My Olympics/Wisconsin Connections

This falls into the category of 'Six Degrees of Separation,' but here goes. I was a high school gymnast who qualified for the State Gymnastics Meet in the uneven parallel bars my senior year. That year, Andy Memmel won the men's floor exercise for Nicolet High School. He pulled a double back somersault in at least one of his tumbling passes, which was awesome and the first time I had seen one 'live'. This was the early 80s and the equipment was not nearly as good as it is now. Plus, he was in a public high school. Fast forward to now: he's the father/coach of US gymnast Chellsie Memmel.

Another one for posterity. Eric Heiden, multi-gold speed skater from Wisconsin, used to train off-season by bicycling. He did a regional race team competition for the 7-11 Team. I met him at a bar in my college town during one of the summers I lived there. I have a photo of that somewhere. He's now an orthopedic surgeon and I know a little something about those men.