Do you know any Olympians?

[EMom]

Hard to explain, but we are sort of related to two Olympians. I don't want to say what sport. One has a gold, silver and bronze and the other a silver and bronze. We have pics of DD wearing the gold, silver and bronze medals. They are VERY heavy.

 

[cords]

My grandfather won a bronze in track in the '24 Paris Olympics. Somehow my family ended up with custody of the medal. It was a very popular show and tell during Olympic years.

Every spring our elementary school trained for an annual marathon. A 2x long distance medalist would come every year to warm them. He was dedicated, coming 3 times a week for 2 months.

An Olympian cycling family's children swam on our little summer league team.

My daughter is a gold medalist in swimming and all around gymnastics in Special Olympics

 

[Adipoo]

Only one from the 1972 Olympics. He won a bronze and never wanted to talk much about it.

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

Yes, I have 2 friends who each medalled at the Winter games in 2010 and 2014.

 

[CF'er]

I met Angela Madsen, Paralympic track and field Olympian on a cruise last year. She just made the team for Rio. She is also a long distance rower, like CA to HI long distance. I saw a documentary on her several years ago and when I saw her in a line on the ship I knew it had to be her. I introduced myself and we had a nice conversation. I got to see her medal from the Pan Am Games? maybe. She has Olympic medals but had this one with her. We are friends on FB and it's really interesting to watch her training etc in preparation for Rio. Also met her partner who is just as nice and probably more patient than Angela having to put up with "fans" like me. lol

 

[tomthebarncat]

Yes, I currently have a young woman who was at the Winter Olympics in Russia (2014) that I am teaching privately this summer. She is a short distance speed skater, who came in 4th place and carried the Chinese flag at the closing ceremony. She is very quiet and shy, but underneath that shy exterior is a fierce competitor. She is now working on becoming a national competition judge and hopes to relocate to America within the next few years!

 

[scrhsa]

A girl I went to high school with almost made the skeet shooting team. Another girl was trying for ice skating but the long hours and living away from home took its toll. And the son of a guy I went to HS with is currently trying to make the decathlon team. They say if he doesn't make it this go round he'll definitely make it next time.

 

[jrmasm]

I know a US swimmer that went to the Atlanta games, made the finals but didn't medal.

Also, an alpine skier that medaled twice.

 

[MichaelWill&Megan'sMom]

I grew up across the street from Mark Churella. He was slated for gold in wrestling the year we boycotted competing in Moscow. Right next door to him lived Mickie Rzepka - she was the pusher for bobsled 1 in the 2010 Vancouver olympics. I used to babysit her!

 

[Bilberry]

I didn't know her, but I went to school with Bonnie Blair. She won many speed skating medals. She is a few years older than me.

 

[HM]

I know someone who would have been at the 1980 Olympics in swimming if we hadn't boycotted.
I know someone that did 10,000 meter track in 1996 in Atlanta.

 

[Shmily1]

i'm from and still live in the town as a former Olympic swimmer. His brother also works at the same place I do.

 

[MIGrandma]

One of DH's good friends in high school, and was the best man in our wedding, tried out for the summer Olympics. He was a high jumper, lost out to Dwight Stones, back in the late 70's I think it was, or early 80's maybe. There was a nice article about the two of them in Sports Illustrated.

 

[NotUrsula]

One of my college PE teachers was a silver medalist in the shooting competition. I also had a part-time employee who was an Olympic medalist in the 1992 and 1994 winter games.

 

[DiannaVM]

An elderly gentleman that attends my church was in the Olympics for sailing in like....the 60's I think? He won a gold medal and all.

And also my boss' eldest daughter has made the Olympic team for Rowing this year. The first Bahamian Also, looking into it just now (I had to Google both to make sure my information was correct lol), I realise my boss was also in the Olympic team (for swimming) in 1984.

So I guess that makes 3 lol.

 

[pryncess527]

I have a friend from HS who competed in women's weightlifting in Sydney. She tried out for Rio but did not make the US team (I was amazed she was even trying out at our age! She's a very impressive woman)

A former student made the US Swim Team

 

[elphaba91]

Funnily enough, tonight my mum met Michael Klim, a legendary Australian swimmer who competed in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens and won 6 medals and set world records. She was pretty starstruck!

 

[JimMIA]

My daughter's figure skating coach represented Sweden in the Vancouver Winter Olympics (2010). He was the Swedish Men's Champion for several years, but broke his back and switched to coaching. Great guy, great young coach.

Competitive figure skating is kind of a small community, and one of the cool things about it is that when you meet one of the real world-class skaters, they treat other skaters like family. DD has met a number of Olympic skaters, and not just casually. US Figure Skating has a camp every April and many of the instructors/group leaders are US champions and former Olympians. They spend 2 1/2 days in close contact, and they are really great with the kids.

In April 2015, DD performed in one of the Stars on Ice Shows, along with 29 other competitive skaters of mid to high level. They spent the entire afternoon watching the stars rehearse and practice, and then got to speak to each one, take pictures, get autographs signed, etc. DD got her skates signed by Merle Davis, Evan Lysacek, and Scottish ice dancer John Kerr. (John coaches at a local rink and we know him pretty well.) He and his sister Sinead represented the UK in Vancouver. The other Stars in Stars on Ice that night were Merle Davis and Charlie White, Tanith Belbin (now married to Charlie White) and Ben Agosto, Evan Lysacek, Patrick Chan, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Kimmie Meisner, Ryan Bradley, and Joannie Rochette. The biggest applause of the evening was for...Sinead and John Kerr, when Sinead carried John the entire length of the ice.

Ashley Wagner skates occasionally at our rink, so the girls all know her and are big fans. And her BFF Adam Rippon was one of the instructors at Components Camp.

 

[dennis99ss]

have a niece who was in London and is headed to Rio on the U.S. Paralympic team for swimming.

 

[AustinTink]

Mary Lou Retton was my in-laws' neighbor in Houston.