Olympics Archives - The Blonde Side

Women’s Soccer: The New Generation

Houston Dash players headed to the Olympics (Photography by Kennon Evett)

The recent popularity of women’s soccer is undeniable. Almost a year ago, on July 5, 2015, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team made history. Not just with an incredible World Cup win over Japan (5–2), but making it the most viewed soccer game in U.S. TV history with 25.4 million tuning in.

No one knows the excitement, the momentum and the pressure that comes a year later than the women who play the sport professionally, especially those heading to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. We had a chance to sit down with JANINE BECKIE, MORGAN BRIAN and ALLYSHA CHAPMAN, Houston Dash teammates and fresh faces of women’s soccer. Here’s what they had to say about their sport and their road so far.

MORGAN BRIAN | MIDFIELDER | TEAM USA

Morgan Brian, Houston Dash, Team USA (Photo: Kennon Evett)

Midfielder Morgan Brian has a vision of where soccer is going, not just for women, but for everyone; and it’s something she’s excited to be a part of. More than just looking forward at what’s to come, Brian realizes all the hard work of those before her that have helped grow the sport to where it is today.

“As a kid it was my dream to play on this (national) team and I think the women before me have allowed me to do that, and play it as our job. I feel like it’s my duty to continue to pave the way for the younger kids like me who have a dream to play on the national team,” Brian shares, with love and respect for the sport. Never in a million years (or at least the 23 she’s been around) did she expect to get paid to play her passion. There’s not a day or a moment that passes that she forgets that.

It’s the maturity and knowledge of how the sport got to where it is today and all the blood, sweat and tears that others put in to get it there that gives Brian an advantage on the field and in the public’s eyes. Brian was awarded the Golden Ball at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, and she continues to be a headlining name. “I think the women who have come before me have done a really good job at pushing the limits in women’s soccer,” Brian says. She admits the sport, and her role in it, has come full circle.

Brian says playing on a World Cup team was her biggest dream since she was a kid, but the Olympics are a dream all their own. “The Olympics are something the world watches for every sport. Everyone says the Olympics are so different from the World Cup because the World Cup is every soccer player’s dream but the Olympics are every athlete’s dream. I’m excited to compete with the United States and hopefully be the first team to win a World Cup and a gold in the Olympics,” she says.

“Brazil will be a great experience for everyone and obviously we want to compete and hopefully bring back a gold medal,” Brian says optimistically.

Allysha Chapman, Houston Dash, Team Canada (Photo: Kennon Evett)

ALLYSHA CHAPMAN | DEFENDER | TEAM CANADA

Originally from Courtice, Ontario (a suburb of Toronto), and just 5-foot-3 inches, Allysha Chapman looks like the girl next door. From a quick glance, you’d have no idea how aggressive she can be on the field, how hard she’s worked to get to where she is, and just how passionate she is about her sport.

The 27-year-old defender takes her job, the same job she’s dreamed about since she was a little girl, incredibly seriously. She knows firsthand it’s been a long road to get women’s soccer to where it is today and she’s using her aggressiveness, persistence and uplifting attitude to help keep it on that track. “Women’s soccer has come a long way in the last 10 years and I’m lucky to be benefiting from women who had to work really hard to promote the game. It’s only growing and getting better, and women are getting more recognized. I think it’s all great – the World Cup we just had in the summer generated a lot of viewers and fans,” she says.

Chapman not only played in every game for Canada in last year’s tournament, but every minute. So yeah, she’s kind of a big deal – for the Houston Dash, Canada and women’s soccer. And those are big shoes to fill. Chapman, or Chappy as her friends call her, has been a fan of the Olympics since she can remember and knows it’s a huge honor. “The Olympics are the pinnacle of sports. Every athlete dreams of going to the Olympics – it’s a lot of pressure but I think we can build on our (Canada’s) Olympic bronze four years ago and I’m really excited for my first Olympics,” she says. No matter how long she’s dreamt of this opportunity, there are still a lot of unknowns, which keeps it exciting. “I have no idea what it’s going to be like,” she admits, not afraid of any challenges.

Chapman realizes she has a huge stage to help other young girls realize their dreams of one day playing the sport she loves so much. Being a role model to so many and representing her country puts the pressure on, but Chapman says there are others she wants to make proud, like her parents who have been taking her to practices since she was five. Chapman says dedication is a word she feels accurately sums up her career thus far.

“I’m really happy with where women’s soccer is right now, but it can only get better from here,” Chapman concludes.

JANINE BECKIE | FORWARD | TEAM CANADA

Janine Beckie, Houston Dash, Team Canada (Photo: Kennon Evett)

No matter the circumstance, rejection is never easy. But it’s what you do after someone tells you no that truly defines who you are.

You have two options: give up or work harder.

Janine Beckie, a 21-year-old from Denver, chose to work harder. And it’s paying off incredibly well for her. Beckie is the all-time leading scorer at Texas Tech and was selected with the no. 8 overall pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft. “I was in the group for the (Canada) World Cup last year and got cut right at the last minute. I used it as motivation. I knew there were some things I needed to be better at. I had good conversations with my coaches – there were no burned bridges there,” she says. “They just kind of said, ‘We don’t think you’re ready, this is the group that we are going to go with but you’re not at all done, this is not the end,’” she recalls.

