Litespeed is in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone

There are a million "moving pieces" that come together to create those "unforgettable" Olympic moments. One moving piece in this year's Olympic Games that has a huge impact in creating such moments is Litespeed Bicycles, a critical moving part in the pursuit of an Olympic cyclist. Two Olympians, a mountain biker from Canada and a triathlete from Portugal, are counting on these Chattanooga-made bicycles to help them pedal their way to Gold in Beijing.

We recently visited the Litespeed factory and what we found was a team of people that are as dedicated to building these bicycles as the Olympians who ride them. Everywhere in the company, from the factory floor to the executive offices, passion, focus, and pride was part of every step in the process of building lightweight, fast bicycles.

Every community has a few companies that define its"cool factor." Litespeed is definitely one of ours. And this summer, as Chattanoogans tune into the Olympics on NBC, be sure to look for these locally-made bikes on the world's biggest stage. But don't blink - when it comes to the moving parts of these Olympic Games, none move faster than these Litespeed Bicycles.

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Tune in to WRCB's "Eyewitness News at 6" on Tuesday, July 15th to see Litespeed's "Chattanooga Olympic Zone" profile or back here on the blog where we'll post a video link to the Litespeed profile.

Joe Smith is in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone

If shuttling kids to and from soccer practice, doctor appointments, and getting them fed and to bed is a challenge in which you can relate, you will appreciate our next featured guest in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone.

As you tune into the Olympics Games one month from now, you'll be watching the world's best athletes on the world's biggest stage taking their best shot at Olympic Gold. But behind each one of those athletes is an "Olympic Team Manager" taking care of many details that allow a competitor to singularly focus on the task at hand. From getting athletes where they need to be (and on time) to keeping them healthy or just a boost of moral support at the right moment, the Olympic Team Manager is always there, 24/7 throughout the entire Games period and beyond.

Chattanoogan Joe Smith is headed to the Olympic Games in Beijing as the Team Manager for the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. Sitting down with Joe, it quickly became evident that we were not talking to an "Olympic administrator" - we were talking to a "Team Dad" who sacrifices himself for the good of his boxers and his team. It is "behind the scenes" people like Joe who make the Olympic experience impacting and special for the athletes AND personal and meaningful for Chattanoogans watching the Games here at home. Thank you, Joe!

Don't miss Joe Smith's Chattanooga Olympic Zone profile on WRCB Channel 3 "Eyewitness News at 6" on Tuesday, July 8th. Or come back here to the Chattanooga Olympic Zone where we'll post a video link to Joe's profile.

Eric Jackson is in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone

My 1992 Olympic teammate and good friend, Eric Jackson, is the subject of our next profile in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone airing this Tuesday evening, April 22nd, on WRCB’s “Channel 3 Eyewitness News at Six.” If you miss the broadcast profile, tune in back here at the Chattanooga Olympic Zone blog - we'll post the video link after the broadcast.

Based in Sparta, Tennessee, Eric owns Jackson Kayaks, the world’s largest manufacturer of whitewater kayaks. This whitewater visionary has helped to change the way people, especially kids, access the sport of whitewater kayaking close to home and around the world.

This coming weekend, Eric, along with his daughter, Emily, will compete at the U.S. Olympic Whitewater Trials in Charlotte, NC. At 44 years-old, Eric may be a long-shot to make it to Beijing this time around, but his participation in the event will be as impacting as any other and without doubt will be among the crowd favorites throughout the weekend.

I recently posted a blog entry about Eric and Emily Jackson and what their participation means to both the kayaking and Olympic communities. You can read the post here:

http://goldmedalliving.blogspot.com/2008/03/kayakings-infectious-smile.html

Stay tuned to my “Gold Medal Living” blog throughout the week as I’ll be posting stories from the Olympic Trials Charlotte about Eric and other athletes preparing to take a step closer to competing in Beijing.

Dan Flack's Chattanooga Olympic Zone Profile

Here's the link to Dan Flack's Chattanooga Olympic Zone Profile:

http://www.wrcbtv.com/videowindow.cfm?sid=2993

Keep up the good work, Dan!

"The New Olympians" in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone

In escaping the shadows of winter, it's time to push aside memories of tearful apologies from an Olympic champion and an ugly fight on Capital Hill featuring one of baseball’s greatest pitchers and his former trainer. In regards to recent months in the world of sport, it’s fair to be asking yourself, "Should I be more optimistic or pessimistic about the upcoming Olympic season?"

