Light up the torch

I just love the Olympics! As a kid I watched the '76 Games on tv and immediately started fantasizing about the phenomenal career I was going to have as a sprinter. I was going to win four gold medals like Jesse Owens (this was pre-Carl Lewis). I drew a picture of myself as a 16 year old, winning the 1984 200 meter dash in a world record time of 18.9 seconds (the current world record is an amazing 19.32 seconds set by Michael Johnson at the '96 Games in Atlanta, which I saw live in Olympic Stadium). I read every book and statistic that I could get my hands on. I memorized the names and times of all of the Olympic 100 meter dash winners - male and female - since the modern inception of the Games in 1896. And I ran, and ran, and ran.

But alas, my genetic makeup (skinny) and teenaged interest in other things (Brian R., Jamie W., UNC) didn't allow my athletic dreams to come true. Yet, to this day I remain a die-hard track fan. My interest in track was re-kindled while watching the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo (on tv). Since then, I've been to three Olympic Trials ('92, '00, '04), one Olympics ('96), and three U.S. Championships ('95, '01, '03). I read Track and Field News religiously, and I have tapes of all of the Olympic and World Championship meets (as well as a few smaller ones) since 1992.

Best of all, I still have the first ribbons that I won, as a 9 year old, in the local AAU Junior Olympics.

Stay tuned, and let the Games begin!