Keeping a positive mindset was something Beckie says was instrumental in keeping her motivated. “My faith and family are definitely what got me through that time,” she explains. In just a year’s time, that extra motivation is paying off nicely. Beckie played for Canada in Olympic Qualifying where she scored two goals, proving she was far from done with the sport. The recent growth of women’s soccer in North America has been unprecedented, and Beckie is using this newfound platform for good. “We have a platform we’ve never had before and it’s us taking that and running with it. And not stopping until we get the sport where we want it to be – I think we’re still far from that and we’re moving in the right direction,” she says, happy to be a part of it all. Like others, Beckie dreamt of being in the Olympics since she was a little girl, but had no idea it would be soccer that would take her there. “I played all kinds of sports growing up so I never thought that soccer would be my thing,” she laughs.

As for the pressure and attention that comes with the Olympics, Beckie is eager to embrace it. “It’s definitely pressure but it’s the best kind of pressure. It’s just an incredible opportunity that we get – it’s not something everyone gets to do. We are in the spotlight naturally with our job – that is a huge blessing and opportunity,” she explains. Beckie has dual citizenship and will be heading to the Olympics with teammate Allysha Chapman to play for Canada. “We have an opportunity now that we’ve never had before to help shape young girls’ lives in terms of sports. We’re looking forward to building a culture and playing better in the next few months because it’s way closer than we all think,” she says.

By Jayme Lamm | Photography by Kennon Evett Assisted by Josue Salinas | Hair and Makeup by Sherrie Evett Styled by Marzifat + Carla Valencia de Martinez
Shot on location at BBVA Stadium

To read this full article, click here or grab a copy of LOCAL Houston Magazine in print so you can REALLY check it out.

June 2, 2016/by Jayme

Mike Posner: Top of the World (and Sochi)

Olympics

Mike Posner with the coveted Stanley Cup

What’s it like to sip champagne out of one of the most coveted trophies in sports? Having recently recovered from his jetlag and whirlwind experiences at Sochi, one of the hottest singers/songwriters/producers sat down to give me the story on his recent successes and his simple plan to bring back more good into the world.

Detroit native Mike Posner is one of the most genuine and down-to-earth guys you’ll ever come across. His supremely soft-spoken voice and friendly demeanor immediately make you feel as if you were old pals, talking about your love for music and hockey until you realize you’re speaking to a platinum-selling artist whose Wikipedia page of accomplishments is longer than your eight grade history report.

Posner on Sochi

If you’re wondering what a musical talent like Posner was doing at the Olympic Games, the answer is simple: having the time of his life and not taking a single second for granted. He attributes his fun time at the Olympics to his good friend, Dan Milstein, the manager of Detroit Red Wings forward (and Team Russia’s) Pavel Datsyuk. Since Datsyuk made a cameo in his “Top of the World” video, dubbed a salute to Detroit sports, it’s only fair for Posner to return the favor with a cameo at the Olympics.

Hockey, a sport Posner grew up on, and the Red Wings specifically, it’s easy to imagine the star-struck nature Posner felt regarding his weeklong entourage in Sochi, because a week later, he was still beaming of the experience. “I grew up watching the Red Wings. I got to meet a lot of the guys I watched when I was a kid – a lot of them are Russian. They let me hold the Stanley Cup and drink champagne out of it – it was really cool,” he says.

Although he was there as a guest of Datsyuk, a member of the Men’s Russian Hockey Team, Posner didn’t feel conflicted about the outcome of USA beating Russia early on. “It was actually perfect because in that game, Pasha had two goals, an assist and another goal in the shootout – but Team USA won, so it worked out just fine,” the music sensation says laughing.

“[Milstein’s] from the Ukraine, and speaks the language so we ate a lot of authentic Russian food, like khachapuri. It’s kinda like pita bread with cheese inside – I normally don’t eat dairy but when I was there I wanted to eat the food the people eat there. It was so good – very addictive,” Posner recalls.

“I don’t think I had the Olympics on my bucket list before but it’s one of those things where it seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity. Definitely the highlight was getting to hold the Stanley Cup – I’ve been with it before, but never got to hold it over my head or drink champagne out of it with one of my heroes. I don’t think I ever dreamed wild enough to have that on my bucket list,” Posner says of his bubbly experience with two of his hockey heroes Sergei Fedorov and Slava Fetisov.

While he’ll probably only ever be a spectator at the Olympics, if Posner were to go as a member of any winter or summer team, it’d probably be distance running, the former high school track and cross-country star says. “I have good endurance. I’ve never run a marathon, but I think I could if I wanted to.”

Posner with former Red Wing Salvafetisov

Starting his music career early

If music were a sport, you could say Posner’s been training pretty much since day one, just like Olympians.

“I started rapping when I was eight or nine, and when I was 13 I started making beats. I started making money off my music when I was like 20 or so,” he laughs. “My first hit came when I was 21. I was a student at Duke University, and I recorded my first hit in my dorm room, a song called Cooler Than Me. I kinda put it out on the Internet for free, and eventually it snowballed and became a big song – that was my first break I suppose,” the 2010 Blue Devil grad says.

