It takes a village…

It takes a village to raise an Olympian.

And, I’m now officially a villager.

We spent the day in Truckee with 3 time Olympian Daron Rahlves.  He’s coming out of retirement to go for a 4th Olympics in a new event called ski cross.  Think Nascar on skiis.  Think max-ing out your health care deductible.

Daron built a start gate in his backyard.

And that’s where I came in.

Ohno-licious

Apolo Ohno

How do you not like Apolo Ohno?

He’s a 5 time Olympic medalist.

People think he invented the soul patch.

And, if he asks you to dance, he actually knows what he’s doing. (2007 DWTS Champ)

Well, he’s back.

And, more importantly he’s already qualified for the games in every distance he wants to race.

Ohno also has already won something other big Olympic names are still chasing: sponsorship.

Corporate America still loves Apolo. 

So do the not so corporate American women who dig it when he walks around shirtless…which he did a lot on Dancing With The Stars.

He’s twittering these days for one of his sponsors and offering you a chance to win some great free Olympic stuff if you become one of his tweeps.

Click here to watch my interview with Apolo. 

And, don’t forget to follow him here on Twitter.

Get that man a bobsled!

The Rudy Movie Poster

Did you ever see the movie, Rudy?

It shows up on the Top 25 Sports Films list year after year and it’s the real life story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger.

Rudy (aka Daniel Ruettiger) is a short guy who overcomes size and roughly a zillion other odds to become a Notre Dame football legend.

30 years later, Rudy has made a career of being…well…Rudy.

Click here to see his website.

For $35 you can join his fan club which entitles you to a signed dvd and a non-autographed hat.   (The site makes it clear he’s NOT signing your hat.)

He’s in Sacramento doing some…we’ll assume…motivating.  And, he stopped by the station for an interview.

Because I have a new Flip HD camcorder and no shame, I hit him up for his “favorite winter Olympic sport.”

Now, I’m wishing I’d hit him up to sign a hat.

Superman…Super Olympics Fan?

Actor Dean Cain

Dean Cain stopped by work today. 

Now, there’s something you don’t get to say often.

We interviewed him about the importance of getting flu shots.

Dean is  now the “face of the flu.”  We should all look that good with influenza. 

He could have been the “face of the plague” and we would have booked him.  He’s Superman for crying out loud.

Turns out Superman is a super Olympics fan. 

Take a whiff…

Take an awesome world class athlete.

Add a chemical engineering degree.

And you get Michelle Roark.

She has her own perfume line.  We met up to do a story about being an entrepreneurial athlete and put her marketing skills to the test. 

Shameless plug…

I’m all atwitter…about Twitter.

I launched my Olympic Twitter page here at the summit.

So far: 47 followers.

Lance Armstrong has 1.8 million.

Help me TweetStrong and sign up.

Beauty is in the eye of…

 

Deirdre Fitzpatrick and Mike Rhinehart at "The Bean"

 Photographer Mike Rhinehart and I are the first ones to the party so to speak at the Olympic Summit.

Translation:  no one else of the Olympically fit, toned, and medalled variety is here yet.  

So, with a little time on our hands, we headed to shoot some shots of Chicago.

Our hotel is about a block away from Millenium Park, which is spitting distance from all kinds of cool stuff.  

Although, I wouldn’t recommend spitting or anything else offensive near Millenium Park since it seems to be the only spot in the country where employees haven’t been cut.

Seriously, there were security types everywhere. 

They watch your every move but then do nothing when you paw landmarks like “The Bean.”

Our mission was to shoot some shots of beautiful Chicago.  

As you’ll see below…we ran into a little trouble.

Six months and counting…

 

2010 Vancouver Olympic Athlete Summit

It’s 80 degrees.  Labor Day leftovers are still in the fridge.  It must be time to start talking about the Winter Olympics.  

I know.  Weird.

But , The US Olympic Committee is doing it’s pre-Olympic dog and pony show to promote the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Games this week in Chicago. 

I know. Weird.

Chicago.  Home of Oprah.  Not home of luge.

But, Chicago hopes to be the International Olympic Committee’s kind of town when it comes to picking the home of the 2016 Summer Games.  Look for that announcement in October.  In the meantime, Chicago is all things Olympic (and Oprah) this week as it welcomes about 100 Winter Olympic hopefuls to the athlete summit.

Here’s hoping someone takes a bobsled down Lakeshore Blvd.

Here’s hoping that person…is Oprah.