I don't know about you, but I love the Olympics! :) For this week, pick a famous Olympian...either present or of history, describe their athletic accomplishments and explain one reason why they are inspirational OUTSIDE of their athletic category.
Have fun!!
Mrs. Demmel
Venus Williams, a famous American professional tennis player, has been ranked Number #1 singles in the world on three different occasions. She has won four Gold medals at the 2000 Sydney, 2008 Beijing, and 2012 London Olympics in both singles and doubles matches. Her sister, Serena Williams, is also a professional tennis player. Williams has been a competitive tennis player since her childhood, and continues to be the elite symbol of women's tennis all around the country. Her name and identity is also used to advertise the products of many tennis companies such as Wilson and Penn. Outside of her athletic category, Venus Williams is an inspiration to those who have gone through, or are currently going through, some kind of medically-diagnosed health problem. In 2011, Williams was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease known as Sjogren's Syndrome. Due to this, she had to give up some of her passions both inside and outside her athletic life temporarily. However, Williams did not give up. She changed her diet and exercise plans and overall lifestyle to fit her condition so that she could continue the things she loved. Many can learn and follow her example.
ReplyDeleteLouis Zamperini is a famous Italian-American athlete and war veteran. Zamperini took part of the 1,500 and 5,000 metre events of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, placing 8th on the final race of the 5,000 metre run. Despite the fact that Zamperini did not place, he was called to meet with Adolf Hitler who congratulated him on his run.
ReplyDeleteWhat Zamperini is more known for outside of his Olympic career is his part in WWII, when his plane went down in the Pacific Ocean leaving himself and two other men stranded. The men were forced to survive at sea for over forty days before reaching land and being captured by the Japanese. Despite grueling conditions harsh punishments, Zamperini survived and is today a celebrated war hero and inspirational speaker.
Charlotte Cooper Sterry was an English female tennis player who, in 1900 became the first female Olympic champion, a gold medalist. She also won five single titles at the Wimbledon Championships.
ReplyDeleteShe is the oldest Wimbledon’s ladies’ singles champion.
She was inspiring because she was amongst the very first female Olympians. She was also deaf since the age of 26, and took her gold medal at the age of 30, after having won 3 Wimbledon titles.
She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.
Jesse Owens was a sprinter in the 1936 Olympics. He was African American and what he was accomplishing was revolutionary at the time. He won four gold medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump, and 4x100 meter relay. It was especially impressive that he did this in Hitler's own backyard. He has served as a role model to the African American community.
ReplyDeleteCathy Freeman is a prominent retired Olympian. Freeman began her career as a sprinter in 1990 at the Commonwealth Games. Her performance at the games won her the award of Young Australian of the Year. In 1992, Freeman started her career as an Olympian, becoming the first Australian Aborigine to compete in the Olympics. Two years later, she set the 200 meter record for Australia at 22.2 seconds at the Commonwealth Games. In 1995, Freeman was ranked second in the world for the woman’s 400 meter. At the 1996 Olympics Freeman challenged French athlete Marie-José Pérec in the 400 meter in what is still considered one of the best races in the history of women’s sprinting. Pérec defeated Freeman, but the next year in Oslo Freeman ran a 49.39 second 400 meter, becoming the number one ranked female in her event. Freeman retired in 2003.
ReplyDeleteAlthough most famous for her athletic accomplishments, Cathy Freeman is also notable for her contributions to Australian society. Freeman has used her position as a national celebrity to promote Aboriginal recognition within the Australian government. When she was chosen to light the Olympic flame for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, it was hailed as a symbol of Aboriginal reconciliation. After her retirement, Freeman also started a nonprofit called the Cathy Freeman Foundation that provides aid for aboriginal children in Australia.
Sources:
Delete"Cathy Freeman (Australian Athlete)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
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ReplyDeleteMatthew Robinson, the older brother of Jackie Robinson, was an Olympian that not only excelled in sprinting, but also outside of athletics. As an athlete Robinson won Olympic silver in the 1936 Olympics. Outside of sports, Robinson helped to fight crime in his hometown of Pasadena. Also, he was an excellent role model for many African Americans during a time when segregation was rooted deeply into the U.S.