We’re living in a day and age where the Internet came make a star overnight. Justin Bieber was a huge testament to that, as is Posner himself. “Music is more democratized than ever,” he says. “The barriers to entry are lower than ever before, so there’s a lot of music out there – there’s more music than ever before, so the key is to just be yourself.”
And a comparison to the Biebs and how they got started in the industry is one he welcomes. Posner helped write and produce the song “Boyfriend” off Bieber’s third album and Bieber is featured on Posner’s upcoming album, Pages.

“I think Justin was always himself. He’s an artist I’ve had the opportunity to work with – as long as you’re not trying to be someone else and you’re doing something new and doing it well,” Posner explains. “I think it’s a special time (in the music industry), in my case and his case, these things can spread organically without the help of a major label. There are not as many gatekeepers as there were before.”

Going viral?

“I just tried to make my music as good as I could, and told my friends to tell their friends and it was that simple,” the star recalls. “Within a couple of months, Jay-Z called me for a meeting and offered me a record deal – before that I never had a big artist help me out, it was always just the music itself. Because when you make something good, someone wants to tell their friend about it and that’s literally how movements start.”

But don’t let that fool you that he didn’t work hard at it. He still had to make the good music that people wanted to share and that’s the exact mindset he took into his sophomore album, Pages.

How does going platinum compare to winning an Olympic medal?

Poser with Evgeni Malkin

It’s tough to say (having never won an Olympic medal himself), but Posner guesses the experience on stage is familiar to competing in the Games. “I’m not quite sure if it’s the same – maybe, I don’t know. I guess it is, you can only do it (either) a couple times in your life, so yeah.”

Top of the World

Posner’s latest single, “Top of the World”, ft. Big Sean, is a pretty fitting theme song to making it to the Olympics and to where Posner is now in his career. The motivation behind the new hit Posner attributes to being grateful, but not content, in all he does.

“I’m very appreciative for the blessings I have – I get to make music with my heroes, do what I love and get paid for it but at the same time have the audacity to dream for more and expect more, that’s where I feel like I am in my life. I know Big Sean – a dear friend of mine since I was 18 in Detroit making music in my mom’s basement with him – I know he feels the same about his life. It was fitting, we got to do a music video back in Detroit, and touch all the spots in our city that mean a lot to us, including Comerica Park, the Palace where the Pistons play, and have a bunch of the athletes in the video with us,” he says. “Top of the World” is the first single in his new album, Pages, due out this spring.

Posner is beyond excited for people to hear his music on the new album, but there’s something else that excites him even more. “We’re doing something special with it. I was really blessed to collaborate with the Food Bank in New York City, so for every copy we sell, we serve a meal to a child in need – one for one. I can’t tell you how excited I am about that,” he says.

“We’re the first ones to do something like this, but my hope is that we are not the last. My hope is that other artists adopt this model and a lot of good is done,” he says.

The RCA artist’s latest single is a vow to never forget his humble beginnings while continuing to establish himself as a powerhouse in the music industry, as a true and genuine musical talent.

After seeing the backing he got from friends and strangers alike on the Internet and recalling his experiences at Sochi, I asked if his viral music and novel concept to the start of his career amazed him, which he answered with a genuine feel good laugh. “My whole life amazes me, all the time. It’s totally ridiculous, my life, that I get to do what I do – I feel very grateful.”

Twitter | @MikePosner Facebook |www.facebook.com/therealmikeposner

This article originally ran on CBS Man Cave Daily in the sports section. Click here to see the original article.

March 11, 2014/by Jayme

Music With Olympic Gold Medalist Allyson Felix

Olympics, Running

Olympian, Allyson Felix (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Aside from being great musicians, what do Sade and Jay-Z have in common?

They both set the tone for Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix.

Just named USOC SportsWoman of the Year, Felix is at the top of her game. At this point in time, it’s no one else’s game but hers. Sure, she might have run a perfect 200 in London and be the beautiful face behind Nike’s motivational running campaign, but that doesn’t mean the track and field athlete doesn’t get star struck from time to time. Especially in front of Jay-Z, where she admits she gets tongue-tied. “I’ve been a fan for a long time. I passed him on the red carpet once, but that was it. I was way too shy to go up to him,” laughs Felix.

It took Felix three Olympiads and more than eight years of competition to reach the pinnacle of individual gold in London where she made history. Her third Olympic certainly appearance proved to be her most successful, snagging three gold medals and becoming the first woman to accomplish such a feat since 1988 when Track and Field icon Florence Griffith-Joyner did it.

Felix admits that music plays a large role not only in her training, but in her personal life as well. On the track, it impacts her mostly during training and warm ups. “It sets the tone and gets me in the right mood to be ready to tackle a tough workout and pumped up to perform, and in a longer run it helps me to get through it,” Felix says.

As for the “in” music currently buzzing on radio frequencies everywhere, Felix laughs at the mention of Carly Rae’s Call Me Maybe. “It’s very catchy and was probably the song of the summer. I didn’t really listen to it but I saw the swimmers did a really cool music video and whenever I turned on the radio I think that song was playing.” Equally trendy is Justin Bieber’s Boyfriend, which Felix admits is probably her guiltiest pleasure on her iPod right now. “It’s hard to admit it, but it’s on there,” she laughs.

