Archive for category Exclusives
The Boys of Summer – The Off-Season Journey – Part 2 of an Exclusive with Pitcher Michele Vassalotti
Posted by 'lottasports in Baseball, Exclusives, Minor League Baseball on February 22, 2023
The day after the Carolina Mudcats season ended, Michele Vassalotti arrived at Raleigh-Durham airport to return to his homeland, Venezuela, for the offseason. It wasn’t hard to spot him as he and several other ballplayers came down the steps from TSA. They were all tall and several were wearing their Milwaukee Brewers jackets. Michele wanted to grab a sandwich and coffee first. When ordering, the cashier asked him for his name. “Mike,” he replied, then turned to me and said, “It’s easier this way in the US.” I laughed and said, “You should hear what they do to Carlotta!” We both laughed.
While waiting in the gatehouse for boarding, we heard the agent announce about the flight being near full to JFK and the need to gate-check large roller bags at no extra charge. I looked at Michele’s which looked like it was ready to give birth and suggested taking his up to the podium. “Oh, it will fit,” he stated. I laughed to myself and thought of how many times I had heard that when I was a flight attendant. As predicted during boarding, the gate agent tagged his bag. He looked back at me. “It will be in the jetway at JFK. Trust me,” I assured him. “Now, don’t ring your flight attendant call button!” He laughed and headed down the jetway. A couple of hours later, I received a text. “I have arrived in New York City. That’s the button you mentioned?” followed by laughing emojis. Next was a picture of the panel above his seat. The following day, he finally arrived in Caracas.
The rest of September was spending time with his family, helping his dad who has a shoe business, celebrating his grandpa’s birthday and having dental surgery. He also took a mental and physical break from baseball with one exception — following Albert Pujol’s run for his 700th homerun! The break didn’t last long as he found out he had been chosen to pitch for Venezuela mid-October in the WBSC U23 Baseball World Cup!
The tournament was in Taiwan. There was a twelve-hour difference in time and they were a day ahead of us. I found myself up at 3AM in my jammies and sipping green tea while watching his games. Michele was awesome. He pitched relief in three games shutting down the batters from top ranked Japan and Chinese Taipei as well as Puerto Rico. Although the Venezuelan team fell short in tournament play, Vassalotti did not disappoint with a 0.00 ERA, giving up only 2 hits and 4 walks. He stuck out 4. According to the game announcers, there was speculation that Japan and Chinese Taipei might be thinking of pursuing the right-hander to pitch for their countries!!
November brought World Cup soccer action and it was my turn to amaze Michele with my picks in a contest sponsored by Fox Sports. I went through the tournament in the mid-90 to high-90 percentile. I only suffered two upsets by Croatia and Belgium. I was headed to the quarter-finals in the top 99 percentile and a million-dollar prize might become a reality! Vass shared in my excitement and provided a list of suggestions of how to spend my money buying homes in Iceland, Spain and Italy. I was ready! But like many dreams, this one came to an abrupt end when Portugal benched their best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the team was upset by Morocco. I finished in the 92 percentile.
Meanwhile in Venezuela, Michele had put his personal life on hold and was back in an intensive training program. Determined to improve and excel, he surrounded himself with qualified mentors. His coach, Victor Aguirre of New Performance, spent endless hours working with his pitching mechanics and ways to improve his durability. Physical therapist Gerardo Figueroa ensured he was conditioning correctly and sports psychologist Itamar Cabrera focused on the mental aspect. Thanks to Instagram, I could view his sessions and watch his progress. I witnessed a change in his style, delivery and speed. He exuded confidence.
The discipline, determination and hard work paid off. Recently Michele was named by Team Italy to participate in the World Baseball Classic in March. It’s his second stint with Team Italy as he was on the team in 2017 during World Cup play in Thunder Bay, Canada. There will be workouts soon in Arizona before Team Italy heads to Taiwan for the first round of play for their Pool A. Also in their pool are the Netherlands, Cuba, Panama and no stranger to Vassalotti, Chinese Taipei!