ReplyDeleteVera Caslavska won 19 gold medals in international competitions in 1964-1968; 7 of those gold won between the '64 Tokyo and '68 Mexico City Olympics. Caslavska is known not for just her great Olympic achievements but also her protests to the Soviet-lead invasion of Czechoslovakia and Soviet Communism in 1968. Having signed Ludvik Vaculik's protest "Two Thousand Words" in the spring of 1968, Caslavska was forced to hid out in the mountain town of Sumpurk to avoid arrest. During the medal ceremonies at the 1968 Olympics, Caslavska publicly protested the politics which favored the USSR policies. Consequently Caslavska faced strict restrictions in her home country until the fall of communism in the 1980's. Caslavska is a notable gymnast and political protester who received warm reception in Czechoslovakia.
ReplyDelete"VeraCASLAVSKA." Vera CASLAVSKA. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.
Brian Boitano is a figure skater who in 1988 was the Olympic champion. He’s also gay, but Boitano didn’t come out as gay in 1988. His agent told him not to. He came out this year for a very specific purpose. As we all know much of the controversy around the Sochi games has been Russia’s anti LGTB laws. Obama, who will not be attending the games, appointed delegates in his place including openly gay athletes such as Caitlin Cahow and Billie Jean King. Boinito is also joining there ranks and came out two days after the announcements of the delegates was made. On NPR’s all things considered he stated that “I've always been a private person. But this was a time to push my comfort zone. And the message was so strong that I felt like I really needed to do it at this time.” And this is why Boitano is such an inspiration. Boitano is doing what he thinks is right even though it’s not easy.
ReplyDeleteYelena Isinbayeva is a Russian pole vaulter who won two Olympic gold medals in pole vaulting in the 2004 and 2008 summer games as well as a bronze medal in the 2012 games. Widely renowned as the greatest female pole vaulter of all time, Isinbayeva is also inspirational because of the way in which she turned a setback into her most important skill. From the ages of 5 to 15, Isinbayeva trained as a gymnast, but she grew too tall to be competitive. She turned instead to pole vaulting, and this persistence and willingness to try something new is really inspirational to me.
ReplyDeleteMichael Phelps was a swimmer for the U.S. men's national swim team. He competed in his first Olympic when he was 15 years old, and went on to win medals in 2004, 2008, and 2012. Phelps has won 22 medals, 18 of them gold, which was and still is a world record. Phelps is probably the most accomplished swimmer of his time and very well known around the globe. Outside of sports, Phelps founded the Michael Phelps Foundation in 2008, dedicated to promoting the sport of swimming and a healthy way of life. Phelps' victories in the pool as well as his actions outside of it, make him a truly inspirational Olympic athlete.
ReplyDeleteApolo Ohno is the most decorated American winter olympian of all time. He competed in the short track speed skating. During his career he won two gold medals, two silvers and 4 bronze medals. He was a very good skater but struggled with some race controversy. Although he did not win the most amount of golds but he won plenty of other medals. Back in the USA he was a very big role model and an american favorite. He is a very big american icon with many sponsors and endorsements. He also competed in the reality show Dancing with the Stars.
ReplyDeleteKerri Strugg was a gymnast who competed in the 1996 Olympics for the united states. She was apart of the magnificent seven. After a hard day of competition it was time for her vault event. Her teammate prior was unable to score high enough on vault to get them the gold medal and it all came down to her. On traditional vault while competing you get two attempts to score points for your team. On Kerri's first run she fell and injured her left ankle critically. With no hesitation or thought her adrenaline pushed her to continue her second run even though she was in excruciating pain. The crowd went silent as she ran to the volt and stuck her landing perfectly. She ended up winning the gold medal for her team scoring a 97.2 on her volt. She was unable to compete in the individual all-around competition and event finals because of her injury. But she took one for her team and won. I think shes inspirational in the fact that she put her self second and won it for the team no matter how hurt she was.