For sprinting, she admits the beats change dramatically because it has to in order to match her pace. “It’s completely different when I’m sprinting – it’s more about getting pumped up and aggressive. I like to listen to Jay-Z and Kanye,” Felix says. “Sprinting is like my alter-ego – I’m really laid back but to get into that phase and be able to perform, that’s really what I use the music for,” she says noting that gospel also helps her perform at an elite level and gives her that “boost of encouragement.”

What is she jamming to right now? “I love R&B and soul music. And anything pop and hip-hop,” she says while noting her playlist rotates with what’s currently “in”. The Olympian gushes about her affinity for the ultra sultry Sade and her greatest hits album, The Best of Sade, especially when she has to slow down for longer runs where she takes time to enjoy the process of her sport (and confesses Adele’s swoon is another favorite).

Olympic Gold Medalist, Allyson Felix (photo via Team USA)

As for the infamous power boost song that really pumps her up? “I know it sounds cheesy, but probably Eye of the Tiger, especially in the long run, which is not my thing. It comes in handy,” Felix jokes. No surprise there as Nike execs released a statement at this year’s SXSW in Austin that Eye of the Tiger was the #1 power boost song for their popular Nike+ running app.

Felix loves enjoying the music that inspires her on the track, off of it as well. “Recently my favorite concert was Watch the Throne,” she admits. The tour was co-headlined by none other than Jay-Z and Kanye West and grossed over $40million. The Olympian also gushes about a live performance where she caught a performance by India Arie. “It was amazing,” says Felix.

Even with the gold around her neck, Felix admits the chances of getting tongue-tied again during her next Jay-Z encounter are pretty likely. And so are the Rio Games where she thinks athletically she can run even faster.

September 30, 2012/by Jayme

Tatyana McFadden | Photo Courtesy of Joe Kusumoto

Paralympics Guide

Olympics

Tatyana McFadden | Photo Courtesy of Joe Kusumoto

The Ultimate Guide to Paralympics: Where to watch, who to cheer for and far the games have come.

Just two weeks after the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics, another set of games takes the same stage. On Wednesday, 4,280 Paralympians, elite athletes with physical and visual disabilities, will begin competing at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, an international multi-sport event with more than 20 sports over 11 days.

Some of the disabilities of the competitors include mobility difficulties, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy and some events are open to people with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

The All-Time medal tally for the Summer Paralympics Games as of Beijing 2008 shows Team USA winning by a landslide with 665 gold, 592 silver and 613 bronze for a total of 1,870 medals. In far second is Great Britain with a total of 1,420 and then Canada with a total of 947 medals. The first International Games for athletes with a disability were held in 1952 (at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in London) with only two participating countries and 130 athletes.

The games have since grown to include 166 countries. An estimated 2.2 million tickets will be sold (in contrast to 8.8 million for the Londomn Summer Olympics). The Olympics and Paralympics started sharing the same venue in 1988 (Seoul, South Korea), which is the same year the term “Paralympics” was adopted.

Although the Games are yet to be televised in the United States (a goal the National Paralympic Committees is working on), you can tune in online and catch more than 580 hours of coverage. Once you set your URL and get comfortable, stay there for a while because there’s a lot to watch. NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) will air one-hour highlight shows on Sept. 4, 5, 6 and 11 at 6 p.m. After the games, NBC will broadcast a 90-minute special on Sept. 16.

U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Team (formerly known as Murderball): The full-contact rugby in wheelchairs is most known for the

Will Groulx | Photo Courtesy of Joe Kusumoto

toughness and tenacity of the athletes, which was captured in the prize-winning documentary, Murderball, which detailed the rivalry between the Canadian and U.S. teams leading up to the 2004 Paralympic Games.

Because of the difficulty of marketing a sport known as “Murderball,” the name was later changed to “Wheelchair Rugby.”

The sport made its Paralympic debut at the Sydney 2000 Games.

The U.S. is a heavy favorite for gold, led by Will Groulx who was also part of the U.S. team when it won gold in Beijing in 2008 and who led the team in scoring in multiple matches. Groulx is a Navy veteran who was medically discharged after suffering a spinal-cord injury from a motorcycle accident in 2001.

You may recognize Groulx’s name as he was nominated for an ESPY back in 2009 for Best Male Athlete with a Disability for his performance as a member of the undefeated USA Quad Rugby team in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball: Also heavy favorites for gold, this team won the last two Paralympics in Beijing and Athens. The team has six returning players from the same team that won gold in Beijing so they mesh well and know how to take the ball up and down the court with ease.

They recently won gold at the Parapan American Games in Guadalajara after going undefeated and beating Canada by 38 points.

Becca Murray | Photo Courtesy of Joe Kusumoto

I had a chance to chat with Jeff Downes, Team Leader since 2007, to find out why this group of women who happen to be aiming for a three-peat in London are worth watching.

“Our team has had success since 2004 where we won the gold in Athens and then again in 2008 when we beat Germany in the final minute,” he said. “We’ve always had a strong team — strength, speed and stamina — able to wear our opponents down, but the rest of the world is catching up. We’ve lost to some teams we should have beaten and I can assure you London is going to be a brawl.

