This blog entry comes from a rainy San Diego, California...very different from the past few weeks where we have had temperature in the mid 80's and most of us here at the Olympic Training Center have been training like its the middle of Spring.
As the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games are approaching in under 20 days, the first news of fellow In the Arena athletes punching their tickets are rolling in! Emily Azevedo, a bobsled athlete, and member of the 2 man USA Team III, has just been named to her first Olympic Team.
Follow along with Emily as he Olympic Dream approaches here:
http://in-the-arena-emily.blogspot.com/
As other winter events are in the midst of qualifying and fierce competitions, In the Arena athletes Torin Koos and Laura Valaas both took Gold at the Methow Valley SuperTour Sprint Event. At the same Super Tour event, ITA athletes went 1-2-3 as Caitlin Compton won gold and Laura Valaas and Nicole De Yong picked up silver and bronze respectively in the 15k thriller. You can follow each one of these athletes here:
Torin Koos: http://in-the-arena-torin.blogspot.com/
Laura Valas: http://in-the-arena-laura.blogspot.com/
Caitlin Compton: http://in-the-arena-caitlin.blogspot.com/
Nicole De Yong: http://in-the-arena-nicole.blogspot.com/
The Altius Track Club, that was launched at the beginning of the year has gotten off to an unexpectedly slow start. Although Ian Waltz and Stacy Dragila have began personal training sessions, an ITA merger looks to be in the near future and maybe within a week. Hopefully I will have some quality community service news to report on in the upcoming weeks...as the saying goes, its been way too long!
M++
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Happy New Year.....US Airways, Your Fired!!!
Happy new year, bet you have heard that a few times. Most people would like to start their new year off in a favorable fashion...you know, great New Years Eve party, starting all the New Years resolutions on the 1st and looking forward to all the promising things that the start of a new year brings...almost a clean slate so to speak. Mine was more of a "humbug new year" than a "happy new year".
Christmas was great, minus the usual drama that comes along when families get together over the holidays...I was all set to travel back to SD on the 31st, when my travel luck struck again!
It started with my US Airways flight from Austin-Phoenix-SD was delayed over 1 hour. I only had a 45 min connection in Phoenix if we where on time, so I knew that the possibility of making that connection was zero. Then the gate attendant came on the PA system and said that all passengers that had connecting flights in PHX could either stay in Austin and get re-booked for the morning flight, or fly to PHX and if they missed their connection, stay the night in PHX and get re-booked for the morning. Then she said, "except all passengers traveling to SD, there are 15 of you so they are going to hold the plane in PHX for you." lucky me, so I thought.
As I landed in PHX and made my way to gate 22, all 15 of us realized that there was no flight to SD..they did not hold it, nor even attempt to, it left right on time. The entire PHX airport basically shut down at 9:30PM, which left a few hundred stranded passengers on New Years Eve, all of which had big plans that night for sure. For the next 4.5 hours I waited in line at customer service to be re-booked, baggage claim, shuttle to the hotel, and then the 40 people long line to get checked in with 1 lady working the front desk. So yes, I watched the New Years celebrations while standing in line in a hotel lobby, tons of fun!
The next day the travel woes continued. As I went to the counter to check in, I was redirected to a waiting line that strangely enough had all 15 of us from the previous night. This was around 1pm. I stood in the exact same spot for over an hour and didn't budge. Come to find out, they canceled our re-booked flight to SD because of "crew rest" and couldn't get us even out of PHX until after 7pm, connecting in Ontario, getting into SD after 10pm! It wasn't even 2;15PM at this time, so I just walked over to Hertz, payed $288 !!!! picked up a car and drove the 5 hrs from PHX-SD. I got home around 9pm (which wasn't too much earlier than if I would have taken the later flight). Which in hindsight makes that $288 hurt even more. So 24hrs later than originally planned, I was home. Thanks US Airways! Happy New Year!
Im hoping that the rest of the year gets off to a much better start!
M++
Christmas was great, minus the usual drama that comes along when families get together over the holidays...I was all set to travel back to SD on the 31st, when my travel luck struck again!
It started with my US Airways flight from Austin-Phoenix-SD was delayed over 1 hour. I only had a 45 min connection in Phoenix if we where on time, so I knew that the possibility of making that connection was zero. Then the gate attendant came on the PA system and said that all passengers that had connecting flights in PHX could either stay in Austin and get re-booked for the morning flight, or fly to PHX and if they missed their connection, stay the night in PHX and get re-booked for the morning. Then she said, "except all passengers traveling to SD, there are 15 of you so they are going to hold the plane in PHX for you." lucky me, so I thought.
