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August, 18, 2008 The official time in Beijing was 8:08pm and the athletes began to count down the seconds on the jumbotron until the clock read 8:08.08pm. The Opening Ceremonies had officially begun and all the athletes were inside waiting inside the Gymnastics Auditorium to have their country called to begin their walk into the Olympic Stadium (The Bird’s Nest). We only saw a little bit of the Opening Ceremonies from inside the auditorium. As we waited, they fed us a boxed meal along with all the water and Coke products we wanted. I then had a dilemma. Should I keep hydrating with lots of water or start slowing down on the fluids for fear of not knowing how long I would be inside the stadium without having the opportunity to use the bathroom? These are the crucial questions Olympians are asking themselves as they prepare to walk into the Olympic Stadium. Another question I had on my mind was; how was I going to have over a billion people see me on NBC as I walked into the Stadium? I began to discuss with my fellow teammates where and when we wanted to walk into the stadium. Do we stand near my new friends Kobe, Lebron, Chris Paul, and Dwight Howard? Or do we decide to go up front and try to be the first ones out of the tunnel…right behind Lopez Lemond (the 1500m runner who was Team USA’s flag bearer)? The triathlon girls (Julie Ertel and Laura Bennett) somehow scored the pole position for Team USA and were in the FRONT ROW as the Americans entered the Stadium. It was already too crowded up front and I didn’t think anyone was going to let us slime our way in. I then began looking for some of the USA stars, so when NBC’s Bob Costas talked about the Basketball Team or Jenny Finch (USA Women’s Softball pitcher) to all the millions of people back home, I could be the guy walking right next to them. This was the master plan as we began our 400m walk over to the Bird’s Nest. As we exited the door of the Gymnastics Hall, we found ourselves near the back of the Team USA contingent and walked side by side with the Track & Field Team, the Men’s Water Polo Team, and the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Team. Along the route to the stadium, there were Chinese fans and volunteers outside. Everything was blocked off for the athletes. It was amazing how excited all the Chinese fans were to see me. Oh wait – maybe it wasn’t me that they were excited to see…they were excited to see the man that was walking next to me. The Chinese people were going crazy for Kobe Bryant. I mean absolutely crazy. There was one fan that got through the barricade and almost attacked Kobe with a Sharpee pen. Don’t worry; Carlos Boozer (power forward for the Utah Jazz) was there to block the guy and let him know that he wasn’t acting civilized enough to get Kobe’s autograph. It was still very hot outside, even though it was after 10:00 in the evening. The temperature was in the upper 80’s and over 80% humidity. Let’s just say that it was starting to get quite hot in the Polo Jacket…again. Kobe acknowledged the crowd every minute or so and let them know that he heard them chanting his name and going crazy for him. After a few minutes of this, I decided to walk over to Kobe and ask him about how it felt to have people screaming his name all the time. I know; I couldn’t believe I did it either. I talked with Kobe for about 3-4 minutes (but who’s counting) as we walked over to the Stadium. The first thing he said was that “they love a Villan.” It made me laugh. He then told me that he wanted to see the opening U.S. Soccer match the following day, but the Chinese Military told him that he could not go because he was a security risk….crazy huh? He then said that he wanted to bring his wife and two girls over to China, but that he decided against it b/c it would be just too crazy for them to get around with all the media. I told him – I know what you mean – I have the same problem with bringing my beautiful bride, Val, and our 19-month old boy, Davis, over too. I talked with him for a few more minutes about the NBA Playoffs and how I was impressed when he always gave his girl’s kisses at halftime and at the end of every game…I loved it. I told him I was a triathlete…he was very impressed. I finished off the conversation by giving him a handshake that all the ballers do and wished him good luck. He told me good luck as well and I walked back over to the other triathletes. After a few more minutes of the crowd yelling for Kobe I had to go up to Carmello Anthony (guard for the Denver Nuggets) and let him know that I was training down in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center. I wished him well and told him to bring home the GOLD – he said “We’ll do it!” We then began to walk into the tunnel to enter the stadium. I was so proud to be walking out into Olympic Stadium with USA over my heart. I love my country so much and words can’t express the excitement I had as we entered the stadium. I got out onto the track and everyone was clapping and waving to us from their seats. It was so much fun to walk around the track and wave to people from all over the world. President Bush was standing up when Team USA entered the stadium and I waved to him along with all the other presidents and dignitaries that were in attendance. The night was magical in every way possible. I looked over at my friend and teammate, Matt Reed, and we both had the biggest smiles on our faces. It was a moment that I’ve dreamt of my entire life. Once we walked around the track in front of 91,000 people, we entered the infield and watched the remaining countries march