The Boys of Summer – The Other Side – Exclusive with Pitcher Michele Vassalotti
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, Minor League Baseball on September 13, 2022
I met “Vass” last September when he was a starting pitcher with the Carolina Mudcats, an A level team for the Milwaukee Brewers. It was after the game and the long-haired Venezuelan, dressed in normal clothes, was getting into a car with a couple, Julie and Rick, who were his “North Carolina family.” My car was parked next to theirs. I timidly asked him if I could take a picture. “Sure!” and he turned his cap to where the brim was facing back. As I raised my camera, he quickly motioned me to him and said, “Selfie?”
The next time I saw Michele was during warm-ups when Mudcats ball resumed this April. I watched as he took tosses. He appeared to have lost weight since last year and his long locks were gone! I leaned over the rail as he headed towards the clubhouse. “Hey! Vassalotti!!! Remember me?” He laughed and replied, “Of course! You called me a wild pitcher last year!” I couldn’t deny it, but it was meant as a compliment as I was comparing him to a friend who pitched in the 80s and 90s – former Olympian and Major League Pitcher Bobby Witt.
Michele’s appearance not only had changed, but his pitching as well. Instead of being a starter, he was throwing in the relief role. It was a brilliant transformation for him. His stats were outstanding this season – 9 wins, 2 losses and 7 saves in 33 games. His walks improved from last year’s 60 to only 24 this season. According to a scout during one of our series, Vassalotti has one of the best sliders in the minors. “It’s nasty and players dread facing him. They know it’s coming; they just don’t know when and the result is usually a strikeout.” The fans loved him in the relief role as evidenced by the cheers whenever he came in to pitch.
I met up with Michele recently in Myrtle Beach during the last away series for the Carolina Mudcats. It was there I discovered the personal side of the relief pitcher while we ate a late-morning brunch. Spanish is his primary language. I was envious of his command of the English language which he learned by talking to Americans. I had two years of high school French and I ended up in a Paris parking garage when asking for directions to a subway! That would never happen to Vassalotti.
He began his professional baseball journey on June 9th, 2017 when the Brewers signed him to a minor league contract. After stints in the Arizona Complex League Brewers and Dominican Summer League play, he was promoted to the Helena Brewers (2018) and the Rocky Mountain Vibes (2019) Rookie League. In 2017, when he pitched for Team Italy, he found himself in Thunder Bay, Canada – a place known for its high winds. Not exactly the ideal climate for a pitcher with evening temperatures in the 50s and low 60s! One can describe “Vass” as a well-rounded athlete also participating in basketball, soccer and bowling with athletic training squeezed in on the side.
I was curious what happened with him in April of 2020 when Minor League baseball was cancelled due to COVID-19. There he was, not even twenty years old, over three-thousand flight miles from his parents in Venezuela and the borders were closed. He stayed in Arizona for a couple months and then moved to Florida to live with a close friend. He stayed there four months until the Arizona Instructional League re-opened. In January 2021, it was off to Australia to play for Brisbane Bandits, a professional baseball team in Brisbane, Queensland.
When Minor League Baseball started back up in May of 2021 in an abbreviated post-COVID-19 schedule, players weren’t allowed to live with host families so the comforts of a “home” did not happen. Instead, they shared hotel rooms with other players. Schedules were also changed to playing six games straight against the same team with Mondays off. For several months, players were not allowed to sign autographs for fans or stand in close proximity to them. Spitting sunflower seeds was a no-no.
Life for a minor league player is quite different than one in the majors. With the exception of long plane rides while with the Brisbane Bandits or when playing for Team Italy, Michele has endured long bus rides to and from the away cities. Some of the hotels are miles from the city so DoorDash for food and Ubering to places are a way of life. While the team is at “home,” life is living with a host family or sharing an apartment with other players.
Just like fans, Michele has his favorite players who play or played in the majors. “Mad Max” (Scherzer) was his immediate response followed by former Brewers now Padres Josh Hader, former Hall of Famers Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera as well as 4-time All-Star Troy Percival.