ReplyDeleteShaun White, and American favorite, is famous for his feats in snowboarding. He has won medals in not only the Olympics, but also in the X-Games and ESPY. Even though he was disappointed in his efforts at Sochi this year, his accomplishments run deep and show his natural talent and determination. Outside of his snowboarding, White is known for skateboarding, playing the guitar, and even guest starring in several shows. His story has inspired his own video game, magazine editorial, and documentary film. Shaun White continues to contribute to his community through his Olympic success.
ReplyDeleteMy athlete is the American Sprinter Tommie Smith. He won the gold medal in the 200m dash in the 1968 Olympics, breaking the world record. Another American, John Carlos, came in third in the race. Both of these men were African American. What they are really famous for is what they did after the race. On the podium, after they received their medals, they stood on the podium, heads bowed, with one black glove on their fist and their arm extended through the entire national anthem. They did this to raise awareness for the civil rights movement in America. At first, they were ostracized. Eventually, the two were seen as courageous and being an important piece of the civil rights movement.
ReplyDeleteUsain Bolt is a sprinter from Jamaica. He is considered to be the faster man in the world, and is the first in a long time to hold world records for both the 100m and 200m sprints. He won gold in both the 100m and 200m sprints in this past summer olympics, and is the first person to win 6 gold medals in sprinting. He is also an 8 time world champion. Bolt could inspire others with his complete drive and persistence to accomplish his goals. He is memorable because of his fitting nickname, “Lightning Bolt”, and is said to be the most marketable athlete. His determination to succeed could inspire others to push themselves to their goals. These could be people in any fields, not only athletics.
ReplyDeleteMy athlete is Eric Heiden. At the Winter Games of 1980 in Lake Placid, Heiden won all five events in Speed Skating, a feet that has never been done before! Hw won gold in the 500, 1000, 1500, 5000, 10000 Meter skating events. This would be equivalent to a runner winning the 100m, the 800m, and the 10k. This may have been one of the greatest feets in olympic history but was overshadowed by the US beating Russia in mens hockey. Heiden is inspirational outside his sport because he shows that athletes can also have successful careers. Heiden became a doctor, a Orthopedic surgeon, was the team doctor for the Sacramento Kings as well as the US Speed skating team.
ReplyDeleteEric Moussambani was a swimmer from Equatorial Guinea who gained entry in the 2000 Sydney Olympics through a wild card for developing countries. He competed in the 100m freestyle. However, he didn't win. He didn't even come close. 8 months prior, Moussambani didn't even know how to swim, and had never swam a distance of more than 50 meters prior to the prelims. In fact, it was Moussambani's first time even looking at an Olympic pool. But nonetheless, Moussambani gave it his all in the pool, finishing the race in a time of 1:52.72(for comparison, gold medalist Pieter van den Hoogenband's time was 48.30). Moussambani's story inspires us to always follow our dreams and never give up, even if it means embarrassing ourselves in front of millions of others.
ReplyDeleteDavid Beckham is my Olympian. He's a world renowned soccer player who debuted professionally at the age of 17 for Manchester United. He's the first British player to win different titles in four separate countries. David's played on some of the top soccer clubs in the world like PSG and Real Madrid. Outside of sports Beckham is a fashion icon appearing on numerous covers. He's an a Goddwill Ambassador for UNICEF and supports other charites such as Unite for Children, Unite Against AIDS and Elton John AIDS Foundationg.
