Any Olympic athletes here on the BBB?

[mackmama]

Just curious if anyone on the BBB is/was an Olympic athlete? I've been enjoying watching the games this round. I can see DC getting inspired too which is cool. I have several friends who were Olympic athletes (one who won the silver), and I'm so inspired by their dedication and also see the sacrifices and commitment it takes. For anyone who wants to "out" themselves... I'd be curious to know what it's like for you watching the Olympics now. Is it nostalgic, inspiring, sad, exciting, etc?

[mommy111]

I'm outing myself. Nope :rotflmao: Does it count if I was named after a gold medal athlete?

[Corie]

I could probably win gold in Olympic ice-cream eating!

[JustMe]

Nope. I can't even call myself an athlete. Both dc are very athletic in different ways and we are really enjoying watching!

[georgiegirl]

No. But I did win the gold in the junior olympics in 4th grade for sit ups. (And by junior olympics I mean the junior olympics my school put on in 1984...we lived in the LA suburbs.). I also medaled in the pole climb, but I can't remember if I got the bronze or the silver.

DD (10) did win two individual gold medals in our state games this summer (100 breast and 200 IM).


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[DualvansMommy]

No. Unless you count DH as one who participated in the Deaf Olympics on the U.S team for soccer.


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[essnce629]

Hahaha, nope!

[AnnieW625]

Nope, however had women's rowing been a sport in 1972 my mom would have most likely gone to the Munich games. Her team won at least one national championship between 1968 and 1972 (I can't remember and sadly there isn't much online history). They qualified to go the worlds one year during that time period in Hungary in 1970 (I think), but they didn't go because of funding. By 1976 my mom was 24 and her knees were starting to give her problems so she stopped rowing competively around that time. My parents did do a lot of judging at rowing regattas when I was a kid and iirc did some for the Olympic trials in 1984.

My high school geometry teacher's daughter went to the Olympics in Bejing, and London and competed in shot put. She placed 12th in Bejing and 16th in London.

[baymom]

Nope. But, a friend from HS was on the water polo team in Athens.

[mackmama]

I thought there was at least one former Olympian on here. I can't remember her username and, come to think of it, haven't seen her on here in a long time.

[DietCokeLover]

I thought there was at least one former Olympian on here. I can't remember her username and, come to think of it, haven't seen her on here in a long time.
Was it Elektra? Am I remembering right that she was a softball player in college? Don't know about Olympics though.

[mackmama]

Was it Elektra? Am I remembering right that she was a softball player in college? Don't know about Olympics though.

yes i think so - is she on here anymore?

[lalasmama]

Nope.... I mean, unless it counts that I dated a sportswriter that was "assigned" to a local Olympic athlete when said athlete was in early high school. So that's like 2 degrees of separation.... Am I the winner so far? :)

[PZMommy]

My Aunt was the athletic trainer for the women's Olympic soccer team in 84, and got an Olympic gold medal for working with the team. She also got another one for another athlete she worked with at that Olympics (a wrestler I think).

[StantonHyde]

My cousin married a man who was on the 84 4 man bobsled team. They did really well on the World Cup circuit. I don't think they were on the podium for the Olympics.

[melrose7]

My Aunt was the athletic trainer for the women's Olympic soccer team in 84, and got an Olympic gold medal for working with the team. She also got another one for another athlete she worked with at that Olympics (a wrestler I think).

Was it a men's soccer team? Women's soccer wasn't introduced until 1996.

[TwinFoxes]

I went to college with a bunch of medalists. One of the women had a ring made up of the Olympic rings. It was ugly, but dude, I'd be walking around wearing my medals, so I guess that was a better option. :)

[TwinFoxes]

I went to college with a bunch of medalists. One of the women had a ring made up of the Olympic rings. It was ugly, but dude, I'd be walking around wearing my medals, so I guess that was a better option. :)

[PZMommy]

Was it a men's soccer team? Women's soccer wasn't introduced until 1996.

I will have to ask her. It was a women's team at the LA Olympics. I thought soccer, but maybe I'm mistaken.