As our brunch came to a close, I still had one important question for him — if you couldn’t play for the Brewers, what team would it be, hoping he would say Boston Red Sox. He grinned. “You are not going to like my answer ‘Lotta — the New York Yankees.” “Oh Vassalotti!! You just broke my heart!”
Pronunciation – Michele (Mee-kay-lay) Vassalotti (Vass-a-low-tee)
Lotta Sports from the Women’s POV – Hanging Up His Helmet
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country, NASCAR on March 1, 2020
This column runs in the Spring 2020 issue of Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country
As I am writing this column, qualifying for the pole at the Daytona 500 is being televised. So many changes this year; drivers switching teams, younger drivers coming in from other NASCAR tiers and legends racing for their final year. One of my favorites is hanging up his helmet – Brendan Gaughan.
I first “unofficially” met Brendan at a Texas Motor Speedway press conference back in Summer of 2013 when he was racing in the Camping World Truck Series. He was alongside fellow racer twenty-two-year-old Joey Coulter who was fifteen years younger so he kidded about himself being “old” in racing. I raised my hand. “What do you consider old?” I asked. Without skipping a beat, he responded, “Me!” I decided at that moment I had found the truck driver to root for!
Later that year NASCAR came back for the fall races. It was a sunny fall day when I hiked to the parking lot where the truck haulers were lined up providing an outside work area since the Cup and Nationwide cars had the two garages. There was the #62 South Point Hotel and Casino truck; over the driver’s door, the signature Brendan Gaughan. I craned my neck trying to see in the open hood without touching the truck. “Looking for anything in particular?” a familiar voice asked. I turned and it was Brendan. “uhhh… is this where the carburetor is?” I followed it with a laugh and explained that I knew nothing about what’s under a hood!
That night I got to hang at pit row thanks to my media pass. Brendan was doing last minute checks on his truck, then gave his wife Tatum a kiss and she headed to the pit stand pushing one of his sons in a stroller. He looked across and waved hi to me looking quite different in his racing uniform. “Good luck tonight!” I shouted. He finished 4th in the race.
The following spring, I contacted Brendan’s media person to request an interview with him. As a freelancer, I was appreciative of those who were willing to talk to me and there were many who would not grant one-on-one interviews. I explained to her the carburetor story. She said she would check with Brendan and get back to me. Several weeks later, I met Brendan at Fuzzy’s in the TMS Pit. He was now racing a car instead of a truck. I started off assuring him that I wouldn’t ask the typical girl question about how they used the bathroom while racing. Instead I pulled out my University of Houston “Phi Slama Jama” Tee-shirt. My Cougars had lost to the Georgetown Hoyas in the NCAA finals in 1984. Brendan played basketball for Georgetown in the 90s. Yes, I had done my homework. He burst out laughing. “Yes, we slama’d your jama!” he confirmed.
We talked about so many other things in addition his racing – his family, being a high school football All-American and a placekicker at Georgetown, scuba diving, skiing at his second home in Colorado, our common love of “The Doors” music and his future employment, helping run the family casino in Las Vegas. I asked Brendan what was on his bucket list. With a smile perfect for a toothpaste commercial, he responded, “Life is….”
Each season he raced at TMS, we’d exchange “high 5’s” or a hug. He went through many looks – mustache, beard and even a hint of sideburns like his early racing years. One time when Brendan was doing an appearance at the midway, a fan asked him if he participated in Fantasy Racing. Gaughan bragged about his fantasy team and how many fans were with him on Twitter getting advice each week. He pointed to me in the audience. “Just ask Carlotta! She’s on my team!” Yes! I not only had me a driver; he knew me by name!
Lotta Sports from the Women’s POV – Blast from the Past – Chris Gilbert
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, Football, Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country on December 2, 2019
This column runs in the Winter 2019/2020 issue of Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country
My high school reunions have always been fun, but my favorite of all time was in 2003. It was an All-School Reunion where former players of our Spring Branch (Houston) football team faced alumni from rival Memorial in tag football. The game was played at Darrell Tully Stadium off of I10 and Diary Ashford Rd. (I remember when they built it in 1965. It was in the middle of nowhere and we thought the planners had lost their minds!)