into the stadium. I saw Roger Federer (Swiss tennis superstar) carry the flag for Switzerland. I also saw Dirk Nowitski (German basketball player and Dallas Mavericks power forward) carry the flag for Germany with the Olympic rings shaved into the side of his head. The last country to walk into Olympic Stadium was China. Yao Ming (7ft. 4in. basketball superstar for the Houston Rockets) was carrying the flag for China along with a little Chinese boy that helped save lives in the recent earthquake in central China. It was so inspirational to see such a small boy walking next to one of China’s greatest athletes, the one that saved his life, Yao Ming. After all the athletes were in the stadium, we stood and listened to the President of China, President of the IOC, and the Mayor of Beijing, announcing that the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games were about to begin. The torch entered the Stadium and went around the track until it came to the final torchbearer. The first Chinese Gold Medalist in the sport of table tennis carried the torch for the last leg before lighting the flame. He was lifted from the infield on a cable and carried to the top of the stadium. He then reached the top of the stadium and was running along as he was suspended from cables. Side Note: You couldn’t have paid me a million dollars to do that – NO WAY! As he ran around the entire stadium, video images appeared behind him of all the places around the world that the torch relay had been over the past few months. It was probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life. He then got to the end and a big ball of fire came from his torch and the fire carried all the way up wrapping around the enormous torch that is on top of Olympic Stadium. The torch will stay lit until the Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games, Sunday, August 24th. All the athletes representing over 200 countries, walked out of the stadium and headed towards the buses that brought us back to the Olympic Village. I was so glad to be back on to air-conditioned buses. However, I was sweating so much the whole evening that the A/C felt almost too cold on my wet clothes. The buses pulled into the Village at around 1:15am in the morning. I really wanted to get some food in the dining hall along with most of the other athletes that were at Opening Ceremonies. I decided against getting a bite to eat and just went back to my dorm room. The entire Triathlon Team was headed to Jeju, Korea, on a 6am bus from the Athlete’s Village. The past 8 hours of which I have just described to you has to me one of the greatest experiences of my life. My wedding day – June 14th, 2003 (Flag Day), the birth of my first son – Davis Thomas Kemper (January 3rd, 2007), and 8 hours on 8-8-08 are days that I will never forget. Stay tuned for more fun and hopefully shorter journals about my experiences at the Beijing Olympic Games. Don’t forget to watch me compete on August 19th at 10am – Beijing time. You can watch my race live on NBCOlympics.com at 10pm (EST) on Monday, August 18th. Until then, may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter August, 13, 2008 The Opening Ceremonies at the Beijing Olympic Games was an event that I will never forget. It was a dream come true. Let me walk you through my amazing and hot 6 hour experience on 8-8-08… The evening began on the 8th floor of Building C2 in the Athlete’s Village. I had to get out the iron to make sure that my long sleeve white Polo Shirt was wrinkle free. The entire USA Team had to be ready to catch the bus at 5:15pm. I walked outside with my newly pressed pants, shirt, and Polo Jacket at 5:15pm along with all the other athletes. After being outside in the 90 degree heat and 90% humidity, fully dressed in my uniform, I had to make a quick decision. Do I keep on the jacket or do I take it off before I start sweating like crazy? Many of the athletes were already taking off their jackets because it was so stinking HOT in our outfits. I knew that I was already sweating and I figured that if I left my jacket on, nobody would be able notice the sweat. I kept my jacket on for about 5 more minutes - BAD DECISION! I then decided to follow the crowd and remove my jacket. It is now only 5:20 pm and we haven’t even begun walking to the buses that will transport us to our first staging area near Olympic Stadium (Bird’s Nest) at Olympic Green. I took off my jacket and then felt my nicely pressed white polo shirt sticking to my back. I turned around to the other triathletes and asked them how bad I was sweating. I only heard uncontrollable laughter. You know how it is in grade school when people picked on kids that were different. Well I was that kid who was the butt of jokes. Most people were sweating, but I appeared to be the only one that managed to sweat so badly that you could see my skin straight through my shirt. As I walked to the bus, I heard two girls commenting, “Yuck – that is Disgusting, OOHH that’s GROSS!” I thought to myself…I can’t help it that my body is very efficient at cooling itself down. It’s a gift. I can’t remember the last time I was so excited to get on a bus…it had air-conditioning! The bus ride was 20 minutes of relief. My body began to stop sweating. By this time, my nicely pressed shirt sleeves were all the way rolled up my arm. My jacket was off and I was just trying to dry off a little before we met the President of the United States. That’s right – President George W. Bush – was going to speak to us at 6:30 pm. Right on schedule, the President was introduced and said a few words about how proud he was of us to be representing the greatest country in the World. He gave about a 3 minute pep talk before he proceeded around to take photos with all the teams. Not only was President George W Bush there, but the 1st Lady, Laura Bush, along with former President H.W. Bush, and also the President’s daughter Barbara Bush. I was very excited to get pictures with everyone present in the Bush family. I then went to use the restroom, and who do I see as I enter the bathroom?