“It’s going to be very competitive and we’re looking for some fun, high-scoring games.”

You can follow the team and get updates on its Facebook page.

U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball: This is the sport that amazes me the most, after I watched a demo a few months back in Times Square. Having won silver last year in Beijing with a loss to China, the team has high hopes of edging out China this year in London to claim gold. The sport began in 2003 and is now powered by the American duo of Katie Holloway and Kari Miller.

The 6-foot-3 Holloway was named MVP and the Best Spiker at the 2011 Parapan American Games. Born without a fibula in her right leg, Holloway had her right foot and ankle amputated at 20 months, but she still went on to play basketball and volleyball.

She was later recruited by college basketball teams which did not even realize she wore a prosthetic leg.

Kari Miller | Photo Courtesy fo Frank Polich

The 5-foot-6 Miller helped her team win gold at ECVD Continental Cup in Yevpatoria, Ukraine, and was named the tournament’s Best Libero (defensive specialist) with 163 receptions. While serving in the military, Miller and a friend were in a car struck by a drunk driver. Miller lost both legs, one above the knee, the other below.

It should be a treat to watch these two athletes lead their team to a gold medal in London. Check out the rest of the team profiles.

April Holmes: Venturing into her third Paralympics, this will likely be Holmes’ final appearance. Holmes has been dubbed “the world’s fastest amputee” and holds world records in the 100-, 200- and 400-meters. In 2001, Holmes was involved in a train accident that resulted in the loss of her left leg just below the knee.

Holmes took her faith and worked towards a new goal of becoming a Paralympian and has been breaking records ever since.

In an accident at the Beijing Games in 2008, the spike on Holmes’ left prosthetic leg got caught in the track causing her to tumble to the ground. While on the ground, Holmes took a competitor’s spike to the face, but she still managed to force her bruised and bloodied body across the finish line. Just five days later, still in immense pain, Holmes competed in the 100-meter final.

Shocking even herself, she took gold, winning in a time of 13.72 seconds, just three seconds slower than the Olympic record held by Florence Griffith-Joyner.

The heart and soul, not to mention immense speed of Holmes should be at the top of anyone’s list of why to watch the Paralympics.

Holloway | Photo Courtesy of Frank Polich

Tatyana McFadden: This veteran Paralympian is in the games for her third time. McFadden first entered the Paralympic Games in Athens at age 15. Now 23, she says she’s still a bit nervous.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “I’ve worked for four years, every day, twice a day for two hours in each session with my main focus being on the Paralympic Games.

“Getting involved in sports saved my life. The Paralympics are athletes at an elite level, people with disabilities competing at their best — it’s honoring, humbling, exciting, thrilling . . .”

As her bio states: “By all accounts Tatyana should not be one of the top female athletes in the world. She probably should not be alive. She was born in 1988 in St. Petersburg, Russia, with an underdeveloped spinal cord resulting in paralyzation below the waist and a hole in her spine, a condition know as spina bifida. When operated on immediately, spina bifida is rarely life threatening.

“Tatyana was left for 21 days before doctors operated. Only her innate strength of will kept her alive.”

She was sent to an orphanage, “an unwanted disabled child.” In 1994, Tatyana was adopted by American Debbie McFadden, who was working as the commissioner of disabilities for the U.S. Health Department.

Her new mother got McFadden her first wheelchair, and signed her up for swimming classes and then a Baltimore wheelchair sports organization to help build up her strength. Now, McFadden’s an eight-time track world champion, three-time marathon winner and full-time student at University of Illinois.

She races with her sister Hannah in the 100-meters.

“Whether I bring home a medal or not, I’m going to put in 110 percent,” McFadden promised. Famed for her strength, McFadden is also aptly nicknamed “Beast.”

This article was featured on Culture Map, Houston’s Daily Digital Magazine in the sport’s section.

September 1, 2012/by Jayme

Sprinter "Doc Patton", photo courtesy of Victah Sailer

Sprinter Seeks Redemption in London

Olympics

Sprinter “Doc Patton”, photo courtesy of Victah Sailer

Having represented Team USA three times for men’s Track & Field and having already set foot on the Olympic stage twice, Darvis Patton, who prefers to be called “Doc”, is expected to bring a veteran presence to London at the 4x100m relay. And the Dallas native is OK with it.

Patton explains how this time around he’s been searching deep within to see how he can improve from year’s past. Asking himself things like “how can I be a tenth of a second faster,” which in his sport is a light year.

Although he’s a native to the sport and the Olympics, he’s still charged with a lot of pressure heading into the Games. “I haven’t had a lot of luck with the relays lately, I’ve been a part of the mishaps,” Patton admits as he recalls being labeled the “black cat” by fans.

“We owe it, especially myself as I can’t speak for everyone else, to the fans of Team USA a gold medal, a finished relay. We want to show the world that the U.S Track& Field men’s team is #1,” Patton said. The U.S. Men’s 4x100m relay team hasn’t finished a relay since 2007, and Patton has been at the helm of those botched baton passes and other disqualifications in 2008, 2009 and again in 2011.