[bisous]

I will have to ask her. It was a women's team at the LA Olympics. I thought soccer, but maybe I'm mistaken.

Maybe field hockey? I met a field hockey medalist when I was a little girl. I want to say that perhaps this was prior to 1984 but it would have been right around that time.

[lizzywednesday]

I knew at least two people who competed at Junior Olympics level - like real, IOC, Junior Olympics - in swimming (sidelined due to injury, unfortunately; she now coaches our summer swim club) and fencing (did not advance to Olympic level; is now a lawyer in the ATL area) - but have not known Olympic athletes myself.

A childhood friend was (briefly) related by marriage to Donna Weinbrecht (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Weinbrecht), who gold medaled in the moguls freestyle ski event in the 1992 Albertville games.

[3isEnough]

Living where I do, we're kind of surrounded by Olympic athletes. Rebecca Soni (women's swimmer from last Olympics) goes to the same small workout studio where I go, and I interact with many Olympic beach and indoor volleyball players on a weekly basis (they're parents on my kids' teams, or at social events I attend or other local events). I only personally know a few of them but sometimes I'm surprised at how many Olympians I come into contact with on a regular basis. Last Sat I was at a party and I can think of at least 3 former Olympians who were there (volleyball), there were probably more but I'm blanking on some of them.

The thing I find most interesting about them, other than their extreme talent and athleticism, is how laid back they are about sports. Two different gold medal vball players were recently on my kids' teams (their kids were) and it's funny to see all of the other parents in the stands going crazy about their kids' games and the Olympian parents being totally chill. I think they're the only ones in the stands with real perspective. The crazy parents think that if their kid drives the lane for a basket one more time or is first in the batting order, it will get them that much closer to playing pro, whereas the Olympian parents know that none of these kids are going pro.

[elektra]

Hi there!
Sadly my Olympic dreams never came true. At one point (1996, 2000) I was in the mix for making the Olympics. I was top 60, invited to the selection camps, participated in the Olympic festival (got to wear a USA jersey!) but never made that top 15. I was a 3-time All-American in college and also the MVP one year in the pro league they had at the time. But I didn't have what they were looking for for the Olympics.
In one of the selection camps my roommate was selected, and went on to win a gold medal in the 2000 Olympics. The selection committee basically stays up all night and then slips a paper under your hotel room door saying you were selected. We got the paper but it was for my roommate.. Heartbreaking for me, especially since I had a great tournament that week and my roommate was shocked it was her and not me. (She was great though! An outfielder, not an infielder like me so I was truly happy for her). Such is sports!
We were roommates after that too in an apt. and she kept her gold medal in her bottom dresser drawer!


You guys will love this one- recently one of our college teammates got married and a bunch of us rented a house in Palm Springs for her bachelorette party. 3 of my good friends there were Olympic gold medalists (including my old roommate). Somehow we got on the topic of periods and Diva cups that I learned about here on the BBB. One of my gold medalist friends texted me later asking about it and so I helped her figure it out and she is trying the diva. Reminds me I need to ask her how it is going! LOL!



I love the Olympics and my softball friends and I are very happy it has been added back in for 2020! Softball is really popular in Japan. In fact one of my friends (another gold medalist!) has been playing pro there for several years.

Trying to think of other fun stuff to share- one of my friends named her dogs Sydney and Athens. ;)
They loved meeting all the famous athletes during the opening ceremonies and in the village (like Kobe) because it's like they are really all on the same team at that point.
Summer of 1996, I was at the beach with some softball friends, (attempting) surfing and hanging out after the 1996 Olympics and a few people approached us after recognizing 2 of our friends from TV! That was pretty cool.

My Olympian friends are all so driven and dedicated and the most competitive people I know. Like even beer pong gets out of control!


ETA:
One more thing. So you get paid if you get a medal. $20k or something like that, back in 1996, 2000. Not talking about endorsements, but money from the US (I guess the US olympic committee or something? From the govt. I suppose.) Anyway, if you accept that money you have to forgo your NCAA eligibility.
It is total bull**** because it completely penalizes women, who do not have the same pro opportunities as men in general. Women also peak earlier than men (in general) for their sports and in more cases they will be in the Olympics prior to or during college.
It is really unfair. I don't think they have changed that rule, hopefully I am wrong.