As I landed in PHX and made my way to gate 22, all 15 of us realized that there was no flight to SD..they did not hold it, nor even attempt to, it left right on time. The entire PHX airport basically shut down at 9:30PM, which left a few hundred stranded passengers on New Years Eve, all of which had big plans that night for sure. For the next 4.5 hours I waited in line at customer service to be re-booked, baggage claim, shuttle to the hotel, and then the 40 people long line to get checked in with 1 lady working the front desk. So yes, I watched the New Years celebrations while standing in line in a hotel lobby, tons of fun!
The next day the travel woes continued. As I went to the counter to check in, I was redirected to a waiting line that strangely enough had all 15 of us from the previous night. This was around 1pm. I stood in the exact same spot for over an hour and didn't budge. Come to find out, they canceled our re-booked flight to SD because of "crew rest" and couldn't get us even out of PHX until after 7pm, connecting in Ontario, getting into SD after 10pm! It wasn't even 2;15PM at this time, so I just walked over to Hertz, payed $288 !!!! picked up a car and drove the 5 hrs from PHX-SD. I got home around 9pm (which wasn't too much earlier than if I would have taken the later flight). Which in hindsight makes that $288 hurt even more. So 24hrs later than originally planned, I was home. Thanks US Airways! Happy New Year!
Im hoping that the rest of the year gets off to a much better start!
M++
Sunday, December 20, 2009
"Altius"
Happy holidays!
I am writing this blog entry as I am putting the finishing touches on the newly founded Altius Track & Field club (founded by former World and Olympic Champion, Stacy Dragila)
http://www.usatf.org/clubs/search/info.asp?zipcode=91915
Stacy Dragila (now Stacy Waltz as of last weekend) started the club to help develop some of the local kids in the area in track and field, the pole vault and sprints specifically. A former heptathlete and World Athletics Female of the Year, Stacy has a huge amount of information and coaching expertise and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work with her. This club is a perfect fit for me and In the Arena because it will finally allow me to bring in hand picked athletes and I will be able to coach and train them the way I see fit. This is a big difference from the Eastlake Flash track club days in 2007. The Altius Track Club will start workouts the 1st week of January and will hold practices Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and will continue all the way through the summer months. I am super excited to get started and cant wait to start up some really cool relationships with the kids in the area.
In shoulder rehab news, I am waaaaaay ahead of schedule. In fact, I cant even tell that I have had surgery! The range of motion is 95% and my strength levels are around 85%. That being said, I am still sticking to the program that was laid out for me and letting pain be my guide (not always the smartest thing for me ;) I al cleared to start joging and swimming on Monday and I started tennis ball throws last week. The ball is rolling in the right direction, now its time to make it roll a bit faster.
Have a great Christmas and dont forget the real reason for the season....yall!
M++
I am writing this blog entry as I am putting the finishing touches on the newly founded Altius Track & Field club (founded by former World and Olympic Champion, Stacy Dragila)
http://www.usatf.org/clubs/search/info.asp?zipcode=91915
Stacy Dragila (now Stacy Waltz as of last weekend) started the club to help develop some of the local kids in the area in track and field, the pole vault and sprints specifically. A former heptathlete and World Athletics Female of the Year, Stacy has a huge amount of information and coaching expertise and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work with her. This club is a perfect fit for me and In the Arena because it will finally allow me to bring in hand picked athletes and I will be able to coach and train them the way I see fit. This is a big difference from the Eastlake Flash track club days in 2007. The Altius Track Club will start workouts the 1st week of January and will hold practices Sunday, Wednesday and Friday and will continue all the way through the summer months. I am super excited to get started and cant wait to start up some really cool relationships with the kids in the area.
In shoulder rehab news, I am waaaaaay ahead of schedule. In fact, I cant even tell that I have had surgery! The range of motion is 95% and my strength levels are around 85%. That being said, I am still sticking to the program that was laid out for me and letting pain be my guide (not always the smartest thing for me ;) I al cleared to start joging and swimming on Monday and I started tennis ball throws last week. The ball is rolling in the right direction, now its time to make it roll a bit faster.
Have a great Christmas and dont forget the real reason for the season....yall!