Spring Branch High School had closed in 1985 so the players as well as the Bruin Brigade drill team, cheerleaders and band participants were anywhere from their early sixties to mid-thirties. Former Texas Longhorns All-American Chris Gilbert was there doing the coin toss. As luck would have it, I watched from afar in the Victory Line for our Bears players to run through. Chris was still as good-looking as he was when he was voted in as Most Popular in 1965.
Our cheerleaders lead the stands in chants as the band played the fight song. The drill team thrilled everyone with their high-kicks and dance routines in a half-time show. I twirled a baton and threw a few aerials into the bright stadium lights. I was overjoyed! No drops! The months of practice in my living room and later the backyard (where I was sent after putting a soft dent in our living room archway) had paid off! It was a fun evening with nobody getting hurt, but a lot of groaning especially when Memorial won. The MVP was former Longhorn Brad Dawson from Memorial. Also playing was Brad’s younger brother Doug who was a guard for the Houston Oilers in the 90s.
The next night we had a casino event at one of the hotels. Chris Gilbert was there as a dealer. I must have stood an hour waiting for someone to leave his table! The former football star was the perfect dealer. He would peek at the next card. “Nah… I think you might want to let me keep this one” and then would wink. Between hands, I questioned him about his years after Spring Branch where he shattered school records. “Rumor has it that the reason you went to Texas is because our Coach Tully’s wife Edith was good friends with Edith Royal, wife of the Longhorns head coach.” He grinned with a smile made for toothpaste commercials. He neither confirmed nor denied.
I tried not to stare at him as I thought; here he is – he led our high school to three state playoffs, first Longhorn to record three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, former All-Southwest Conference three times and All-American! It was because of Chris Gilbert that my favorite item of clothing in the late 60s was a Texas Longhorns sweatshirt. As predicted, he got the attention of the NFL and was drafted in 1969 by the New York Jets. “You turned down playing with Joe Namath!” I blurted out. He smiled and then said, “I think you might want this next card.” I swiped my fingers across the green felt. Twenty-one!
Lotta Sports from the Women’s POV – More of College Game Day
Posted by 'lottasports in College Football, Exclusives, Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country on December 4, 2018
This column appears in the Winter 2018 issue of Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country
I love this time of the year — Holidays and College Football! All the craziness of the fall games come to an end with the Playoff Committee sorting out records, justifying the upsets and strength of schedules to build the college bowl schedules and the National Championship semi-final games. Oh what fun it has been getting to this point! Every Saturday I have been known to camp out at our TV starting at 8AM for College Game Day and remaining into the wee hours of Sunday morning watching the west coast teams play.
This fall, I actually got to experience College Game Day when my husband’s Ohio State Buckeyes were in Ft. Worth playing TCU. What I didn’t realize when I first hatched the brainstorm of attending, was what a crowd the Saturday live show would attract and how early one had to be there for the show’s early start. Rumor has it college kids always sleep in on the weekends when there are no classes, but not when College Game Day is in town!
When we arrived at the TCU campus a little after 7AM, we found the last parking place right across from the Campus Commons where it was being held. Before the car came to a complete stop, my seatbelt was whizzing into the holder and my hand on the door handle. “Hang on Harriet!” my husband advised, but quickly changed his tune after he spotted the cheerleaders of both TCU and Ohio State at the Commons entrance. Over the crosswalk we both flew. Rick, who hates posing for pictures, made an exception when the Buckeyes mascot Brutus clamped his hand around Rick’s.
Next was clearing security. Men never carry anything so my husband was waved through. I, however, had my pom-poms and purse. After having my pom-poms shaken and my purse (the size of a postage stamp) severely scrutinized, it was time to proceed through the portal into the Commons area. By then, we could see the sea of people already gathered and the ESPN stage way down the Commons. The bands were playing – time to make our entrance. There are times it pays to be shorter than the majority and I played that trump card, getting us second row, second section back from the stage. We could see the backs of Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Rece Davis. My life was complete – we were the backdrop of College Game Day!
