demonstrating what dedication, cultural pride, and hard work can do. Her resilience and humility show all of us—especially young Native runners—that our identities and communities are sources of strength, and that anything is possible when we commit to our ambitions.

We are extremely proud of Ali—of who she is, who she’s becoming, and the advocate she continues to be for our young people everywhere.

Tune in as we take you along our trip to NXR to cheer on our athletes! And if you are going to NXR Southwest, drive safe and see you there!

11/18/2025

📣 NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: STELLA HALL

As we are now just 3 days away from NXR Southwest and the National Team application deadline, we’re gearing up to head down to Mesa, Arizona with a group of student-athletes who proudly represent their communities, identities, and purpose.

Stella Hall (Hopi) represented Wings on the ‘23, ‘24, and ‘25 National Team and now competes as a student-athlete at Grand Canyon University, where she continues to push herself with strength and determination — both on the course and in the classroom. Stella carries her community, her values, and her purpose into every race, showing what it means to lead with heart.

Her journey is a reminder that running is more than a sport — it’s connection, identity, and a way to honor those who support us every step of the way.

Tune in this week as we travel with our group to NXR and continue sharing stories from our athletes and alumni.

We’re proud to celebrate Stella and the example she continues to set for the next generation of Native runners. 🪶

10/29/2025

📣 NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: MADELINE CASTILLO

As we continue our countdown to the application deadline and Nike Cross Regionals, we’re highlighting members of the Wings National Team who continue to lead with pride, dedication, and purpose.

Madeline Castillo (Pueblo of Acoma) is a three-time Wings National Team member (’22, ’23, ’24) and a current student-athlete at the University of North Florida, where she continues to represent her community with strength and heart both on and off the course.

This week, we’ll be featuring Madeline and her journey as she prepares for her conference meet. Be sure to tune in this weekend as she takes over our Instagram and shares what it’s like balancing college running, culture, and purpose.

We’re proud of Madeline and the example she continues to set for the next generation of Native runners ✨

Apply for the 2025 Wings National Team by Nov. 21.

10/28/2025

Join Wings for a special virtual screening of "Remaining Native", featuring 2021 Wings National Team Member, Kutoven Stevens. The documentary (1hr 27min) follows Ku on his quest to use running as a way to "get off" the Yerington Paiute reservation in northern NV and become an Oregon duck. But along the way, running presents a new purpose: bringing awareness to the plight of Native American youth, like his great-grandfather, Frank Quinn, who were taken from their homes and placed in boarding schools across North America. Ku and his family organize a "Remembrance Run" from their home 50 miles over mountains and desert to Stewart Indian School, where his great-grandfather escaped from on foot three times before the age of eight.

After the screening, Ku will join Wings CVO, Dustin Martin, in a virtual conversation to answer questions about where he's at on his running journey today, as well as how the Remembrance Run has continued since the edition profiled in the film.

Thanks to Ku Stevens and the Remaining Nartive production team for making this special screening available to the Wings family! Link to register for the screening & panel: https://kinema.com/events/Remaining-Native-ujdaky

10/23/2025

10/21/2025

📣 NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: BAHOZHONI CHURCH

Báhozhóni Church (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi/Diné) ran with the 2022 Wings National Team and continues to excel at Grand Valley State University — growing as both an athlete and a leader, while carrying his culture and confidence into every race.

Báhozhóni reminds us that through running, we can celebrate who we are, where we come from, and to carry culture forward with purpose and pride.

We’re proud of Báhozhóni and the path he continues to carve for the next generation of Native runners!

Apply for the 2025 Wings National Team by Nov. 21.

10/17/2025

📣 NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: KU STEVENS

Ku Stevens (Yerington Paiute Tribe) ran with the 2022 Wings National Team and continues to inspire through his powerful perspective on resilience and responsibility.

“Our past can feel heavy. It can feel like it’s weighing us down, and it’s hard to get past that. It hurts to think about what our people have been through for us to even be here. It’s also empowering to think about all that we’ve been through — all that it took to get us here in this moment. It is our responsibility as young people that are strong and athletic to go out there and share that with the world.”

Ku’s words remind us that running is more than movement — it’s a reflection of strength, history, and healing.

We are proud to celebrate Ku and the light he continues to carry forward for the next generation of Native runners ✨

Apply for the 2025 Wings National Team by Nov. 21.