Do you know anyone who has been to the Olympics?

[Anonymous]

I went to high school with Hee Jin Chang. She was on the swim team at the 2000 and 2008 Beijing Olympics. Didn’t really know her personally, but she seemed nice.

My husband went to Michigan and ran into Michael Phelps at bars in Ann Arbor a few times. He said he was sort of a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Half a dozen runners. Two from my high school track and field days and then four more from college. One medalist. The only time I've rooted for someone from Canada

[Anonymous]

I know a few guys who went for ice hockey when we were all in college. They all went pro and have since retired and coach youth teams or are totally out of that world now. My husband's old boss went for rowing in the 70s. Nice guy, still rows in his 70s. Normal DCUM kind of life. A swim coach when I was a kid was supposed to go to the 1980 summer olympics in Moscow, but for the boycott.

[Anonymous]

Know several swimmers fairly well
A few gymnasts
A few track and field
One soccer
One skater
One bobsled
One rowing

And other aquaintences from college in various sports.

Most of the swimmers still swim for exercise and moved near open water to do it.

I think the former Olympians that I know that have the most balanced lives now were very insistent about balance back in their heydays. The ones I just met casually in college (but didn't know well because they hardly socialized outside athletics) seemed to have more trouble in life when they no longer had big looming goals and coaches helping them structure their time.

Oh, and the ones who lived in the US but competed for other countries seemed to enjoy the Olympics the most. Much less pressure.

[Anonymous]

I have known several

Runner - now a PhD mathematician
Rower - gold medalist - coached crew at collegiate and national level post Olympics
Swimmer - engineer
Sailing - PhD engineer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have known several

Runner - now a PhD mathematician
Rower - gold medalist - coached crew at collegiate and national level post Olympics
Swimmer - engineer
Sailing - PhD engineer

To provide a little more color. I either went to school or worked with each of these individuals. While they are all high achievers, I'd say you wouldn't notice them as being any different from other people you see day to day. You've probably seen them in grocery store and never knew. They are all down to earth. Eat the same things you probably do. Take on DIY projects that go well some times and some times don't. Have some kids who are also athletic and others who can't walk and chew gum. They do well, but aren't uber rich. Other than the rowing coach, none as earned a living from their respective sport.

[Anonymous]

Yes, a sprinter I went to elementary school with (not sure where she is now) and a basketball player I went to high school with (Shea Ralph - current UConn women’s assistant bball coach). Both were superstars and extremely humble people, at least for the little time I knew them for).

[Anonymous]

I went to law school with an Olympic medalist in wrestling. She was nice enough, but wouldn't have stuck out at all if you didn't know.

I TAed for an Olympic gold medalist. She honestly came across as a huge airhead who only got into the school because she was famous.

My husband had a teacher whose son was a multi-time Olympic gold medalist for another country. He was sort of at loose ends for awhile, drank a bit too much, made some not great investments, etc post-career before he made an incredibly successful return in a different international sporting endeavor.