M++
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Under the Knife ... again
First off, please excuse the shortness of this blog entry. Its a bit difficult to type one-handed with my arm in a sling. I had surgery this weekend on my shoulder and am still feeling the effects of the anesthesia and enjoying my pain medication. On my last update, the doctors in San Diego anticipated a small procedure called an acromioplasty that is just a few weeks recovery. After further examination of the MRI's and x-rays, a labrum tear was found, which is usually a 9 month recovery period. This would mean that I would miss the entire 2010 season. I flew to Birmingham, Alabama to see Dr. Andrews and Jeffry Dugas, arguably the best doctors in the world.
The surgery was completed with mixed results, some good some bad. The good news is that I will be able to compete this season (we had previously thought otherwise). The bad news is that I will have to do so with a torn labrum and ruptured bicep tendon. The bicep tendon rupture was a surprise because it never showed up on the MRI and I didnt show any signs of it. According to the doctors, it looked like a bomb went off in my shoulder, but believe it or not they have seen worse. I was told that if they fixed everything that had went wrong, I wouldn't have been able to throw again. That being said, they did do the acromioplasty, as well as de-debried the laburm and joint socket, removed a few bone spurs and freed up some capsule space. They told me that I under went the exact same surgery as guys such as Bret Farve, Troy Aikman and John Elway. I guess they had ok careers after all. I have enjoyed the company of a few of my rehab-mates, Bob Sanders (Indianapolis Colts) Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins) Mike Goff (SD Chargers).
Next up for me...rest, rehab, more rest and look for a job to help pay some of these medical bills. Unfortunately, ITA activities are all on hold until all of the dust settles. Till next time,
M++
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Ready…Set…Go! Now hit the breaks!
After 5 weeks of rest and relaxation, 2 of which included a smidgen of athletic training… I was ready to start my fall training period and I couldn’t wait to get started! No sooner than did it get started, that it looks as if it is going to be brought to an abrupt halt. Not a complete stop, but a huge deviation from the plan that was written.
Back in March of 2009, I was having massive shoulder problems that included shoulder impingement and a small labrum tear. I traveled to Atlanta Georgia for a week of treatment and therapy and was fixed up good enough to get through the season. In the big picture, we didn’t really fix the underlying problem; we just patched me up good enough for me to be able to compete in 2009.
That underlying problem came back to show its ugly head the first week of training for me this fall. I hoped that a 5-week break from competitive throwing would make a difference, but that gamble turned out to be a loosing bet. I was diagnosed (again) with shoulder impingement, and will have another round of ultra-sound imaging, x-rays and MRI’s this week to find out what exactly is causing the shoulder pain.
What we expect to see from initial evaluations is a few bone spurs and a acromioclavicular joint, or AC joint that needs to be shaved down to allow for more range of motion of the labrum and other rotator cuff muscles. It’s a pretty easy procedure called an acromioplasty.
“Acromioplasty is a arthroscopic surgical procedure of the acromion.
Generally, it implies removal of a small piece of the surface of the bone (acromion) that is in contact with a tendon causing, by friction, damage to the latter tissue.”
This is not all bad news; it just may come off that way because it’s not what my coaches and I have planned for. If we can manage to get this thing fixed and be back throwing before January, I should be in great shape by the time the season comes around. The procedure should keep me out of throwing for about 4-5 weeks, which will still leave me over 6 months to get ready for USA Champs. The other good news is that I should go into the 2010 season with a fresh arm. The danger of throwing with the issue that I have now (and that I threw with in 2009) is that eventually, the labrum that is being rubbed against by the AC joint may actually tear or rupture and that surgery looks at almost a year before your back in the mix. If that where to happen in 2011 or even 2012…well lets just say that would not be ideal for London. Not to mention that I had to change my technique in 2009 to get away from the pain in my shoulder and the results showed the difference. In 2008, I had 11 meets over 80m, and this 2009 yielded only 2.
The only real bad news is that I will have to take a small break away from my ITA activities. I was all set to begin coaching with the local High Schools here in Chula Vista and had several meetings and interviews scheduled with their respective athletic directors. My immediate plan now is to get the shoulder fixed asap and rehab full time until I am healthy enough to get back out into the community.
Till next time…always looking up!
M++
Back in March of 2009, I was having massive shoulder problems that included shoulder impingement and a small labrum tear. I traveled to Atlanta Georgia for a week of treatment and therapy and was fixed up good enough to get through the season. In the big picture, we didn’t really fix the underlying problem; we just patched me up good enough for me to be able to compete in 2009.
