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Olympians 1
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 Lance
Armstrong - Cycling
National and world champion
cyclist, three-time Olympian, renowned humanitarian, role model, cancer
survivor, and now the back-to-back winner of the Tour de France, Lance
Armstrong is clearly one of the most celebrated and charismatic contributors
to the sports world. He made world headlines in Paris on July 25,
1999 with the most stunning come back ever in the history of sport,
but the personal side of this resounding triumph brought Lance’s life
and career full circle.
In 1996, he
was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer. He was given the chance
to fully appreciate the blessings of good health, a loving family
and close friends. Lance described his bout with cancer as a "special
wake-up call." He heeded the call to activism by becoming a spokesperson
for testicular and other forms of cancer and by forming the Lance
Armstrong Foundation within months of his diagnosis. His autobiography
It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life was recently
released and a motion picture of his life story is currently in development.
What is undeniable, however, is that Lance has already won the most
important race of his life. Perhaps the words that capture his indomitable
spirit the best are his own…"It’s ironic, I used to ride my bike
to make a living. Now I just want to live so that I can ride."
 Evelyn
Ashford– Track and Field
Evelyn Ashford has been
one of the brightest lights on the American track and field scene
with four U.S. Olympic appearances (1976, 1984, 1988 and 1992) is
the the only woman in the history of U.S. Track and Field to have
earned four gold medals. Olympic medals are not the only way Ashford
has proven herself, she is a vocal opponent of drug use and doping
techniques allegedly used by some rivals. She says the one reason
she trains so hard is to show what can be done without "chemical
manipulation." Ashford has also been active off the track, making
numerous television and personal appearances as well as handling TV
commentary at various meets. She is also very active in promoting
literacy in the U.S.
 Matt
Biondi – Swimming
The 1982 Summer Olympics
proved to be the crowning event of Matt’s phenomenal swimming career.
He added three medals to his Olympic collection, which now totals
11 and ties him with Mark Spitz as the most decorated U.S. Olympian
of all time. At the 1988 Summer Olympics, Matt earned a remarkable
seven medals, more than any single athlete on any team in Seoul. In
winning five gold medals, this Northern California native also established
four new world records at the Olympics: in the 50-meter freestyle,
the 4x100 freestyle and medley relays, and in the 4x200 freestyle
relay. Known for his work with dolphins, he is a spokesperson for
marine mammal protection worldwide. His schedule keeps him busy on
three continents as he conducts swim clinics, delivers motivational
speeches and represents sponsors in Asia, the United States and Europe.
 Bonnie
Blair - Speedskating
Success under pressure is the measure of a true champion.
There are numerous winners in world of sports but the celebrated athletes
are the few who meet the challenge of pressure time after time. Bonnie
Blair is undoubtedly celebrated as the speedskater who produces the
best performances when it counts the most. Bonnie is widely admired
for her combination of modesty and confidence. A professional writer
summarized her appeal by praising her unassuming manner and charm,
"Your modesty in accepting the medal, holding back the tears,
your bright smile when thanking the Olympic official, your tender
words to those you defeated – all of these characteristics endeared
you to the mass of viewers in our nation and abroad." Bonnie
retired from speedskating on her 31st birthday in March
1995 to pursue new challenges off the ice. A favorite on the lecture
circuit with her highly motivating speech, "Achieving Your Best."
 Jeff
Blatnick – Greco-Roman Wrestling
For many, the most heartfelt
victory at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles came at the hands
of Jeff Blatnick, a man who just two years earlier had been diagnosed
with Hodgkin’s Disease, a form of cancer that attacks the spleen and
lymph nodes. His last-second, two-point victory in the gold medal
wrestling match brought tears and cheers, when he knelt on the mat
and raised his arms in prayerful thanks. His victory was the first
Olympic medal ever for an American in the super-heavyweight division.
Later, in the post-bout interview, he tearfully spoke the words that
were to become his trademark for years to come, "I’m a happy
dude." In addition, he was honored by being selected to carry
the U.S. flag at the closing ceremonies. Since then, he has distinguished
himself as an expert analyst and commentator. He addresses many of
the Fortune 500 companies delivering a very inspiring, empowering
and emotional message about overcoming the nearly insurmountable.