…only Coach K, the Head Coach for the USA Men’s Basketball Team. As I washed my hands, I wished him, “good luck.” This was just the beginning and things got better. As I exited the bathroom, I saw but the entire USA Men’s Basketball Team walking into the Auditorium where all the other USA athletes were hanging out. Thank goodness for my Flip Video Cam, provided to me by NBC, because I was able to get video footage of the entire team walking in. None of the other athletes knew they were around yet. I got to shake Dwight Howard’s hand and let him know that I was a huge Orlando Magic fan because I grew up going to their games. I told him to play like Superman, which became his nickname after putting on the Superman cape during the 2008 All-Star Dunk Competition. I also talked to Chris Paul (nickname – CP3) and told him that we shared the same Alma matter, Wake Forest….Go Deacs! Chris Paul is currently the point guard for the New Orleans Hornets and probably the best point guard in the NBA right now. I then proceeded to shake the hands of Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Carmello Anthony’s and wished them all luck and told them to bring home the gold! A little later I got pictures taken with Kobe, Chris, and Dwight. I am such a huge NBA fan and couldn’t believe that I was hanging out with these guys. In case anybody thinks I’m making up stories, I have video to prove it all. Around 7:30pm, we went to the Gymnastics Auditorium along with all the other athletes from around the world to wait to be called into the stadium. There was a major problem when we arrived in the Gymnastics Hall, the A/C was not working well enough for the sweat king that I am. It was very hot in the stands where we were sitting, so I decide to go out in the hallway and walk around. I ran into the basketball guys talking to Yao Ming, with a ton of media around them. Don’t worry; I was able to get it all on video. I then saw something I thought I would never see in the men’s restroom. There were about 5 guys standing in a circle behind the urinals, all trying to get positioned underneath the air conditioning vent. This was the coolest air in the entire building! I then saw the coach for the US Men’s Judo Team sweating so much that it made me seem as though I was just glistening. This made me feel so much better. To be continued... Until then, may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter July, 23, 2008 I am so excited about representing the USA again in Beijing this August. The road to making my 3rd Olympic Team has been a very difficult one, but one that I will never forget. I don’t know what the outcome is going to be in Beijing for me, but what I do know is that this Olympic Games is going to be different then Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004). How is Beijing going to be different for me? I am going to attend my 1st ever Opening Ceremonies at the Olympic Games! In Sydney I did not go to the Opening Ceremonies because the triathlon event was held on the second day of the Games. It’s never a good idea to stand on your feet for more than 5 hours two days before the biggest race of your life. Even though I finished 17th, it was probably a wise decision not to go to the Opening Ceremonies. In Athens, the men’s triathlon event was placed on the 11th day. I could’ve walked in Opening Ceremonies, but our triathlon team did not arrive in Greece until the 4th day of the Olympics. In hindsight, I would have preferred going to Athens a little earlier to acclimate to the conditions and also walk in the Opening Ceremonies (I finished 9th). After Athens, I told myself that if I was ever able to get back to another Olympic Games, I would make sure that I walked in the Opening Ceremonies. When speaking to many past Olympians, I always hear that the Opening Ceremonies is one of the best experiences athletes have at the Olympics. I have many wonderful memories from Sydney and Athens, but now I’m going to add the Opening Ceremonies to my list of Olympic memories. So on August 8th, at 8:08pm (8 is a lucky number in China – can you tell?), look for me walking with Team USA into the stadium during Opening Ceremonies. How are you going to see me on TV? Just look for the guy with the biggest grin on his face! The Olympics begin on 8-8-08. The Men’s Triathlon is on 8-19-08. May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter July 1, 2008 I’d like to begin by saying THANK YOU to all of those who prayed for me and followed my race online in Des Moines on June 22nd. I definitely felt God’s strength and was very pleased about the outcome of the day. Hy-Vee displayed an amazing Olympic Trials event and they should be very proud of how all things came together with the last minute venue change. The Hy-Vee employees and volunteers did a tremendous job in helping the athletes and spectators experience an enjoyable weekend. Thanks Hy-Vee for putting such a first class event on despite all the difficulties you had to endure with the flooding in Iowa the week before. Race Report – I experienced a sense of peace before the race began because I knew that I did what I could to prepare, and I ultimately felt like God was in control. The race started off