Sam Kendricks
Olympian, World Champion, and Visionary Founder of The Refuge Training Center
Sam Kendricks, World Champion and Olympic Pole vaulter from Mississippi, has been all over the world competing with the world’s best for many years. He’s won the Diamond League, Continental Cups, NCAA championships, and just about every other kind of medal you can achieve in the sport. But that isn’t Sam that everyone knows back home. The truth is, his origins aren’t the talented gem that surged through the ranks to challenge the champions of the world. In actuality, he wasn’t able to even make the team in the beginning. His gifts weren’t athletic; they were his family. Sam, his twin Tom, little brother John, and Mary Charles were all coached to high school state championships (by their father, Scott Kendricks, at Oxford High School. Coach K has continued coaching Sam for 18 years and is a partner at the training center. Sam, along with his twin brother Tom, trained with their father every day for over a decade, with access and love only made possible by great sacrifice from the family. Over the months, years, and thousands of hours on the track, Sam grew under that amazing tutelage. The values that Sam wishes to convey through the Refuge are the same as those he was afforded through the amazing and enduring relationships he has built over his lifetime in sport. He hopes you’ll come and see for yourself where your journey will take you.
Our team
Corbit Franks
Athletic Trainer
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Corbit Franks PhD, ATC, CES currently serves as the Athletic Trainer for Refuge Training Center and is an Assistant Professor and Clinical Education Coordinator for the Master of Science in Athletic Training at The University of Mississippi.
Prior to his current roles, Corbit served as an athletic trainer at Ole Miss from 2010-2021, working with numerous sports and eventual professional athletes and Olympians.
Corbit has a vast background in a variety of manual therapy techniques including Dry Needling and Graston Technique. He also has experience with movement screening and training in the Selective Functional Movement Assessment and Functional Movement Screen through Functional Movement Systems as well as being a Corrective Exercise Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
He received his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nutrition & Hospitality Management from the University of Mississippi in May of 2020 and his Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Union University in May 2010.
Corbit is a Board Certified Athletic Trainer by the Board of Certification of Athletic Training.
Noah Mumme
Athletic & Instructor
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Noah Mumme currently serves as an athletic and instructor at Refuge Training Center.
Originally from Satellite Beach, Florida, he graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2021. During his tenure there he won the 2020 Sun Belt Indoor Conference Championship. In 2023 Noah competed for the Ole Miss Rebels scoring 12 points at the SEC Championships; secured a Silver Medal Indoors and 4th place Outdoors. As one of the founding members of the RTC, Noah is in awe of the growth and potential this elite facility has to offer. Noah intends to cultivate success amongst the people he leads as he continues on his pole vault journey here at RTC.
Pierce Genereux
Director of Media & Merchandising | RTC Athlete & Instructor
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Pierce is a dynamic leader and Director of Media and Merchandising, as well as a competitive RTC athlete and instructor specializing in running machines and athletic training. With a unique blend of marketing expertise and athletic discipline, he drives brand growth, media presence, and merchandising strategy.
Originally from Philadelphia, Pierce graduated from The University of Mississippi in 2023 with a degree in International Marketing Communication. As a former NCAA Division I decathlete at Ole Miss, he brings a strong foundation in performance, discipline, and goal execution.
In his current role, Pierce leads media and merchandising initiatives that align marketing strategy with revenue goals. He oversees integrated campaigns, product positioning, and inventory management through a data-driven lens.
Combining business strategy, marketing acumen, and athletic insight, Pierce brings energy, precision, and innovation to everything he does—transforming brand presence into measurable success.