 Brandi
Chastain – Soccer
Brandi Chastain provided
one of the greatest moments in the history of women's sports with
her 1999 Women's World Cup clinching penalty kick on the USA's fifth
shot in the Women's World Cup Final on July 10, 1999 at the Rose Bowl.
Following that emotional win, she graced the cover of Time, Newsweek
and Sports Illustrated after peeling off her shirt off in celebration
following her winning kick. That same year she was named as one of
People Magazine's 25 Most Intriguing People of 1999 and was ranked
#97 on Street & Smith's 100 Most Powerful People in Sports for
1999. Not one to shy away from publicity, she posed for Gear Magazine
prior to the Women's World Cup in her now-famous shoot wearing nothing
but soccer cleats and a soccer ball. A member of the gold medal winning
U.S. Women's National Team at the 1996 Olympic Games, Brandi and her
teammates were unsuccessful in defending their championship in 2000
and had to settle for a silver medal. While the loss may have been
disappointing for this group of women played with pride and with grit
in true Olympic fashion and return to the U.S. as heroes.
 Nadia
Comaneci – Gymnastics
Nadia Comaneci is the
most celebrated gymnast in the history of the sport. As a star of
the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, she became the first gymnast to
score a perfect "10," earning seven such marks on her way
to three gold medals, a silver and a bronze. Nadia continued her dominance
through the 1980 Olympics in Moscow earning two gold medals and two
silver medals. In 1989, she again made world headlines by fleeing
her native Romania and its communist regime. Her departure by many
was seen as the beginning of the end for communism in Romania. In
1996, she married Olympic gold medallist Bart Conner in Bucharest
in what became a State celebration. Together, the two perform in exhibitions,
as speaking engagements and in commercial endorsements for major corporations.
 Bart
Conner – Gymnastics
Bart Conner is the most
accomplished gymnast that American has ever produced. He is the only
American, male or female, to win gold medals at every level
of junior, national and international competition. During the Olympic
Games in Los Angeles, he won double gold with his performance on the
parallel bars and as part of the U.S. Men’s Team that won an upset
victory over the World Champion Chinese. Bart began his illustrious
career in a local YMCA program. He has appeared in feature films and
on television shows such as Highway to Heaven and Touched
by an Angel and, along with his wife, Nadia, co-hosted his own
television series called Food and Fitness with Bart and Nadia."
He is the co-owner of the International Gymnast magazine and
The Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy.
 Tim
Daggett – Gymnastics
For Tim Daggett, Olympic
gold was the culmination of a dream and the beginning of a journey
that took him from glory to tragedy…and taught him the strength of
courage, commitment, perseverance and most of all, the power to believe
in yourself. It began in Los Angeles during the 1984 Summer Olympic
Games, when Tim stunned the world with his perfect 10.0 on the high
bar, which clinched the first ever gold medal for the United States
Men’s Gymnastics Team. At the 1987 World Championships, it almost
ended, when Tim shattered the bones of his left leg, severing an artery,
and nearly requiring amputation. But Tim Daggett was a fighter. Despite
all odds, he battled his way back to world class competition, winning
the biggest victory of them all. Today, Tim teaches people in all
corporate settings what it takes to be a winner, how to struggle to
reach the top, and how to overcome obstacles to be #1.
 Tom
Dolan – Swimming
At 6’6" an 180 pounds
Tom Dolan has the perfect body for a world-class swimmer. However,
he suffers from extreme allergies, exercise-induced asthma and an
unusually narrow windpipe that at times allows him to take in only
20% as much oxygen as the average person. These obstacles have a dramatic
impact on his training as many of the drugs commonly used as remedies
are banned in international competition. Yet, he refuses to let any
of this stop him. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta he captured the
400-meter individual medley as well as the covers of Sports Illustrated
and a Wheaties Box. Four years later, he successfully defended his
gold medal in Sydney setting a world record and picking up a silver
medal in the 200-meter individual medley.