really well for me as I exited the swim in 2nd place right on Andy Pott’s feet. I was the first athlete to mount my bike and the first one to exit T1. There were 4 of us, 3 of whom were Americans, in the lead group after the first mile and we had a 40 second lead on the main pack. Because Andy, Brian, and myself were all concerned about the Olympic slot, we didn’t work well together and the main pack caught us on the bike at the start of the second lap. The entire bike ride was very slow and tactical because of how windy the conditions were in West Des Moines. I felt good the entire bike and I made sure that I stayed hydrated the entire 40km (I was able to drink both my bottles of Amino Vital). I was the 4th guy off my bike and the 2nd athlete onto the run out of T2. After the first half mile I was running with the lead group of 5 runners – Henning (DEN), Rana (ESP), Whitfield (CAN), Docherty (NZL), and Bennett (AUS). I got dropped from the lead group of 5 runners after about a mile and I was running alone for the remaining part of the run – about 10-15 seconds behind the lead group of 5. I realized around the 6K mark, that if I just kept a solid pace for the last 4K, I would be the top American and be going to Beijing. The end of the race was extremely emotional for me. I came into the grandstand area and grabbed the American Flag as I turned the corner for the finishing chute. I was overcome with emotion because of all that I’ve been through the past 18 months. Dealing with injury had taken a toll on me not only physically but also mentally. There were times that I definitely had doubts, and days that I wanted to quit. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it back to my 3rd Olympic Games. I cried like a baby when I crossed the line reflecting on all the hardships I faced the past year and a half. My performance was not accomplished on my own strength, but with the help of God. I felt like I was “soaring on wings like eagles” the entire race. I would like to express a special thanks to all who sent me words of encouragement before my big race and also to those who sent kind emails of congratulations after the race. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support I received from family, friends, and fans all over the country and world. I look forward to representing my country again in Beijing on August 19th. I will never forget the weekend of June 22nd because of the happiness and tears of joy it brought to me and my family. I am excited to make more memories in Beijing this summer. Don't forget that the Olympics begin 8.8.08 – the Men’s triathlon will take place on the 12th day of the Beijing Games. May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter May 27, 2008 I am disappointed to report that I have been diagnosed with a small inguinal hernia in my lower right abdomen/groin. I have been dealing with the symptoms from this hernia since mid-February. It has been difficult to do anything about it because of the timing of my race schedule this year. During the months of March and April I was experiencing some relief from the hernia pain; however, I had a set back after my race in April and have been dealing with considerable pain since. I have been unable to consistently train this past month which has been hard on me both mentally and physically. I am withdrawing my name from the World Championships in Vancouver on June 8th. I was really looking forward to this race, however I need to make this decision by listening to my body. I WILL be on the start line in Des Moines, Iowa, for the Hy-Vee World Cup (last Olympic Qualifier) on June 22nd. I will continue to get as much treatment as I can for this injury and I will lay it all on the line in Des Moines May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter May 1, 2008 Perseverance: "continuing on in a course of action without regard to discouragement, opposition, or previous failure." This week a good friend sent me the definition to perseverance. This past year has definitely been a test of my personal perseverance. My race in Tuscalossa, Alabama a couple weeks ago at the Olympic trials did not go as I had wished or had planned. I entered the race with good fitness but I just didn't have it on that particular day. Although I came out of the water second, I never felt very comfortable on the swim. I was then part of the chase pack with Brian Fleischmann and Matt Reed to catch Andy Potts. We caught him on the bike after the 4th lap. I was in a position to come off the bike and let it go on the run. The run has always been my bread and butter and although Matt got a 30 second lead off the bike to enter the run, I still had confidence in my run to pull out a win. Unfortunately my legs weren't feeling it. I never felt comfortable and I just plugged through. Third place was very disappointing because I know that what I showed was not any kind of reflection of my abilities or fitness. I am proud of my good friend and teammate Matt Reed for making the Olympic team and having an outstanding race. It's now time for me to move on and continue to look forward. I have one more shot at making the Olympic team on June 22 in Des Moines, Iowa at the Hy-Vee World Cup. I look forward to getting on the starting line with the best in the world once again to display my abilities. May all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter March 5, 2008 Last year was definitely a long year for me as it was the first time that I've had an injury that kept me from racing. The lower back and SI joint pain that I was experiencing just one year ago is probably about 90% better. Each day continues to be a work in progress, but I definitely feel as though I have a good handle on preventative ways to continue to stay healthy for the 2008 racing season. I am excited to be sharing my training with you as I prepare for the 2008 racing season. I am currently working on building my base conditioning in all three sports. My first race of the year will be the U.S. Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa, AL, on April 19th. With approximately 7 weeks to go, I have a lot of important workouts to complete between now and then. I continue to work on my swim fitness as I put in about 23,000 - 25,000 meters/week; this volume is over the course of 5 swim sessions/week. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday are higher intensity sessions with some threshold work. I have been cycling roughly 12 hours/week. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are set to be my hard biking days. I feel like my cycling has been coming around slowly, but I'm still making good progress for this time of the year. I look forward to pushing more watts in my workouts later in the month. Finally, my run training is starting to really take shape. I ran the Disney Half-marathon, which I wrote about in an earlier journal entry, in 1:08.28 or 5:12/mile pace. I was coming out of my off-season and hadn't run more than 10 miles, for a long run, since early October. I was pleased to see that my aerobic run fitness was still in decent shape. I was very encouraged that I was running pain free. Improving my run fitness will be my focus for the remainder of this month. I am currently only running 4 days per/week because I am still very hesitant to add a lot of volume as I continue to get 100% healthy. My long run is up to 13 miles and my speed is coming around as well. I am exactly where I want to be at this point in my training. I can't wait to get back onto the race course and finally race pain free again! I look forward to getting back onto my 3rd Olympic team this spring and representing Team USA in Beijing in August. I will be limiting my races to focus on just a few key competitions. The Hy-Vee World Cup (U.S. Olympic Trials), ITU World Championships, and Lifetime Fitness/Minneapolis are three of the main races I will be competing in before the Olympics. After the Olympics, I will be racing in the rest of the Lifetime Fitness Series. I look forward to seeing you all at the races this season! I will be sending out a new and improved newsletter very soon! If you are not already a Team Kemper memberÖ.sign up today and follow my journey as I strive towards gold in Beijing! Until then, may all your transitions be fast and smooth! Hunter January 15, 2008 I hope everyone had an enjoyable time with family and friends over the holidays. I spent Christmas this year in Grand Rapids, Michigan with my wife's family and had a great time. While we were in Michigan, I was invited to meet a group of runners and triathletes that were planning on traveling down to Orlando to do the Disney ½ Marathon and full Marathon this past weekend. Before I met the group, I assumed that they were going to Orlando to vacation, enjoy the warm weather, and have fun doing a little race and achieve some fitness goals. After our evening with this group, I realized that the purpose for their trip to Disney meant a whole lot more than soaking up some rays. This group of runners had a mission and their purpose was to raise money and awareness for A.T, a disease that I had never heard about before. On that evening in Grand Rapids, I met a couple named Dave and Mary Veldink. The Veldink's lives have been changed by A.T. because two of their children, Kate (age nine) and Olivia (age six) have both been diagnosed with Ataxia-Telangiectasis (A.T.). A.T. is a fatal genetic disease characterized by progressive weakening of the immune system, nervous system, and other bodily systems. Affected children typically develop difficulty walking, problems with balance, abnormal eye movements, and slurred speech as well as chronic lung infections and increased risk of developing cancer, particularly leukemia and lymphoma. They are usually wheelchair bound by the age of ten. Though some diagnosed with A.T. live into adulthood, their life expectancy is reduced tremendously. After meeting Dave and Mary along with their support crew, Val and I were touched by hearing their story. I would encourage everyone to check out the A.T. website and learn more about this rare disease. http://www.communityatcp.org I am currently in Florida for the month of January to enjoy some warm weather training and to join a USAT training camp in Clearmont. After thinking about the Veldinks for a couple weeks, I decided that I wanted to join their group by running in the Disney ½ Marathon this past Saturday. I met up with the Grand Rapids crew at the A.T. banquet on Friday night, January 11th, to hear more about A.T. and to meet Kate and Olivia. Val and I truly enjoyed ourselves that evening and we immediately felt part of the “family.” I was excited to wear my RED A.T. Childrenís Project t-shirt in the ½ Marathon the next morning. I was hoping to win the race for Kate and Olivia and all the kids suffering from A.T, but unfortunately I could only pull out a 4th place finish (1:08.28). I had so much fun and I felt proud and privileged to race for this special cause. This was a meaningful weekend for me and Val and I look forward to racing for A. T. again next January. Thanks Dave and Mary for allowing us to share in such a wonderful weekend with you and all your friends. My heart will never be the same. May all your transitions be fast and smooth…. Hunter | |
