HOUSTON/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins will discuss health, fitness and astronaut training with several elite American athletes in a Google+ Hangout at 3 p.m. CDT (4 p.m. EDT) Wednesday, July 17.

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The Hangout can be seen live on NASA's Google+ page or on NASA Television. Participants will be:

• Rachel Flatt, 2010 U.S. Olympic team figure skater
• Curt Tomasevicz. 2010 U.S. Olympic bobsledder
• Rich Froning Jr., CrossFit Games champion
• Jared Crick, Houston Texans professional football player
• Peter Moore, Men's Health magazine
• Sam Kass, an Obama Administration senior policy advisor on nutrition and executive director of the White House's Lets Move! campaign
• Mark Guilliams, Hopkins' lead strength and conditioning coach

A colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Hopkins is in the final phase of his mission training as he and his crewmates prepare for their Sept. 25 launch to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Hopkins has participated in many sports and athletics throughout his life, including serving as the team captain for the football team while at the University of Illinois. His recreational interests include hockey, backpacking, snow skiing and running. He also is an avid fan of Cross Fit and weight lifting.

NASA's social media followers may submit questions on Twitter and Google+ in advance and during the Hangout using the hashtag #askNASA. Before the Hangout begins, NASA will open a thread on its Facebook page where questions may be posted.

To join the Hangout, visit:

To view the Hangout on NASA TV, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For Hopkins' astronaut biography, visit: 
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/hopkins-ms.html

SOURCE NASA