 Stacy
Dragila – Pole Vaulting
In one of the most exciting
nights of track and field competition at the 2000 Sydney Games, pole
vault world record holder Stacy Dragila jumped her way to gold. Dragila
vaulted 15 feet, 1 inch to capture the first women's pole vault gold
medal in the history of the Olympics. The victory completed an historic
triple as she had also captured the gold medal for the first women's
pole vault held at the World Indoor Championships(1997) and the World
Championships (1999).
A former hurdler
and heptathlete, the California native began pole-vaulting in 1993
after she realized, while at Idaho State, she wasn't good enough to
make it to the national level in the heptathalon. A short four years
later she had mastered the sport winning her first major meet at the
1997 World Indoor Championships and setting a world record of 15-2
¼ at Olympic Track and Field Trials in Sacramento in 2000. While she
has only been competing in the pole vault for a short time, her name
will forever been inscribed in the record books.
 Mike
Eruzione– Ice Hockey
Elected as the captain
of the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic hockey team, he scored the winning
goal in the "Miracle on Ice" game against he heavily favored
team from the Soviet Union. After the gold medal victory against Finland,
the boys from Lake Placid became a sensation across the country. Sports
Illustrated called their performance one of the top ten athletic
achievements in history. After Lake Placid, Mike was drafted by the
television networks as an expert analyst and field reporter, covering
stories from both Olympic Summer and Winter Games from 1984 to 1994.
Today, he travels around the country thrilling audiences with the
magical stories that surround America’s team, having recently celebrated
their 20-year anniversary. He also serves as the director of development
for athletics and as an assistant hockey coach at Boston University.
 Janet
Evans – Swimming
In 1987, at age 15, Janet
won four gold medals at the U.S. national championships and set three
world records. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, she
won gold medals in the 400-meter individual medley, the 400-meter
freestyle (setting a world record), and the 800-meter freestyle (setting
an Olympic record). After the 1988 Games she continued to set world
records winning seven national championships in 1989. At the 1992
Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, she won a gold medal in the 800-meter
freestyle and a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle. Her participation
in the 1996 Games in Atlanta was her third consecutive Olympics--a
rare feat in swimming. A natural athlete, who swam in her first competition
at age four, Janet was renowned for her agility and dedication to
the sport. Despite her small stature, she was the first woman to break
the 16-minute barrier for the 1,500-meter freestyle and achieved times
in some races that were as fast as those of men who won the same event.
She was awarded the Sullivan Award in 1989 as the outstanding American
amateur athlete.
 Lisa
Fernandez – Softball
Lisa Fernandez, who helped
the U.S. capture back-to-back Olympic gold medals in softball at the
1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, began playing the sport when she was
8 years old. Her father, Antonio, played semi-pro baseball in Cuba;
her mother, Emilia, a native of Puerto Rico, played coed slow-pitch
softball with her husband. The results paid off for Lisa who became
a four-time All-America selection at UCLA, where she led the Bruins
to two national titles. At the 1998 world championships, Fernandez
hit a home run and pitched a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts to almost
single-handedly lift the U.S. to its fourth consecutive world title
(and her third) in a 1-0 win over Australia. In the gold medal game
at Sydney she scattered three hits, walked two and struck out eight
for the 2-1 victory over Japan. One of the most recognizable names
in the sport of softball, she was the 1999 Amateur Softball Association/USA
Softball Female Athlete of the Year, was named by Sports Illustrated
for Women as one of the top 100 female athletes of the century, and
was recently included as one of UCLA Magazine's 100 20th Century Bruins.
 Rulon
Gardner – Greco-Roman Wrestling
In what is being called the "Miracle on the Mat,"
Rulon Gardner was catapulted into the national spotlight by upsetting
the world’s greatest wrestler, Aleksandr Karelin, thwarting his bid
for a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal at the Sydney Games. A
three-time national champion, Gardner, earned the gold medal in the
heavyweight division of Greco-Roman wrestling with a 1-0 overtime
victory over the Russian. Gardner feels his wrestling is all about
determination, being in great shape, working hard, and basically just
brawling. This work ethic and style go back to his days on his family's
farm in Afton, Wyoming, where he was the youngest of nine children.