That underlying problem came back to show its ugly head the first week of training for me this fall. I hoped that a 5-week break from competitive throwing would make a difference, but that gamble turned out to be a loosing bet. I was diagnosed (again) with shoulder impingement, and will have another round of ultra-sound imaging, x-rays and MRI’s this week to find out what exactly is causing the shoulder pain.
What we expect to see from initial evaluations is a few bone spurs and a acromioclavicular joint, or AC joint that needs to be shaved down to allow for more range of motion of the labrum and other rotator cuff muscles. It’s a pretty easy procedure called an acromioplasty.
“Acromioplasty is a arthroscopic surgical procedure of the acromion.
Generally, it implies removal of a small piece of the surface of the bone (acromion) that is in contact with a tendon causing, by friction, damage to the latter tissue.”
This is not all bad news; it just may come off that way because it’s not what my coaches and I have planned for. If we can manage to get this thing fixed and be back throwing before January, I should be in great shape by the time the season comes around. The procedure should keep me out of throwing for about 4-5 weeks, which will still leave me over 6 months to get ready for USA Champs. The other good news is that I should go into the 2010 season with a fresh arm. The danger of throwing with the issue that I have now (and that I threw with in 2009) is that eventually, the labrum that is being rubbed against by the AC joint may actually tear or rupture and that surgery looks at almost a year before your back in the mix. If that where to happen in 2011 or even 2012…well lets just say that would not be ideal for London. Not to mention that I had to change my technique in 2009 to get away from the pain in my shoulder and the results showed the difference. In 2008, I had 11 meets over 80m, and this 2009 yielded only 2.
The only real bad news is that I will have to take a small break away from my ITA activities. I was all set to begin coaching with the local High Schools here in Chula Vista and had several meetings and interviews scheduled with their respective athletic directors. My immediate plan now is to get the shoulder fixed asap and rehab full time until I am healthy enough to get back out into the community.
Till next time…always looking up!
M++
Friday, October 23, 2009
Giving back that which can't be given back...
He told me that he was on his way out to pick up another wounded soldier out on the field...that is all he remembers.
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity...scratch that, honor to coach some of America's disabled warriors. The USOC Paralympic Military Program brought some of its disabled vets who had been wounded in action to the Olympic Training Center last Wednesday.
"The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Paralympic Military Program provides post-rehabilitation support and mentoring to American servicemen and women who've sustained physical injuries such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, visual impairment/blindness and stroke. Veterans are introduced to adaptive sport techniques and opportunities through clinics and camps and are also connected with ongoing Paralympic sports programs in their hometowns."
http://www.usparalympics.org/pages/5137
I had the privilege to hang out and show some real heroes what I do on a daily basis and I was humbled by how much they have sacrificed. Alot of times I get angry when I look at what kind of notoriety Olympians get in the USA and when I think about how much I have sacrificed to get to where I am now. Then I see what these guys have sacrificed and I realize that I have had a walk in the park.
I spoke to one guy named Chris from Michigan...he caught me by surprise as he came up to me from behind without me knowing, I couldn't figure out how I didn't hear him and then I realized its because they guy has no legs and moves at about 1 mile per hour. He was "walking" up to me on 2 stems that looked like something NASA had put together, made of all kinds of carbon fiber and space age plastics, it actually looked like something a space age robo-cop would use. He had this ridiculous sparkle in his eye and said "dude this looks cool, I have been wanting to try this forever!"
I hung out with him for about 20min as we talked about all kinds of things ranging from javelin training to hobbies to where we grew up. As our time began to come to an end before he moved on to the next station (where the discus was being taught) the conversation shifted to what happened to his legs. He told me he was a Marine Medic and he was serving in Iraq...what he told me next sent chills up my spine. He said that he had just jumped out of his Hum-V and was running out to help other injured marines that had just been involved in an IED (improvised explosive device) he was only about 20 seconds from the Hum-V...thats all he remembers.
here is a quick video of just what that may have been like...just a glimpse
(some of these are graphic but need to be seen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLIvJqv7Mxo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88K5vjJyxsg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7RQ9Os_zRk&feature=related
He was told that he was on his way out TO HELP other injured marines and thats when the 2nd IED went off, taking both his legs. Meanwhile, Chris is hanging out with me talking javelin and thinking what I do is cool...I couldn't help but to give the guy a hug and remind him that I...WE, couldn't do the everyday things that we take advantage of without their sacrifice and service.