“I’m blessed beyond belief to get another shot at the Olympics. I feel I’ve been given another chance to bring success to U.S. Track & Field. Other athletes wished they didn’t strike out at their last at-bat in the College World Series, but I’m lucky enough for a chance to correct that wrong,” Patton explains.

Coming off one of the fastest times of his career, Patton urges fans to keep the faith for him and his teammates. “Everyone’s rightfully calling London ‘redemption’ and I’m just happy to be a part of it,” he says. Quick to be humble, Patton credits much of his success to his teammates, coaches, family and even his massage therapist.

Photo courtesy of TrackTownPhoto.com

Patton holds a silver medal from his showing back in 2004 in Athens (along with three other medals from the World Championships and Pan Am Games) and confirms he’s going to return home to Texas with more. “I need more of those. I’m coming home with more hardware this time – preferably gold,” he confirms.

“I’m extremely blessed to be where I am,” Patton said. “You have a better chance of winning the lottery than making an Olympic team – with that I just may go play the lottery. After I win another medal,” he chuckles.

Follow Patton and his Olympic quest on Twitter @Doc_Patton

This article can be read in August 2012 print issue of 002mag, on page 37 where you can also read about some other Texas inspiring Olympians or online.

August 2, 2012/by Jayme

Olympic Boxer, Marlen Esparza, photo courtesy of Facebook Vogue

Houston Olympians to Keep an eye on in London (6)

Olympics

With the Olympic Games underway, it’s time to pick your favorites. We’re all cheering for the big names — Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin, Natalie Coughlin — but lets put some hometown pride in our Olympic pom poms this year. Out of the 10,490 elite athletes headed to London, here are six from Houston (or with close Bayou City ties) who I’m going to cheer loudly for.

Olympic Boxer, Marlen Esparza, photo courtesy of Facebook Vogue

Marlen Esparza

This Pasadena native was the first American female boxer to qualify for the Games as women’s boxing makes its long awaited debut in London. At 5-feet-3-inches and weighing 112 pounds, this flyweight can pack a punch. Literally. In a sport not highly touted for its beauty, Esparza brings a new light to everything we once knew about boxing. As the new face for CoverGirl, her ambitions will take her well beyond the ring in London.

In a sport not highly touted for its beauty, Esparza brings a new light to everything we once knew about boxing.

Esparza’s top two goals both in and out of the ring are to make the first women’s Olympic boxing team (check) and to graduate college. She was student body president at Pasadena High School and graduated in the top 2 percent of her class.

Esparza, who came to love boxing thanks to her father’s love of the sport, is now trying to show the world she, too, can fight. In a Los Angeles Times article she admits, “I got into a lot of street fights. Once after school I beat a guy up. My big brother was always getting into fights. So I’d jump in and help him,” she said.

Even Vogue Magazine has tabbed Esparza “America’s best hope for the gold” in its July issue.

Esparza turns 23 today —just two days after the opening ceremony — and I can’t think of a better present than an Olympic gold medal, can you?

Twitter: @marlen112boxing

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Jonathan Horton

Veteran Gymnast, Jonathan Horton, photo courest of Ralph Lauren

I had the opportunity to chat with Horton just days before heading to London and became an instant fan. This will be his second time heading to the Olympics; four years ago in Beijing he won a silver medal in the high bar routine as well as a team bronze medal.

When asked where his motivation comes from, Horton had a pretty standard answer: “From within. I set my goals and go after them,” he said. “I visualize being an Olympic champion — standing on the podium with my teammates and that’s what motivates me.”

Horton’s best event, the rings, is ironically his least favorite. “It takes a lot of strength and is a tough routine to get through,” he admitted.

Horton, who at 26 is six years older than the next oldest guy on the U.S. team, feels he’s much more mentally prepared this year compared to 2008. “Everyone knows how big the Olympics are. When I got off the plane in Beijing, it hit me — all the hype, the pressure. But this year I know what to expect. I feel I’m more prepared, a better gymnast and more technically sound,” he said.

“A lot of people are expecting me to retire [after these games], but I told my wife, as long as I can contribute to Team USA, I might as well stick around. After the London Games, I’ll reevaluate,” Horton said.

Twitter: @j_horton11

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Steven Lopez, photo courtesy of NBCLatino

Steven Lopez

Trying for his fourth medal, this Sugar Land native comes from a family of Olympic athletes, all in Taekwondo. His brother Mark, who won silver at Beijing, did not qualify this year, but his younger sister, Diana, did (see below).

According to USA Today, “Only South Korea and Taiwan have more Olympic Taekwondo medals than the Lopez family.”

In Beijing, the Lopezes became the first set of three siblings to compete on the same Olympic team in the same sport since 1904 and all three came away with medals. (Can you imagine the roughhousing that went on at the Lopez house? As an only child, I certainly cannot!)

Steven, who was included in People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People, is the only member of the Lopez family to have won gold (doing so twice). He was 21 when Taekwondo made its Olympic debut in 2000 in Athens, where he took gold in the welterweight division. He has gold medals from the 2000 and 2004 Games and a bronze from 2008.

He heads to London looking for redemption after a controversial loss in Beijing. He was defeated after a bad call, which the World Taekwondo Federation later acknowledged as an “unintentional judgment error.” At 33, he is back and better than ever after putting in long hours to get not ready — physically and mentally.

