Ambassador Bill Rogers has taken a long noble, and deliberate path from his humble rural origins outside of Kakata, Liberia to help the underprivileged youths of his country. This journey included many exciting and rewarding stops along the way. Beginning with his life as a sports performance trainer in America, the most important overriding goal and destination for Bill Rogers is to utilize all that he has learned and return home to make a difference. He established the ‘Bill Rogers Youth Foundation’, an organization that seeks to ultimately transform young lives through athletic participation and achievement as well as fundamental schooling and life guidance.
He currently holds the Liberian national record for the 1500 m. He ran a 4:01.56 for the Liberian record in Cotonou, Benin, on June 27, 2004.
Bill grew up in forested outer reaches of western coastal Liberia. Raised lovingly with four brothers and one sister by diligent and uneducated parents. At any early age, Bill decided to strike out on his own to learn and see what the world had to offer. This was the beginning stage of the traumatic Liberian Civil War, which affected Bill strongly. At age 6, his parents separated, leaving his mother to take care of the entire family alone. As the second oldest sibling, Bill began to grow into the leadership position at home. Desiring to become a leader out in the world, he would have to first understand what it meant to be an integral part of a team with a collective goal in mind.
After seeing a group of professional track and field athletes run through his town, he eagerly trailed alongside them, immediately receiving encouragement from their coach to pursue athletics. In his early formative years, Bill lived with several relatives away from his brothers and sisters. At age 11, Bill entered public school for the first time. There he soon participated in soccer, as well as track and field. Bill’s spirit was always funny and outgoing. Becoming friends with a classmate named Saye who provided him food and some assistance with his schoolwork. He also worked with a study tutor named Solo who assisted him with the English language and mentored him in history. Initially behind several years in school, Bill managed to catch up in his late teens.
Bill’s various athletic skills grew exponentially in his early teen years. He competed in the ‘World Youth Track and Field Championship’ in Hungary in 2001. Bill also became a double medal award-winner as an official competitor in the ‘2004 African Athletic Championship’ in Benin; Later competing and winning several track and fields awards in Africa and Europe.
At age 18, Bill was chosen to train and become an official member of the Liberian Olympic track and field team in 2004. At this time, the dramatic political unrest in Liberia began to calm significantly, punctuated by the electing of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and a new, peaceful leadership body. This important passage in his life, along with his success 35th Annual ‘IAAF World Cross Country Running Championship’ in Kenya in 2007, has placed him on the forefront of Liberian Athletic history. While training, Bill began to pursue another life as a sports physical therapist. He trained and became a certified athletic trainer in Nairobi, Kenya in 2003. But Bill’s vision took him further, this to the United Stay.
With the encouragement and help of previous Liberian Olympic track and field team member, Dr.Grace-Ann Dinkins, Bill applied and was accepted to El Camino College in Torrance, California. He traveled over 7000 miles to begin his studies. Bill moved to El Paso, Texas for the following school year to study Kinesiology-Exercise Science. After winning a full athletic scholarship, Bill transferred to Huston-Tillotson University, where he eventually earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology-Human Performance as a top honor student in 2009. Bill acted as a student ambassador at Huston-Tillotson University and guided new students through their orientation and studies.
Bill earned several successive requisite certifications in CPR, AED and became an assistant soccer and track volunteer Coach at Huston Tillotson University. Utilizing his free time in over a dozen physical therapy facilities in both New Jersey and Texas, such as Tender Touch Rehabilitation, Heritage Park Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center and many more. In his free time, he worked with the ‘Catholic Charities Organization’ providing direct help for the homeless. As an ASFA certified master professional personal fitness trainer, Ambassador Bill Rogers specializes in cardiovascular wellness, muscular strength, endurance, body composition, flexibility and overall health improvement for his clients. Bill trains both professional athletes and therapy patients throughout greater Los Angeles, California.
He is currently a member of the Liberian International Athletic Foundation, where he organizes, coordinates, and supervises a great number and variety of sporting activities for youths in several communities throughout the U.S; worked with U.S Justice Department as a Rehabilitation and Recreation specialist helping children who have experienced problems with the law. His responsibilities includes planning, developing, and implementing the rehabilitative strategy, which specialize in treatment programs and services for the agency while providing consultation, coaching and mentoring services, providing technical assistance to program staff, governmental agencies, community organizations and the general public.
Bill earned a Graduate Degree in Coaching, Sport, Recreation, and Fitness Administration from the Angelo State University in December 2021. Before heading to accept ‘Nelson Mandela Freedom Award’ from ‘We Dream in Color Foundation Inc. USA’. In Liberia on December 3, 2020, Bill received special recognition from Angelo State University’s Professional Development Sports Club for his ‘Nelson Mandela Freedom Award’ honor and praised him for his selflessness, services and outstanding leadership. After receiving his ‘Nelson Mandela Freedom Award’ in Liberia surrounded by family and friends, Bill graciously presented his award to his country. Today, Bill’s honor is on display strong and proud in his capital.
Bill intentions are to make a momentous return to Liberia to make a powerful imprint and lasting impression amongst its youths and community as a policymaker and through his ‘Bill Rogers Youth Foundation’. It is Bill’s mission to help Liberian youth discover and develop their natural talents so they can make a posit impact within their communities. As he looks forward to providing clothes to those who are naked, and food to all who are hungry. By the Grace of God, Bill feels empowering as he states with confidence… “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.