During the summer, he would wake up at 6:30 a.m., take the cows in,
change the irrigation pipes, spray weeds all day, then change the
irrigation pipes again, haul hay and milk the cows. Often, his long
summer days would come to an end after midnight. Now, half a world
away he has realized his dreams and returns home an Olympic champion
whose victory will be ranked among the greatest in the sports world.
Paul
Gonzales – Boxing
Paul Gonzales is the
first Mexican-American Olympic champion. Raised by a single parent
as one of eight children in one of the roughest East Los Angeles neighborhoods,
Paul Gonzales quickly learned the skills needed to survive on the
streets where drugs, gangs and murders are commonplace. As part of
an impressive boxing team in 1984 that included Tyrell Biggs, Evander
Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Mark Breland and Henry Tillman, it was
Gonzales, the light flyweight champion, who earned the tournament’s
highest honor: the Val Barker Cup, with signifies the most outstanding
boxer of the Olympic Games. Today, he continues to devote his time
to helping inner-city youth and has been involved with the United
Way, Boy Scouts of America, D.A.R.E. America and the Inner City Games
of L.A. that is spearheaded by Arnold Schwartzenegger.
 Mia
Hamm - Soccer
Mia is widely recognized as the world's best all-around women's soccer
player. In Atlanta at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games she proved
it by leading her team to gold in front of 80,000 screaming fans in
Athens, Georgia. Never in history had so many spectators come out
to watch a women's sporting event. The Games highlighted female athletes
like no other time in modern history and Mia emerged as one of the
Game's true examples for people of all ages who have a dream and go
for it. The 1999 Women's World Cup, where the USA took home the championship
in front of 40 million viewers in this country alone, sold over 650,000
tickets, including sellouts at Giants Stadium and the Rose Bowl. The
Games in Sydney did not have the magical ending that the U.S. Soccer
team has experienced over the past four years and Mia had to settle
for a silver medal. Regardless, there is no stopping women's soccer
and Mia's enormous impact, both on and off the field. Having seen
the enormous support her and her teammates received at the 1996 and
2000 Games, Mia hopes to pioneer new initiatives which further promote
the sport of soccer and women in sports. Poised, articulate and honest,
Mia is a pioneer in her sport and a role model for athletes and fans
alike who believe in equal opportunity and the love of the game.
 Dan
Jansen – Speed Skating
Dan Jansen is
an eight-time world record holder in speed skating and has won the
overall World Cup title seven times. The name Dan Jansen is familiar
to all Olympic fans, not by the number of his successes, but rather
by the tenacity of his resolve. Dan qualified for his first Olympic
team in 1984, where he finished fourth in Sarajevo. Four years later
in Calgary, he was favored to win gold. The sad news of his sister’s
death from leukemia reached him on the morning of his race. Falls
in both of his events proved the terrible impact of the shock. Four
years later, at Albertville, he finished fourth in the 500-meters
and once again failed in his quest for that elusive Olympic medal.
By the time he attended his fourth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, even
his competition seemed to be rooting for his success. His book Full
Circle, recounts the story of his journey from the depths of his
disappointment to the top-award-stand and his solitary Olympic gold
medal.
 Bruce
Jenner – Decathalon
Bruce Jenner captivated
the world when he broke the world record by scoring 8,634 points in
the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and earned the
title, "World’s Greatest Athlete." In the years since his
athletic achievements made him world famous, Bruce has become a highly
respected motivational speaker, sports commentator, entrepreneur,
commercial spokesperson, television personality, actor, producer and
author. A devoted father and husband, Bruce is also a loyal supporter
of many non profit and charitable organization such as Special Olympics,
where he serves on the Council of Champions, and an avid supporter
of Pediatric Aids Foundations. Corporate and community audiences are
captivated by Bruce’s unique Olympic personal and professional success
story, which he highlights in speeches around the country. His message,
"Finding the Champion Within," is relevant to people everywhere,
whether they’re high school athletes or corporate vice presidents.
Bruce’s energy translates easily into his presentations and audiences
are visibly moved by his story and the lessons that have made him
a success.
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