Thirty minutes later, the director came out and reviewed the rules for the show as well as his signal for noise. This group already had the noise part down. Eight o’clock finally came and the roar was deafening especially when the TV camera mounted on a cable above us zoomed by. It turned out to be a fun morning mingling with fans not only of TCU and Ohio State, but colleges all over the country. I had DVR’d the show and even found us – a speck in the foreground – good thing for those red pom- poms!
Click here for pictures of the day! https://lottasports.com/2018/09/15/lotta-sports-college-game-day/
Lotta Sports – Exclusive with NASCAR’s Garrett Smithley — There’s More To Him Than Racing
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, NASCAR on November 2, 2018
Click here to hear my interview with Garrett
Race Action with the “0” — (on video, the red car pulling off the track is the pace car)
Lotta Sports from the Women’s POV – Dreams Can Come True with a Bucket List
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, Football, Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country on September 3, 2018
This column appears in the Fall 2018 issue of Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country
Last year, while my hubby and I were watching the NFL Draft on TV, an announcement was made that next draft would be in Arlington Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys. I immediately added “Attending the NFL Draft” to my bucket list. My other half replied, “Your bucket list has become a wash tub!” Towards the end of February this year, there was an announcement during the local news, that volunteers were needed to work the NFL draft in April. By the end of the night I had talked my cousin Sherry as well as friend Melissa into signing up with me. One week later, our background checks were completed.
“Customer Service and Security Training” was the week of the draft. Seated on the front row, I was distracted by a backpack between the stage and us. Mental note: “Don’t trip over it when class is over!” The bag turned out to be needed for the security portion to see if the class noticed its presence and let someone know. Melissa did and won a prize! Three days later we reported to the volunteer tent and were issued our NFL volunteer red t-shirt, windbreaker and cap. What are the odds of meeting someone in line from the town next to one’s hometown over 1700 miles away? I did. Next were our assignments. Sherry was sent to the Red Carpet. Melissa and I headed to the fan interaction area with our lead, Joe. “I need two people who can throw a football,” he said. Not us. “I need two people to run alongside the fans doing the dash.” Not us. We finally found our home at the Super Bowl Trophies display. Six and a half hours after arrival, our shift was over with no break—the entire time on our feet and in the hot sun. Most volunteers elected to go home and rest up their feet for Day 2. I couldn’t. Remember – attending the NFL Draft was on my bucket list. I had free tickets for the 1st round of the draft six rows from the top of the nosebleed section. I was in envy of the fans in the VIP sections that were just a few feet away from the stage and players being drafted who were specks for me. But I was there!
It seemed like I had just fallen asleep when the alarm went off for Day Two. My feet were reminding me they were not the same feet that worked to Germany eight hours in heels over twenty years ago. Melissa and I worked an event coaching fans on how to use the special goggles which made them feel like they were on the sidelines of an NFL game. Sounded easy and was inside with A/C – a relief to my sunburned arms. Of course the goggles would overheat or I couldn’t find my laser point – Melissa was always close by to rescue me. I met hundreds of fans representing all thirty-two teams. The shift went by quickly and I was once again ready to be a fan the rest of the afternoon and night. Melissa’s common sense took over and she headed home. I found my cousin and I soon had passes for later that night back in the nosebleed section. Short crisis – I forgot my jersey to change into – $14.99 later, I was in a Gronkowski T-shirt. To kill time until the draft, we visited the displays of locker rooms, uniforms and helmets. While posing in front of a Patriots helmet, a gal in New England garb approached me. She offered us tickets for the draft and unlike ours; these were in the Patriots fan section a few feet from the stage! Soon we were looking up at the poor souls in the nosebleed section – and not only night two but day three as well! We received foil pom poms and inflated cheer sticks, got to meet a couple of retired players and Commissioner Goddell, be on the big screen TV several times and even trash-talked with fans of other teams! Life couldn’t have been any better for this sports fan! Check! What’s next on my bucket list… err….. wash tub?