Twitter: @stevenlopeztkd

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Diana Lopez, photo courtesy of NBCLatino

Diana Lopez

The youngest in the Lopez family, Diana has taken gold in the Taekwondo Junior Nationals for 10 years in a row and is looking to snag a gold medal at the London Games. When she won the gold at the World Championships in 2005, she made the Lopezes the first three siblings in any sport to win World Championship titles at the same event.

Diana claims in an espnW article that she followed her brothers into the ring so she wouldn’t be left out.

Currently in her last semester at the University of Houston, where she studies childhood education, the 28-year-old who goes by “DLo” has put her studies on hold until London is over. Here’s hoping she returns to classes with a gold medal around her neck.

Twitter: @dianalopez25

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Christina Loukas

Diver Christina Loukas, photo courtesy of xinhua

In her first Olympics (Beijing 2008), Loukas finished ninth in 3-meter springboard and contemplated retiring after her subpar perfomance. Lucky for us, she thought better of it and is now off to London to try and earn a gold.

Currently a resident of The Woodlands, but originally from Chicago, Loukas, 26, will be competing in the 3-meter springboard. (She and her partner, Kassidy Cook, barely missed qualifying in synchronized diving by less than one point.)

Less than two years ago, Loukas decided to give diving another chance and is now headed to London with a refreshed attitude and a renewed spirit, happy and thankful to have another shot at the Olympic stage.

Twitter: @christinaloukas

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Jason Richardson makes his Olympic debut in London in track and field

Jason Richardson

London marks this track and field star’s Olympic debut. Richardson, who was born in Houston and raised in Cedar Hill, has high hopes of snagging the gold in the mens 110m hurdles, where he is the reigning world champion in the event (he initially won silver but winner Cuba’s Dayron Robles was disqualified for impeding another hurdler).

In the Olympic trials semifinals in Eugene last month, he ran an impressive 12.98 seconds – becoming only the 13th man to break the 13-second barrier in the hurdles.

Richardson, 26, may have the best “what I want to do when I grow up” line as quoted on NBCOlympics.com saying, “I would like to amass wealth and prestige and invest well [enough] that I could sit up in the house and eat Skittles until I figure out what else moves me in life.”

Richardson, who studied sports entertainment management at the University of South Carolina, where he also, obviously, ran track, is eagerly awaiting his chance to show the world that his event may just be the best in all of track and field. A guy after my own heart, Richardson plans to handle the pressure with his “no-filter personality” and by making as many jokes as possible as he recently told a Vanity Fair reporter.

Twitter: @jairich

This article ran in the Dream’s Summer Olympics 2012 section in Culture Map.

The Blonde Side editor’s note: my apologies for missing Camille Adams, Houston native and Texas A&M sophomore who is also competing. If anyone has her contact info, I’d love to do a solo interview with her – email me jayme [at] theblondeside [dot] com

August 1, 2012/by Jayme

Top 5 Reasons to Tune into London Olympics

Olympics

In support of Team USA and all the elite athletes who have spent the better part of their lives training for this moment, I’ve compiled a list of reasons to support London 2012. Let us not forget the summer of 1980 where the U.S. boycotted the Games in Moscow for political reasons — there is never a guarantee of the next Olympic Games and certainly not a guarantee your favorite athletes will return. These athletes, not to mention our country, deserve our undivided attention and quite frankly a few chestbumps interwined.

Allyson Felix reps Team USA

1. Allyson Felix

The 26 year old eight-time-world-champion (six-time U.S. champion) sprinter from Los Angeles is headed to London and she’s probably the best reason to tune in to the Games. Not only did I get the chance to meet this elite athlete at SXSW this year (she declined my challenge for a nice jaunt through Austin, but all is forgiven), this woman of firsts is also the same inspiration on about a million pieces of Nike training and motivational running collateral.

She is the first woman ever to win national championships in the 100, 200, and 400 meters and is a gold (a member of U.S. women’s 4×400 team in Beijing in 2008) and silver (200 meters) Olympic medalist. Aside from all she’s accomplished in the past, her tenacity and training regime are second to none. Literally, none.

You may recall a bit of controversy from the trials held in Eugene in June. Jeneba Tarmoh crossed the finish line in the 100-meter race to see her name pop up on the scoreboard for 3rd place, securing what she thought was her spot in London. Shortly after, it was ruled a dead heat with her training partner, none other than Felix as they both crossed the line in exactly 11.068 seconds.

The two were set for a rematch on the track days later on prime time television to see which would be heading to London alongside Carmelita Jeter and Tianna Madison. Perhaps the most talked about race in all of track and field, it never happened as Tarmoh pulled out at the last minute and conceded to Felix.

While it may mean Felix had it in her heart more than Tarmoh, it does mean one thing for sure: Felix is working that much harder to prove to the world she deserves to be there. In a statement in a recent Huffington Post article, she said, “I wanted to earn my spot on this team and not have it conceded to me so I share in everyone’s disappointment that this runoff will not happen. All I can do now is turn my focus to London.”

I can assure you this focus of hers is something you’ll want to tune in to.

Follow her tweets (@allysonfelix) and send her notes of encouragement during the next few weeks- the lady is beast-mode busy and has one thing on her mind: GOLD.