ReplyDeleteMike Eruzione was captain of the U.S. Olympic hockey team during the famous "Miracle on Ice". The "Miracle" occurred during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York in a medal round against the Soviet Union, who had previously won 6 of the last 7 Olympics and had dominated international hockey since 1954. Their goalie, Vladislav Tretiak, was widely considered the greatest goalie in the world. However, Team U.S.A. was made up mainly of amateur and collegiate players, each of whom had an average age of 21, and were thought of as that year's underdogs. U.S.A. managed to pull off perhaps the most unexpected win in hockey history, beating the Soviets 4-3 with Eruzione scoring the winning goal in the third period. They then went on to beat Finland in the finals, winning the gold. This game was a huge achievement for U.S. Hockey, but it had even bigger implications outside of the world of athletics. With huge inflation, gas shortages, and international events like the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Soviet war with Afghanistan, and the Cold War, the American public was looking for something hopeful amidst the unrest. With the win, Eruzione was able to show to the world that the U.S. was still a dominant power in the international scene, and it gave the American people a sign that there was still hope for the better in a troubled time. Eruzione didn't just win a hockey game, he redeemed an entire people's pride and trust in their nation.
ReplyDeleteWith the many women that have changed the course of history in the last history, Bonnie Blair and her achievements have made her a notable and inspiring athlete both inside and out of her career as an olympian. She made her debut in the olympic games in Sarajevo 1984, where she, to her disappointment, failed to win a single medal in the speed skating events. Blair, however, continued to strive for her dreams, and when she returned in the 1988 Winter Olympics she managed to get her hands on the gold in 500 meter speed skating grace and the bronze in the 100 meter race. Then in 1992, at the Albertville games, she achieved another record in the 500 and 1000 meter race. She had become the first female athlete to win back-to-back gold medals in the same event. Blair's high point of her career, however, was during the Lillehammer games in Norway in which she became the first female to win 5 gold medals and one bronze.
ReplyDeleteBlair was internationally recognized, for she won the James E Sullivan Awards, the Oscar Mathisen War, and she was selected the best female athlete of the year in 1994. Even though she retired in 1995, she proved that a mere woman, who started with almost nothing, had the capability to achieve glory and success in simply a time span of twelve years. She was additionally admitted to the United States Hall of Fame, and currently, remains the most decorated woman in the history of US Winter Olympics. Today, she is now a motivational teacher, instructing and giving key concepts for the path to success. Because of her feat, she will continue to remain as an inspiring light for young children and others aspiring to achieve their dreams despite the field in which they wish to do so. As a woman she's largely cleared the way for other rising female athletes and individuals, for she's shown that women can do as much as men.
Mark Spitz is one of the greatest swimmers of all time. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games. American Mark Spitz had brashly predicted that he would win six gold medals at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Although he did take home two gold medals from the relays, he performed well below expectations in his individual races. He was third in the 100m freestyle, second in the 100m butterfly and last in the final of the 200m butterfly.At the 1972 Munich Games, Spitz was determined to make up for his below-par performances four years earlier. He did not disappoint. Over a period of eight days, Mark Spitz entered seven events, won all seven and set a world record in every one.Mark Spitz held the record for most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games for 36 years. It was finally broken by American phenomenon Michael Phelps who won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games. Outside of his achievements as an olympic athlete, Mac was also an accomplished mustache grower, and his fuzzy upper lip still inspires men across the globe.
ReplyDeleteA famous Olympian in this year's Winter Olympics at Sochi is Yuzuru Hanyu, a Japanese figure skater who competes in men's singles. He won the gold for this year, breaking his own world record in the men's short program, scoring
ReplyDelete101.45 points. He is the only skater to score over 100 in the SP. He is inspirational outside of his athletic abilities because he continued to train despite when the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami struck his hometown and the region. He also took part in an ice show to raise money for victims.
A famous Olympian is Jessie Owens, a former Olympic runner who specialized in the sprints and long jump. He achieved many accomplishments, one being that he was the first African american Olympian, and the first African american to win a gold metal, and also won 4 gold metals, He was an inspiration to african american althletes to come, and set the tone for team USA to make hitler mad.
ReplyDeleteA famous olympian who recently competed in the Sochi Winter Olympics is Sidney Crosby. Crosby also competed in the 2010 winter olympics playing hockey for Team Canada. In 2010, he scored the winning goal in overtime versus the US to give Team Canada the gold medal. In 2014, he helped Canada win gold again. Crosby is also inspirational off the ice as he is involved in many children's hockey clinics in the Pittsburgh area.
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