Lotta Sports from the Women’s POV – Conference USA Kickoff
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, Football, Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country on September 3, 2017
This column appeared in the Fall 2017 issue of Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country
Fall is my favorite part of the year – changing of the leaves, relief from sweltering temperatures and of course, football. During the summer I attended the two-day Conference USA Kickoff where I interviewed coaches and players from the fourteen schools. I wondered who of this group was in the one per cent who might see the NFL gridiron in the next few years and which coach was a winner not just in championships, but with lessons in life for his team.
Before the session even started, I had one of those, “This Could Only Happen To Me” moments. I was still trying to get orientated and passed a slender black man in a suit. “Are you Coach Frank Wilson?” No, he wasn’t. He did look to know what he was doing, unlike me, and politely gave me directions to the room set up for the media. A few hours later, I again saw the mystery man. He was now wearing a Conference USA tag. He asked me how things were going and of course, I excitedly told him about my interviews so far. We chatted about football and somehow ended up in an area I am passionate about, the NFL. “So who do you like in the Pros?” I inquired. He grinned. “The 49ers” and then walked away. A photographer I knew from NASCAR walked up to me and said, “Wow, you were talking to the man…. Merton Hanks!” Yes, I googled him when I got home. “Safety San Francisco 49ers… 4 times Pro Bowler ….Defensive Player of the Year… Super Bowl Champion.” How did I miss that gigantic Super Bowl Ring? A good thing there was a day two!!
It’s no secret with young kids being thrown into the limelight overnight; coaches have their work cut out for them being a manager, mentor and in some cases parent. Imagine having that responsibility to 115 kids between the ages of 18 to 22. It takes special men to be coaches. According to Coach Brad Lambert of Charlotte, “I look at it as I do my own children. I have eighteen years to pack their suitcase. When they leave home, they go with this suitcase. When our guys come in, you have to look at who has been packing their suitcase for the last seventeen years. Some you have to unpack then repack. It’s a fun process, just getting to know kids and bringing the right ones in. Hopefully they leave better men than they came in. “
I asked how the coaches could keep their teams from unpleasant sagas like Baylor’s. Coach Jay Hobson of Southern Miss found that having two daughters of his own is advantageous to getting out his message – “I emphasize the importance of being a good man. I’m always looking for the guy that gets between the white lines – a guy that’s an extremely physical football player, but outside the lines, it’s my wife, my daughter, their mother.” As he pointed out, the morals and the principles are the same as our era, but young men have to be careful not to put any negative vibe out there especially with social media. We agreed that coaches have their work cut out for them.
Middle Tennessee’s Coach Rick Stockstill embraces the responsibilities. “A good coach wins games, but a great coach saves lives. I want to help these kids learn how to be a good husband, good father, good parent, good son and good person so when they leave my program; they are ready to take on the world.” His athletes must understand “You aren’t going to be able to play football all your life. There are more important things than football – get your education, build relationships that can get you the job you want, get involved in the community and internships. You may play football until you’re only twenty-five.” Unless you’re Merton Hanks, I thought to myself…. Where was he anyway?
I did catch up with Merton toward the end of the session. Known for his interception gyrations during his 49ers’ tenure, he is currently Senior Associate Commissioner of Conference USA. We chatted about his playing under Hayden Frye at the University of Iowa, being drafted into the NFL and life as a 49er as well as after the gridiron. His favorite quarterback to play against? Joe Montana in practice! And his last career interception? Brett Farve on Monday Night Football. His advice to the kids coming into football? “Don’t specialize in one sport. Play a little bit of everything. Guard against burnout. Guard against injury. Your body only has so many reps.” Merton also played baseball, basketball and ran hurdles in track. “My mom ran track too,” I interjected. “I didn’t take after her. I ran after the track team though.” We laughed in unison.
Lotta Sports Exclusive — Don’t Mess with Austin Wayne Self
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, NASCAR on June 23, 2017
Hanging with Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Wayne Self at Texas Motor Speedway June 2017
Austin was 2014 ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America ) Racing Series Rookie of the Year and finished second in the 2015 Championship Points Battle.
