I went to highschool with and graduated in the same class as Christine Lilly. (Though I have no cluse how she spells her first name; it’s similar to the Cathy-Kathy clusterfuck that apparently took place in the late 60s and early 70s.)
Lilly was, of course, one of the original members of the women’s national soccer team. (I think she retired last year.) As may be obvious from my alias, our social circles did not coincide. Although many of the jocks were stoners, she was more driven than most.
From what I remember, she was both very popular, and also extremely laid back. Quite a nice girl, actually. The hometown is quite proud of her, as they should be. She’s good people.
A friend’s daughter went to school with Courtney Kupets
at around the 2004 Olympics Time - this might have been 03- there was a "demonstration " by the gym team for the whole school which had never happened before or since.
That left a bad taste in my mouth: I thought sounded like the school cashing in on her I am 90% at that or 10% her wanting to showoff (I have no idea but lean heavily toward the school – "why do you need to judge it and quantify at all & couldn’t they both have benefited you a$$? you might ask an you would be right to ask. MYOB would be a good response too, but I hate to think they “pressured” her perform - I have no info that they did but I bet it would be hard as hell to say “No” if the coach said “Hey Team guess what ? At the next assembly …”). JUst didn’t like the sound of it much.
Everything else 3rd hand I ever heard was “nice”, “down to earth” yada yada
A friend and co-worker of a good friend of mine was an Olympic swimmer.
Apparently the exception to the rule that it’s a bad idea to have a picture of yourself wearing a Speedo in a professional office is if the picture was taken just as you were winning an Olympic Gold.
Lilly is still playing for the national team, got her 300th(!) cap recently. My nephew just played in a scrimmage against her (and the team) last week.
Mark Johnson, scored 2 goals in the game that beat the Russians and co-captain of the US Olympic team that won gold in Lake Placid, coach of the #1 ranked Univ of Wisconsin Womens hockey team. I work part-time where they play and he knows my name at least.
Not a medalist, but he finished 4th by a half a bike tire. Bob Mionske, 4th place finish in Seoul (88) and got sick right before Barcelona and finished out of it. After 125 miles, he loses by a half a tire lentgh. I worked with him at a Mexican restaurant before the Olympics. He never drank free soda like the rest of us, only water. He always said he was going to be in the Olympics, we all laughed. He was. He’s a lawyer and handles a lot of bicycle related cases here now.
I told my brother that I mentioned him here, and he said that now that he’s a distance coach at a community college in Los Angeles, Maurice Green recognizes him, as Green trains there. They’ve introduced themselves.
The Mayor of our city-Wayne Seybold, and his sister Kim were figure skaters in the 1988 Olympics. I honestly don’t know if they won medals or not, since I’m not into sports at all.
I knew them when we were kids through some friends I hung out with.
During Wayne’s mayoral campaign I got to know him a little better. The man I worked for at the time was Wayne’s best friend and campaign manager, so I actually did a little work on the campaign when things were slow around the office.
My son’s godmother (and my very good friend) is the daughter of Billy Mills. I don’t know him very well, but we’re often at family events together. He’s a nice guy. Robby Benson played him in the movie, Running Brave.
I’ve spoken to and set up interviews between my news director (I worked in radio at them time) and Summer Sanders who won 4 gold medals in Barcelona. She’s local to our area. She was rude and condescendig to me. Everytime I see her doing some stupid local commercial, I cringe.