Art of the Oympians

Monday night we were invited to a charity auction for the Art of the Olympians.  Andrew told me about the event about a week before.  Usually I love going to events/dinners/happy hour but on a Monday.....not so much.  So anyway I rushed home, changed real fast and picked up our girlfriend to head to the event.   When we walked in everyone was dressed to the nines and really tall.  The event was beautiful but I still had no idea what I was getting myself into. There was lots of mingling.......a  couple of people came up to Andrew and asked what Olympics he swam in.  Ha ha ha.

The reason why we were invited is because Jon organized the event......so we were invited by default.  There were lots of "celebrities" but no one I recognized.  We sat down for dinner and introduced ourselves to Al......Al Joyner.  I sat next to Al, Andrew next to me and that was it at our 8 top.  I personally had no idea who he was. I made small talk and asked him what he did for living.

Al- "I am an Olympic coach"
Me- "Oh that is cool."

The night carried on and we kept making small talk.  He kept getting up to check on the silent auction.  He said he was checking on his sister bid.  I said, "oh that's nice......you are bidding for your sister.   Did she call you and tell you what she wants?  He said, "no she is here........I am just closer to the auction so she keeps sending me to check on the items."  Andrew and I decided to check out the silent auction.......when we got back to the table I said what is your sisters name?  I think I may have out bid her.  Ha ha ha.  He said her name is, "Jackie."  It still didn't ring a bell.

The next thing you know he was telling me all about his late wife Flo Jo.  He told me how they met, their first date, his last words to her.  He said he saw Flo Jo walk into the time trials and it was love at first sight. 
It was so sweet to hear about true love and how he had such respect and appreciation for his late wife.   He had the infamous twinkle, smile and when he spoke of her his demeanor brightened.  So at this point I started to figure out this guy was in the Olympics.  Then he was talking about how his sister was friends with Flo Jo and how she was at the Olympics too.  Wow I was thinking to myself that their parents must have been so proud to have two children compete in the Olympics. Then he said that was the year him and Jackie both took GOLD medals.  Every time he looked away I was typing in the names he was saying into my good ole friend google.  Then his sister Jackie Joyner-Kersee sat down with us. 


Al was super supportive of the last speaker Carl Lewis.  I said, "oh do you know him?"  He said, "He was my roommate in the 1984 Olympics."  I think at first he thought I was pulling his leg and then I think he realized that I was totally legit and had no freaking clue who he was. I wish I would have done some research prior to going to the event, there were so many people that I had never heard of......Bob Beamon, Shannon Miller, Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Thurman Thomas, Dr. J and that is too name a few.

The event was amazing on multiple different levels.  It was great to be in a room with so much greatness.  It was amazing to see so many successful people that came from very little. Carl Lewis closing speech was my favorite.  It was along the lines of how everyone got to the place that they were at by someone believing in them.  Of course they had it in them to succeed, but someone "invested" in them whether it was a friend, teacher or coach and sometimes that is all a child/teenager/young adult needs........someone to believe in them.  

Art of Olympians

So as soon as I got home and I started researching all of these people.  Pretty cool stuff.  Apparently they were all pretty big deals and won lots of  gold medals.