Lotta Sports from the Women’s POV – A Chocolate Lab’s Connection to Rio
Posted by 'lottasports in Exclusives, Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country, Olympics, Swimming on September 4, 2016
This column ran in the fall issue of Heart Beat of the Texas Hill Country.
This year’s Olympics in Rio had special meaning for me. How exciting to cheer for and see someone on the medal podium I knew! The last time I saw Katie Meili was the day after Christmas, 2014. We rang the doorbell and were greeted by Karen my friend from Delta, and Rio the chocolate lab rescue dog. Responding to Karen’s sweeping arm motion that the door was not for him, Rio retreated to a room with the lit tree and evidence of a family Christmas still under it. Karen’s daughter, Katie appeared — a slender, beautiful young woman with big brown eyes. She certainly wasn’t the little girl that I remembered from my airlines days with her mom.
It was her older sister’s fault that Katie got involved in swimming. Maureen broke her ankle on the trampoline she had for gymnastics. First came a cast and then the orthopedic specialist suggested joining a swimming team for her rehabilitation. Karen was relieved; swimming was a much safer sport. Typical of younger siblings, Katie tagged along – she wanted to do anything Maureen did! Katie proved to be a natural once she got the hang of swimming. And with her ability, came classes and lots of hours of practice. Karen chimed in, “Remember the place that wanted you there for 5:30am swim classes?!?!?” She quickly followed with, “Oh sorry, this is your interview…” Katie smiled at the woman she knew had made lots of monetary and career sacrifices to help her “Dream big… Execute well. “
The Columbia graduate who sat across the table from me was now a professional swimmer. Her goal was to be in Rio in 2016, but that was a year and half away and she knew from experience, things can happen to delay a goal. Fate had already stepped in right before the 2012 Olympic Trials. During warmups while pushing off the wall, her hand got caught on another swimmer. “I think I hurt my hand.” Sure enough, x-rays showed the bone had snapped. Katie displayed her right hand and described a piece inside. I held up my left arm with my Titanium rod showing through. I knew without asking — there had been no London Olympics for Katie.
Katie’s face lit up when I asked about her college years. “Columbia – I wanted East Coast. It was a small school in a big city! “ Ivy League, just like her dad who went to Dartmouth. She majored in Psychology and of course made her mark with swimming. After graduating in 2013, she was invited to North Carolina to train at SwimMAC with David Marsh. Once getting settled in, she worked part-time for Direct ChassisLink, Inc. who currently sponsors her.
The pool where she practices is also where NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson swims. “Really?!?” This racing enthusiast wanted more details. “He swims with us on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am in awe of him,” she responded. NASCAR sharing the same turf as some of the most elite swimmers in the world! “You like any other sports?” I asked. “I like the Cowboys and Mavs…. and I’m a HUGE Red Sox fan.” Bingo! Sox are my team too. We shared high fives.
Fast forward to 2016. Katie has been travelling the world competing as a pro– winning titles and setting a record or two. I had lunch with Karen in July. Olympics Trials for Rio were coming up. “I think she has a shot to make it,” Karen whispered. Days later the text, “She made it!!” And boy did she ever!! I loved the media hype at Rio about the swimmer named Meili. “Where did she come from?” they were writing and saying. They found out soon with the 100m Breaststroke. In prelims, Katie tagged the wall right after Lilly King, also on the USA team. In the finals, Katie was edged out nineteenth hundreds of a second by silver medalist, Yulia Efimova. The Russian had previously failed two drug tests – don’t get me started!!
Yes … the family dog, a chocolate lab named Rio and Katie Meili with an Olympic Bronze medal draped around her neck in Rio. It’s only fitting.
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- Cheering for Katie was a family affair
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- Doing Updates on Katie
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- Discussing an injury with Katie
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- Behind every athlete is a proud mama
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- Her motto — “Dream big… Execute well. “ — and she did!!
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