[TwinFoxes]

Elektra, I love your "behind the scenes" post. That was awesome. And I missed the news that softball was added back in, that is great!

Don't be a stranger. ;)

[Corie]

ETA:
One more thing. So you get paid if you get a medal. $20k or something like that, back in 1996, 2000. Not talking about endorsements, but money from the US (I guess the US olympic committee or something? From the govt. I suppose.) Anyway, if you accept that money you have to forgo your NCAA eligibility.
It is total bull**** because it completely penalizes women, who do not have the same pro opportunities as men in general. Women also peak earlier than men (in general) for their sports and in more cases they will be in the Olympics prior to or during college.
It is really unfair. I don't think they have changed that rule, hopefully I am wrong.


I actually googled this a few days ago. I've been googling like crazy for the Rio Olympics.

Here is what I found.

The U.S. Olympic Committee awards gold medalists $25,000, silver medalists $15,000 and bronze medalists $10,000. Many U.S. sports organizations give their winners cash on top of that. And the medals themselves -- made of silver or copper -- are valued anywhere from $564 to $300, reports CNN Money. (The bronze is worth about $5, so that's not taxed.)

This money is taxable income but I just found this article from The Washington Post and it says that Congress may be
ready to give the Olympics athletes a tax break.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/08/15/olympic-gold-medalists-may-be-about-to-score-another-win-congress-looks-ready-to-give-them-a-tax-break/

[AnnieW625]

Speaking of softball my city is the hometown to a three time softball gold medalist (96, 00, and 04) and she also won a silver medalist in Bejing in 08. The city named a local softball field after her. I believe she still lives in my area as well. I know people who went to high school with her.

Also Misty May Trainor lives in my area and friends of mine have said they see her at Target a lot, but I have not seen her there.

[StantonHyde]

Heck, if I want to see an Olympic athlete, I can just go to the grocery store in Park City or the Smith's here in the Sugarhouse neighborhood of SLC (lots of snowboarders go to Westminster College which is in the neighborhood). I did get to hold Muffy (forget last name) who won lots of Paralympic titles--medals. She came to speak to the kids' preschool. It was fun.

[citymama]

I went to college with a bunch of medalists. One of the women had a ring made up of the Olympic rings. It was ugly, but dude, I'd be walking around wearing my medals, so I guess that was a better option. :)

If UC Berkeley was a country, it would be #6 on the list of Olympic medallists! Go Bears!

I know one person on BBB who was a serious, competitive gymnast, but she isn't outing herself. ;) Not sure if she was an Olympics finalist.

[cookiemonster80]

No Olympian here but I knew several of the gymnasts from the 90s. They went to my small high school near the karolyi ranch. They were hardly in class they trained so much.

[elektra]

Speaking of softball my city is the hometown to a three time softball gold medalist (96, 00, and 04) and she also won a silver medalist in Bejing in 08. The city named a local softball field after her. I believe she still lives in my area as well. I know people who went to high school with her.

Also Misty May Trainor lives in my area and friends of mine have said they see her at Target a lot, but I have not seen her there.

I just saw the person you are talking about yesterday. Someone dear to us just passed away and we went to the funeral. Lost of Olympians there from US, Puerto Rico and Australia. Nobody talked about the Olympics believe it or not. L was there with her parents. It was a nice but somber reunion.

[div_0305]

If UC Berkeley was a country, it would be #6 on the list of Olympic medallists! Go Bears!

I know one person on BBB who was a serious, competitive gymnast, but she isn't outing herself. ;) Not sure if she was an Olympics finalist.

My alma mater!:cheerleader1:

[baymom]

My alma mater!:cheerleader1:

Mine, too! Always proud to be a Bear!! :cheerleader1:

[baymom]

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[PZMommy]

Was it a men's soccer team? Women's soccer wasn't introduced until 1996.

It was women's basketball.