I only heard one of a few thousand stories that have yet to be told, but it just reminds me everyday that I need to be grateful for what I have...that has been given to me through what I have sacrificed. It also reminds me that what I have sacrificed is no sacrifice at all compared to these heroes. Its easy to get caught up in the glitz and glam, and massive salaries and egos of football, baseball, basketball and other major sports that Americans hold so dear to their hearts. I used to be the one who wanted to be on MTV cribs, buying out the bars and having 8 cars in the driveway worth a quarter million dollars each. Now, I would prefer to be able to lay my head down at night knowing that I served a greater purpose other than being entertainment for the very people who take advantage of the right to have that entertainment...That to me is worth more than any contract can pay.
Please take 6min of your time to watch the video on the The USOC Paralympic Military Program, ITS JUST 6 MINUTES!! ...you can sacrifice that for what they have done! It can be found on this page:
http://www.usparalympics.org/pages/5137
Last Wednesday I had the opportunity...scratch that, honor to coach some of America's disabled warriors. The USOC Paralympic Military Program brought some of its disabled vets who had been wounded in action to the Olympic Training Center last Wednesday.
"The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Paralympic Military Program provides post-rehabilitation support and mentoring to American servicemen and women who've sustained physical injuries such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, visual impairment/blindness and stroke. Veterans are introduced to adaptive sport techniques and opportunities through clinics and camps and are also connected with ongoing Paralympic sports programs in their hometowns."
http://www.usparalympics.org/pages/5137
I had the privilege to hang out and show some real heroes what I do on a daily basis and I was humbled by how much they have sacrificed. Alot of times I get angry when I look at what kind of notoriety Olympians get in the USA and when I think about how much I have sacrificed to get to where I am now. Then I see what these guys have sacrificed and I realize that I have had a walk in the park.
I spoke to one guy named Chris from Michigan...he caught me by surprise as he came up to me from behind without me knowing, I couldn't figure out how I didn't hear him and then I realized its because they guy has no legs and moves at about 1 mile per hour. He was "walking" up to me on 2 stems that looked like something NASA had put together, made of all kinds of carbon fiber and space age plastics, it actually looked like something a space age robo-cop would use. He had this ridiculous sparkle in his eye and said "dude this looks cool, I have been wanting to try this forever!"
I hung out with him for about 20min as we talked about all kinds of things ranging from javelin training to hobbies to where we grew up. As our time began to come to an end before he moved on to the next station (where the discus was being taught) the conversation shifted to what happened to his legs. He told me he was a Marine Medic and he was serving in Iraq...what he told me next sent chills up my spine. He said that he had just jumped out of his Hum-V and was running out to help other injured marines that had just been involved in an IED (improvised explosive device) he was only about 20 seconds from the Hum-V...thats all he remembers.
here is a quick video of just what that may have been like...just a glimpse
(some of these are graphic but need to be seen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLIvJqv7Mxo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88K5vjJyxsg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7RQ9Os_zRk&feature=related
He was told that he was on his way out TO HELP other injured marines and thats when the 2nd IED went off, taking both his legs. Meanwhile, Chris is hanging out with me talking javelin and thinking what I do is cool...I couldn't help but to give the guy a hug and remind him that I...WE, couldn't do the everyday things that we take advantage of without their sacrifice and service.
I only heard one of a few thousand stories that have yet to be told, but it just reminds me everyday that I need to be grateful for what I have...that has been given to me through what I have sacrificed. It also reminds me that what I have sacrificed is no sacrifice at all compared to these heroes. Its easy to get caught up in the glitz and glam, and massive salaries and egos of football, baseball, basketball and other major sports that Americans hold so dear to their hearts. I used to be the one who wanted to be on MTV cribs, buying out the bars and having 8 cars in the driveway worth a quarter million dollars each. Now, I would prefer to be able to lay my head down at night knowing that I served a greater purpose other than being entertainment for the very people who take advantage of the right to have that entertainment...That to me is worth more than any contract can pay.
Please take 6min of your time to watch the video on the The USOC Paralympic Military Program, ITS JUST 6 MINUTES!! ...you can sacrifice that for what they have done! It can be found on this page:
http://www.usparalympics.org/pages/5137
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
And the Winner is .... what?
So, Rio it is...
