Author Archives: Charlie

Michael Phelps: Shaving your back and behind your knees

An interview conducted at the 2002 Summer Nationals in Fort Lauderdale. The concept came from Kathleen Flynn. How does Michael Phelps shave his back and does he have any other shaving tips for America? Continue reading

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Q&A: Amanda Beard on eating cow tongue and that teddy bear

This interview of Amanda Beard took place in 2004. I first met Amanda in 1995. I remember the big brohaha after her final event in Atlanta. All of the morning TV shows wanted to book her, but we couldn’t find her in the pool area. She had gone towards the spectator stands to see her family. TV producers were screaming, crying and everything in between, until I said, ‘She’s not doing any of them.’ All of the producers were then fine because they didn’t get scooped. I walked her out of the aquatic center and put her on a tram. Continue reading

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Michael Phelps’ First Gold Medal

Here are a few emails from me in Athens back to the family in Colorado. I told them what it was like to see Michael Phelps’ first gold medal, going backstage as it were at the swimming venue to the interview room and the warm-down pool. I told the Olympic coaches about my daughter Carli anchoring a relay at the Air Force Academy; she was 10 at the time. Continue reading

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Eric Heiden 25: Achieving the impossible

This was my favorite of the three-part series honoring Eric Heiden. I felt like I got the opportunity to bring the skating community together, lining up quotes from so many great athletes, like Beth Heiden, Rob McClanahan, Phil Mahre, Bonnie Blair, Dan Jansen, Apolo Anton Ohno, Casey FitzRandolph and Jennifer Rodriguez. I wanted Eric to read it and feel good. I’ve always felt that he was underappreciated in the shadow of the ‘Miracle on Ice.’ Continue reading

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Breaking Boxing’s Code

This story was written at the 2003 Titan Games in San Jose. The Titan Games featured all the combat sports; we had wrestling going on the left mat, boxing in the center and judo on the right mat and fencing on a stage — all at the same time. It was an awesome event. I met Dan Gable there. I interviewed boxer Rock Allen and his dad, Naazin Richardson, who has trained Sugar Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins. Continue reading

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What it feels like to face a breakaway as a goalie

I loved putting this story together. I’m in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic for the 2003 Pan American Games, running all over the place from venue to venue. The athletes in this story are not household names, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. Peggy Storrar played on the U.S. Field Hockey national team for years, never competing in the Olympic Games. She played for the love of the game. When I coached Sam’s basketball team, we had a motto: “Get the ball!” Continue reading

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2009 Tour de Cure … Metric Century

To be completely honest with you, I only needed to raise $150 to participate in the Tour de Cure. The only reason I keep asking for money is … I recently found out that if I raise $1,000 they’ll let me use the restrooms on the course; which could come in handy. Continue reading

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