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Chat Reel: Bonnie Blair
Olympic champion discusses life in retirement
Posted: Tuesday February 08, 2000 03:54 PM
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Though she no longer competes, Bonnie Blair keeps busy as an advisor to fellow skaters and assists the USOC. Jonathan Daniel/Allsport |
Five-time Olympic medalist Bonnie Blair chatted recently with CNNSI.com users. A transcript of the chat follows:
CNNSI Host: We are honored to have with us Sports Illustrated's 1994 Sportswoman of the Year and five-time Olympic gold medallist Bonnie Blair.
CNNSI Host: Hi Bonnie. Thanks for joining us.
Bonnie Blair: Thanks for having me!
From Guest: What are you up to these days? How often do you skate? Do you still compete at all?
Bonnie Blair: I am a mother of an 18-month old, and we actually do go to the rink, but usually he's in a backpack on my back and I'm skating. So it's not real skating... I just kinda toodle around, I guess. I do some sponsor work, some motivational speaking, I'm also on the board of directors for U.S. Speed Skating and I'm also on a couple of committees within the Olympic Committee. I also have another child on the way. I'm due in the middle of July.
From Guest: You were a big part of the growth in popularity of women's sports in the '90s. Did you realize that at the time? What would you like to see happen in women's sports in the next decade?
Bonnie Blair: I guess I didn't really realize I was kinda on the forefront of the movement, but it was nice to be part of that. The biggest impact was the women at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta... to me, they had the biggest impact. It's come a long ways, like with the soccer team this last summer, it's still going in that direction. I hope it keeps growing bigger, better, stronger.
From Guest: In skating for the gold, what do you believe was your hardest obstacles to overcome? The competition? Having the will to see your dream through? Injuries?
Bonnie Blair: I think the competition --- that's always going to be there -- but probably for me, there was not only that, but my biggest competition was battling the clock that was in front of me. I felt that if I would overcome that, or do better than I had expected, then that was success whether I won or lost.
From Guest: Out of all your accomplishments, is there one that stands out the most?
Bonnie Blair: Probably the 1988 Olympics, capturing my first Olympic gold medal. There has to be something said for doing something for the very first time that has an unbelievable power and emotion behind. That's not to say that the other wins weren't exciting, but that one definitely had the most impact.
From Guest: Who were your role models for speed skating?
Bonnie Blair: Probably, for the most part, my parents and family were the ones who guided me the most. As far as athletes go, any speed skater would totally look up to Eric Heiden and what he accomplished. That was an unbelievable feat.
From Guest: Are you going to be involved in anyway with the Salt Lake Olympic Games?
Bonnie Blair: At this point in time, I don't know exactly. I'm sure there's going to be something, but right now my husband is still competing and he hasn't made the total commitment to 2002. If he does, that would be my main focus at the Olympics. In Nagano, I worked with a lot of sponsors, so that could be a possibility as well.
From Guest: Are you coaching any skaters? If not, is this something you would like to do?
Bonnie Blair: I basically call myself a "good helper." I go to the rink and try to help when I can, mainly my husband. If anyone has any questions, though, my ear is always open and I'm ready to help in any way, but nothing on a specific basis.
From Peter: What was your opinion of the U.S. skaters' performance at the World Championships last weekend in Milwaukee?
Bonnie Blair: I think it was probably very frustrating for them. Coming in, they probably anticipated skating a little bit better. Jen Rodriguez -- I didn't get to talk to her a lot -- but I know she was disappointed with her results. She had a very frustrating 500 meters where a girl fell in front of her. I think she's been struggling a bit and has been up and down all season long. I don't think it's the result she would have wanted. I think they've all got a great potential and I wouldn't count any of them out for the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake.
From Guest: What was the worst injury you sustained during your skating career?
Bonnie Blair: Probably numerous sprained ankles.
From Scott: Have you, or would you, ever consider competing in inline skating events?
Bonnie Blair: I think if I was to do anything again, I'd stick to the ice. I've been on a pair, and I have a pair, and I used them quite a bit for training, but technically, I'm probably not as sound on those as I am on the ice. That was one of my strong points as an ice skater, was my technical abilities on the ice, so I'd miss that. I'm old now, though, and my competing years are over with.
From Guest: Aside from speed skating, what is your favorite sport to watch or to compete in?
Bonnie Blair: Probably golf. Both to watch and to play.
From Guest: Can tell us about your latest commercial.
Bonnie Blair: For Fidelity Investments... with Kristi Yamaguchi. It was filmed almost two months ago... it took about a day...off and on with us taking our turn at parts. I'm really happy with the way it turned out, and we had a good time doing it.
From Guest: You must be pretty strong. How much weight can you lift with your legs?
Bonnie Blair: In the days when I was the strongest, 245 lbs. 5 times. Now, I don't know... I lift weights more on a maintenance basis, and I don't push a lot of heavy weights.
From Guest: Do you think inline racing will make it into the next summer Olympics?
Bonnie Blair: I wouldn't be surprised... I think it's a sport that has really rapidly grown, especially over the last eight years. You can do it virtually anywhere, as long as you've got a road somewhere, you can inline-skate... it wouldn't be something that surprised me.
From Guest: Where do you display your many medals?
Bonnie Blair: I actually just had a friend of mine who created me a coffee table made in the shape of the Olympic rings. That's where they are... in my break room. So now they're at home, instead of my safety deposit box.
From Guest: What are your thoughts on the drug controversies surrounding the many Olympic sports?
Bonnie Blair: I can only speak to the sport of speed skating... And having been one of the top within the sport, I was drug tested virtually every weekend that I competed internationally... I know the testing is going on, and I was always in the room with the other competitors... and you hope that things are being done in the correct fashion and you're getting the correct results. I think there are things out there that are more advanced than the testing, so until the testing can catch up with the knowledge of the outside world, you'll always have the chances that people will sneak through doing things that aren't legal.
From Guest: Were you surprised when you made the cover of Sports Illustrated -- three times?
Bonnie Blair: A little bit, yeah. Especially the last time... To be Sportswoman of the Year was something beyond what I had ever though of... I thought it would go to Nick Price, but it went to two speed skaters. It was also a magazine that had been in our family's house for years and years and years, so it was something that I was very proud of.
From Guest: Is your son going to be a speed skater?
Bonnie Blair: Right now he really likes hockey... I have two nephews who like to play hockey, and he likes to watch them, as well as the big boys on TV. I'd like to get him on speed skates at some point. I think once you learn to speed skate, it makes learning other types of skating a lot easier. Even though he might be on a pair of hockey skates to begin with, I hope to see him try on speed skates at some point, but it'll be his decision. We'll definitely try to introduce him to everything.
From Guest: You talked about giving motivational speeches. What is the message of your talks?
Bonnie Blair: The main thing I like to emphasize to people is to strive for a personal best... I mentioned earlier about competing against the clock... I think a lot of people get carried away with gold, silver or bronze, but you've got to focus on doing better than you have ever done before. You've got to focus on beating yourself and understanding that success doesn't always mean finishing first.
CNNSI Host: Thanks a lot for joining us today, Bonnie.
Bonnie Blair: Thanks to you.
CNNSI Host: Thanks for joining us today everybody. I'm sorry we couldn't get to all of your questions!
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