Last Week I was sitting in a crowded athletes "connection center" here at the training center, patiently awaiting what the announcement of the site of the 2016 Olympic Games. The "AT&T Athletes Connection Center" was packed full of athletes from various sports as well as media from San Diego and all over California in general. I was actually in the training center cafeteria grabbing a coffee headed back to the connections center...when I heard the news. They where supposed to announce the winner around 9:3o am local time and I figured that since it wasn't even 9am yet, I had time to go grab a quick coffee and head back in time for the celebration. Thats when I heard the results from the 1st round (not the 2nd, or the 3rd...but the 1st!) and heard the announcement
"Chicago, receiving the least amount of votes in the 1st round will be excluded from the following rounds."
Just like that, we were out. As I made my way back to the connections center, 5 min away, the news was already spreading and there was some dis-belief as some of the camera crews hadn't even fired up their gear yet when the news came through. I happen to have 1st hand knowledge of Rio and Brazil very well, having competed in Rio 3 times over the last few years, most notably the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio.
Now, before I go about on a "Rio-bashing tangent" let me first clear a few things. Rio is hands down the most beautiful place I have ever been in regards to natural beauty. The beaches and mountains that surround the city are nothing short of breath taking. But, Rio is also hands down the most dangerous place I have ever been to. Just to take a taxi cab ride to Copacabana or Ipanema beach, it was a necessity that you stripped down to bare essentials. That meant no watches, no sunglasses, no cameras, jewelry or anything that might give the slightest hint that you may have anything of value on or around you. Even after getting out of a taxi (which have to be pre-arranged by local authorities) and having to walk only 5 minutes to the beach...Its a 5 minute walk that is one of the most intense of your life, that involves you ducking in and out of buildings to ensure that the people behind you keep walking and aren't following you. I'm a fairly big boy at over 200lbs and Rio is the only place in the world that I have been and been scared for my life.
In 2007, I competed in the Pan American Games in Rio and it was my first encounter with Anti-American fans. It was the 1st time that I have been booed for wearing the Red, White and Blue and it was like a slap in the face...but it also motivated me to kick everyone's butt and as a result I won a silver medal and couldn't help but have a over whelming feeling of "take that!" I remember times when the US team would win a race..boos! If one of our athletes missed a bar in the pole vault of high jumps, massive cheers would erupt! It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. I specifically remember watching the women's pole vault competition and April Steinar-Bennet of the USA was in a race for the gold medal with the local favorite Fabiana Muerrer or Brazil. As April would make her way down the runway, the stadium of over 50,000 people erupted into massive boos and whistles and if she missed, the stadium erupted into a deafening cheer. It was the most backwards thing I have ever seen.
One of the lasting impressions that I had of Rio was waking to gunfire every morning in the barrios a few miles behind the athletes village. I have been to the 05 and 09 World Championships in Helsinki and Berlin and the 08 Games in Beijing, and Rio is the only place where armed guards with Riot Gear and M-16 assault rifles would actually board the athletes bus prior to entering the village to check credentials. I can only imaging the security carnival that Rio is looking at going into 2016. If I where still competing in 2016, which I dont plan to be, I would feel that Rio would be the Olympic Games that I would not want my family to attend due to security problems.
The last feeling I had as I left the "announcement viewing party" here at the training center was one of anger and disappointment. As a USA Olympian, I have the feeling everyday that what Olympians have accomplished are overshadowed by the inflated salaries and egos of the 4 major sports that dominate the American media. With the games being held in Chicago, at least for a small glimmer of time, being an USA Olympian would actually be considered "cool" again. As the Olympic movement and dream seems to be fading in America, I hope that loosing the 2016 Games doesn't damper the fire that burns in Olympians. The general public always forgets that for us, its not every 4 years...its every day.
As I walked back to my room at the center I passed another an athlete giving an interview to local media... The quote that I will remember was...
"I get notoriety and recognized for 3 weeks every 4 years for what I have done and accomplished...With the Games in Chicago I kinda hoped it would it would be extended to a few months every 4 years...oh well, I'm late for practice."
