Runners from the 2023 IBX Blue Streaks team are pictured with members of the IntePros team. IntePros is a longstanding vendor in Independence’s Supplier Diversity Program.
A group of Independence Blue Cross (Independence) associates represented the company in the prestigious 2023 Penn Relays, the oldest track and field event in the country.
The team participated in the Corporate Distance Medley Relay, which consists of 1,200, 400, 800, and 1,600 meter legs, respectively. They finished with a total team time of 13:59:76 to take 21st place. The four relay team members are part of the Blue Streaks associate running club and were coached by Joseph Lynch, director of Safety and Security and a Blue Streaks captain.
Team members included Erika McCormick, manager of Government Markets Performance; Christopher Curcio, director of Government Sales and Marketing Enablement; Matthew Lynch, operations manager for Business Intelligence; and Luogang Wei, lead data engineer.
The team trained for 12 weeks leading up to the event, often in early mornings. Besides usual runs around Philadelphia with Blue Streaks, this team also ran laps at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field, climbed hundreds of stairs, and practiced baton handoffs down to a science.
The first Penn Relays were held in 1895. This year, over 15,000 participants competed in more than 800 different events. Independence is a sponsor of the event, which took place April 27-29 at Franklin Field.