2. Joe Buck will not be announcing

3. The Ryan Lochte vs. Michael Phelps matchup

Ryan Lochte, photo courtesy of Ralph Lauren

In 2008, American swimmer Phelps dominated every newspaper, every blog, every bit of Olympic coverage and every woman’s dreams thanks to his all-star performance in Beijing with a record-setting eight gold medals. This is the same Phelps who holds 16 Olympic medals and more world records than any other swimmer, but this year eyes aren’t juston him, they’re split dead even.While it seems last time we saw Phelps on the grand stage in Beijing, there wasn’t anything the Speedo-laden beast could have done to better prepare himself – either mentally or physically. He was king of the pool, not to mention the world and there was no denying that. Lochte on the other hand, has since changed his diet, started lifting heavier weights and gotten his mind right – although great in his last two Olympic appearances, he had room for improvement, where it seems Phelps did not.

Both 27, both in impeccable shape, both starving for gold, but perhaps Locthe is a bit hungrier. Although Lochte has won six medals in his last two Olympic appearances (including a gold alongside teammate Phelps in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay), he hasn’t had nearly the notoriety as Phelps. As with all things in life, change may just be around the bend.

Michael Phelps, photo courtesy of KerimOkten

It’ll be interesting to see what this additional training and focus does in the water and how it’ll serve as stiff competition for Phelps. In last month’s Olympic trials in Omaha, Lochte actually beat out Phelps in the 400-meter individual race which prompted addtional debate over who will reign supreme in London waters. This will be Phelps fourth appearance on the Olympic stage and Locthe’s third.

It’s no question we’ll get to witness two of the world’s best swimmers competing in parallel lanes in the 200-meter freestyle and the 200 individual medley, where Phelps is the defending Olympic champion. Lochte is certainly no stranger to the events by winning both world titles this year. The two claim to be close friends, but come Games time, the two are competing to see which hardbody will be donned with gold as the fastest swimmer in the world. No matter which one of these amazing athletes wins, it’s a win for the USA and will be worth watching.

Follow both of these great athletes, teammates and competitors @ryanlocthe @michaelphelps.

4. Bryshon Nellum

Bryshon Nellum, photo courtesy of PRK PR Photos

We all love a feel good story, and this is the one. Almost four years ago, Nellum was shot three times in the leg after a Halloween party near the campus of the University of Southern California, where he was on the track and field team. Fearful he’d never walk again, it seemed any Olympic journey was out of question, but now, his dreams are coming true.

It took 44 months and three surgeries (his last one just last August), but now the most decorated high school sprinter in all of California just ran his personal best in the 400-meters (44.80 seconds) at the U.S. Trials in Eugene last month and is headed to London to chase his lifelong dream of not only making the Olympics, but coming home with a well-deserved medal around his neck.In a Los Angeles Times article, Nellum recalled his accident, “It’s crazy because I never did fall to the ground. I kept going, just to run to safety.”

Perhaps it was this need and persistence to keep moving that not only saved his life, but got him back on track, literally. The men who shot Nellum were tried for attempted murder and are now serving 15 years. When I asked Nellum via Twitter for a quote about his journey both past and present, he offered this: “When the odds are against you keep faith and never give up.”

You can follow Nellum’s inspirational journey on Twitter @bnellum1.

Missy Franklin, photos courtesy of Chris Schneider for The Wall Street Journal

5. Missy Franklin

She’s 17. And she rocks a size 13 shoe. The young girl who just two months ago went to her junior prom is the same girl (woman) to become the first American woman to swim in seven events in a single Games (four individual events and three relays). Franklin set a new American 100-meter backstroke record in Omaha where she qualified for her spot on the U.S. Swim Team sending her to London.

Even with all that gold, silver and bronze hunkering him down, Michael Phelps calls Franklin “a stud” with her 76-inch wingspan, which is three inches longerthan she is tall (standing at 6-foot-1). She’s got a body built for swimming and an attitude built for anything she can possibly dream.Franklin has already won a total of seven medals in major international competition, three gold, three silver, and one bronze in the World Championships and the fresh-faced youngster is now setting her sites on Olympic gold. Having dual citizenship (in both Canada and the U.S.), Franklin was urged to represent Canada during the Games due to the depth and experience already on Team USA. But showing her true patriotism, she went for it and is now a proud representative for Team USA.

It’s hard not to root for a gal like this both in and out of the water. Franklin has come a long way having competed in the 2008 Team Trials at the age of 13 and not making the trip to Beijing to now being a world record holder. Her toughest competition, 11-times medal winner Natalie Coughlin also happens to be her lifelong role model where both have shown immense support for one other.

Both Coughlin and Franklin will be ones to watch in London, but if I had to keep my eyes on just one, it’d be Franklin all-the-way.

You can follow this amazing athlete and inspriation to us all on Twitter @franklinmissy.

Those are just my Top 5 reasons to tune into London, but it seems almost every Olympian has a story worth telling and certainly one worth watching. What’s your favorite story heading into the Games this year? Perhaps we’ll compile a Top 10 list before the end of it all.

This article ran in the London Dream’s Summer Olympics 2012 section in Culture Map.

August 1, 2012/by Jayme