A week ago, I may have thought twice about how to answer that question myself but that was then – this is now. Since that time, I traveled to San Marcos, Texas to watch the first of the qualifying races for the Olympic Whitewater Canoe/Kayak Trials, which will be contested later this spring in Charlotte, North Carolina. This kind of event isn't as much about who moves on to the next level of Olympic qualification but much more about who doesn’t. In this case, the standouts were young whitewater racers, such as 10 year-old, Chelsea Bornemann, getting their first rub with the Olympic Games and wearing smiles equal to any Gold Medalist you’ll find in Beijing. Check it out right here:

http://www.news8austin.com/shared/video/video_pop.asp?destlist=49384

Back in Chattanooga, Baylor Swim Coach, Dan Flack is getting ready to oversee daily swim practice. His varsity athletes file into a top-flight, state-of-the-art aquatic center that shouts, “Serious Swimming Here.” But, strike up a conversation with Baylor star swimmers, Alison Lusk, who is preparing for U.S. Olympic Trials, or Brad Hamilton, who is hoping to represent is Jamaica at the Olympics in China, surprisingly, they’re not talking about personal bests or Gold Medals. Instead, they're talking enthusiastically about representing their school, their families, and what it means to be good teammates. To me, as an Olympic Gold Medalist, it's music to my ears. It’s as if these young athletes are saying, “Don’t worry, the future of the Olympics are going to be ok.”

To be honest, I’m not too surprised – I kind of expected this. A few hours earlier, I’m sitting pool-side waiting for our camera crew to set up, Coach Flack and I get into a frank conversation about coaching philosophy. Most coaches love talking about their star athletes and how far they could go in sport. But, Coach Flack is different. This energetic and value-driven coach really lights up when he talks about helping young people take ownership of their dreams, becoming better citizens, and developing an appreciation for “the process” over and above “results.”

At the end of our interview, I ask Coach Flack about what he looks for in good role models for his athletes. He speaks about people who appear to have meteoric rises but in fact, overcame real challenges life challenges and persevered. But the question was answered before I asked – the right role model for tomorrow’s Olympians is sitting right in front of me.

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Catch Coach Flack's Chattanooga Olympic Zone profile on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 on Channel 3's Eyewitness News at 6pm or right here on later that evening on the Chattanooga Olympic Zone blog.

Chris Bono is in the Chattanooga Olympic Zone

My friend and Olympic Gold Medal swimmer, John Naber, often says, “Olympians are ordinary people who do extraordinary things.” On the road to the Olympics in Beijing this summer, “extraordinary” – as in “extra” and “ordinary” – could not be better defined than by Chattanooga’s Chris Bono.

On the “ordinary” side of the word, Chris is a family man – husband, father of two of young children, and a proud son who admires his parents. He understands the value of a job in his life – he shares knowledge, experience, and his passion for teaching collegiate athletes as the Head Coach of the wrestling program at University of Tennessee Chattanooga (UTC.) He’s a “regular” at his kids’ activities – soccer and softball games on most weekends. On the “ordinary” side, Chris Bono is like most of us.

On the “extra” side of the word, Chris begins to separate himself from an ordinary Chattanoogan. Chris’ wrestling program represents a school that lives in the sports shadow of Knoxville but is arguably the shining beacon of Chattanooga’s collegiate sports scene. Chris has built a perennial powerhouse consistently ranked in the Top 20 and attracts top wrestling recruits from around the country. And then there’s that “Gold Medal thing…”

Olympic wrestling is a unique sport in that it’s possible to coach collegiate athletes while pursuing your own Olympic dreams. And Chris carries a big dream. I meet many Olympic hopefuls in my travels and work – most want to qualify for the Olympic Games. For Chris, the goal is a bit higher – to win Olympic Gold. Of course, as an athlete, he wants to win for himself. But in our conversations, he glows when he speaks about how reaching this goal would honor his family and their support of his pursuit as well as Chattanooga and the opportunities a Gold Medal would mean of our city such as hosting world class wrestling events and attracting the “best of the best” student athletes to UTC.

As I have come to know Chris in recent weeks, I’m buying what he’s selling – a big dream mixed in with a “normal” family and professional life. It just fits. In an extraordinary way.

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Catch Chris' Chattanooga Olympic Zone profile on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 on Channel 3's Eyewitness News at 6pm or right here on later that evening on the Chattanooga Olympic Zone blog.

Jim Parrish's Chattanooga Olympic Zone profile

In case you missed, here is Jim Parrish's Olympic Zone profile:

http://www.wrcbtv.com/videowindow.cfm?sid=2459

Thanks for tuning into the Chattanooga Olympic Zone!