April Jumping in Rio with Boos, quality is bad...but TURN IT UP! unreal
The view of the ghettos behind the Athletes Village (view from my room)
Another View of the Ghetto from my room
Another View to the left of my room...another problem area for local police
...and to the right
The Amazing View of Rio at Sunset, Copacaba Beach
The other side of Rio, Ipanema Beach...amazing scenery
Last Week I was sitting in a crowded athletes "connection center" here at the training center, patiently awaiting what the announcement of the site of the 2016 Olympic Games. The "AT&T Athletes Connection Center" was packed full of athletes from various sports as well as media from San Diego and all over California in general. I was actually in the training center cafeteria grabbing a coffee headed back to the connections center...when I heard the news. They where supposed to announce the winner around 9:3o am local time and I figured that since it wasn't even 9am yet, I had time to go grab a quick coffee and head back in time for the celebration. Thats when I heard the results from the 1st round (not the 2nd, or the 3rd...but the 1st!) and heard the announcement
"Chicago, receiving the least amount of votes in the 1st round will be excluded from the following rounds."
Just like that, we were out. As I made my way back to the connections center, 5 min away, the news was already spreading and there was some dis-belief as some of the camera crews hadn't even fired up their gear yet when the news came through. I happen to have 1st hand knowledge of Rio and Brazil very well, having competed in Rio 3 times over the last few years, most notably the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio.
Now, before I go about on a "Rio-bashing tangent" let me first clear a few things. Rio is hands down the most beautiful place I have ever been in regards to natural beauty. The beaches and mountains that surround the city are nothing short of breath taking. But, Rio is also hands down the most dangerous place I have ever been to. Just to take a taxi cab ride to Copacabana or Ipanema beach, it was a necessity that you stripped down to bare essentials. That meant no watches, no sunglasses, no cameras, jewelry or anything that might give the slightest hint that you may have anything of value on or around you. Even after getting out of a taxi (which have to be pre-arranged by local authorities) and having to walk only 5 minutes to the beach...Its a 5 minute walk that is one of the most intense of your life, that involves you ducking in and out of buildings to ensure that the people behind you keep walking and aren't following you. I'm a fairly big boy at over 200lbs and Rio is the only place in the world that I have been and been scared for my life.
In 2007, I competed in the Pan American Games in Rio and it was my first encounter with Anti-American fans. It was the 1st time that I have been booed for wearing the Red, White and Blue and it was like a slap in the face...but it also motivated me to kick everyone's butt and as a result I won a silver medal and couldn't help but have a over whelming feeling of "take that!" I remember times when the US team would win a race..boos! If one of our athletes missed a bar in the pole vault of high jumps, massive cheers would erupt! It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. I specifically remember watching the women's pole vault competition and April Steinar-Bennet of the USA was in a race for the gold medal with the local favorite Fabiana Muerrer or Brazil. As April would make her way down the runway, the stadium of over 50,000 people erupted into massive boos and whistles and if she missed, the stadium erupted into a deafening cheer. It was the most backwards thing I have ever seen.
One of the lasting impressions that I had of Rio was waking to gunfire every morning in the barrios a few miles behind the athletes village. I have been to the 05 and 09 World Championships in Helsinki and Berlin and the 08 Games in Beijing, and Rio is the only place where armed guards with Riot Gear and M-16 assault rifles would actually board the athletes bus prior to entering the village to check credentials. I can only imaging the security carnival that Rio is looking at going into 2016. If I where still competing in 2016, which I dont plan to be, I would feel that Rio would be the Olympic Games that I would not want my family to attend due to security problems.
The last feeling I had as I left the "announcement viewing party" here at the training center was one of anger and disappointment. As a USA Olympian, I have the feeling everyday that what Olympians have accomplished are overshadowed by the inflated salaries and egos of the 4 major sports that dominate the American media. With the games being held in Chicago, at least for a small glimmer of time, being an USA Olympian would actually be considered "cool" again. As the Olympic movement and dream seems to be fading in America, I hope that loosing the 2016 Games doesn't damper the fire that burns in Olympians. The general public always forgets that for us, its not every 4 years...its every day.
As I walked back to my room at the center I passed another an athlete giving an interview to local media... The quote that I will remember was...
"I get notoriety and recognized for 3 weeks every 4 years for what I have done and accomplished...With the Games in Chicago I kinda hoped it would it would be extended to a few months every 4 years...oh well, I'm late for practice."
April Jumping in Rio with Boos, quality is bad...but TURN IT UP! unreal
The view of the ghettos behind the Athletes Village (view from my room)
Another View of the Ghetto from my room
Another View to the left of my room...another problem area for local police
...and to the right
The Amazing View of Rio at Sunset, Copacaba Beach
The other side of Rio, Ipanema Beach...amazing scenery
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