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Peter Morgan/AP
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Libby Callahan, who
competed in the women's sport pistol
competition in the Olympics in Beijing,
2008. (AP)
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Libby Callahan, who
competed in the women's sport pistol
competition in the Olympics in Beijing,
2008. (AP)
The Olympians: Athletes Who Work Nine to Five
Training for the Olympics is a full-time job for most athletes: a lucky few even become wealthy from sponsorships and endorsements. But several athletes at Beijing this year also pursue other careers alongside their training. Below are a few American Olympians who are also members of the American workforce: a retired cop and army reservist, a Home Depot sales associate, a CEO, a pair of financial analysts and a softball coach.
Libby Callahan: Shooter, Army Reservist and Retired Police Officer
U.S. Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Libby Callahan, 56, is the oldest American woman competing in the Olympics. The shooter, who placed 25th in the 25-meter pistol, retired from the Washington, D.C. police force in 2003. She described her duties on the job: “Anything going on on the city streets, that was our specialty … It’s a huge mission to accomplish.”
Callahan started shooting competitively in 1980 and joined the Army Reserve in 1985, which prompted her to take up Olympic-style shooting. She has participated in the Olympics in 1992, 1996 and 2004, where she finished 19th.
Callahan started shooting competitively in 1980 and joined the Army Reserve in 1985, which prompted her to take up Olympic-style shooting. She has participated in the Olympics in 1992, 1996 and 2004, where she finished 19th.
Howard Bach: Badminton Champ, Sales Associate at Home Depot
moved to the United States from Vietnam when he was three years old, and began playing badminton at age five. Bach and former partner Tony Gunawan won the gold medal in men’s doubles at the 2005 World Badminton Championships in Anaheim, California; they were the first U.S. badminton team to win a medal at a World Championship competition and were named Overall Team of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.
Bach earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Cal State Fullerton in May 2007, and currently works as a Sales Associate for Home Depot through the Olympic Job Opportunities program.
Bach earned a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Cal State Fullerton in May 2007, and currently works as a Sales Associate for Home Depot through the Olympic Job Opportunities program.
Source: Howard Bach
T.C. Dantzler: Greco-Roman Wrestler, Founder of TC logiQ
is the number-one ranked Greco-Roman wrestler in the United States. He was the 2008 Nationals champion and placed second in the Pan American championships. To prepare for the Beijing Olympics, Dantzler trained twice daily, fitting his gym time into a 14-hour workday. Dantzler is the founder, President and CEO of TC logiQ, a software company that offers background screenings of potential employees for government and corporate jobs. The company is currently worth an estimated $4 million and may go public in a few years. But just because Dantzler’s in Beijing, doesn’t mean he’s on vacation. After a recent workout he commented, “I can’t come here and get out of my normal business mode. I’m doing a little bit of work, making sure the worker bees are on task and doing everything they're supposed to be doing.”
Source: T.C. Dantzler
The Smarts: Fencers, Financial Analyst and Consultant
walked away with silver medals this year, despite a difficult few years. The siblings lost their father to a heart attack in 2005 and their mother died of cancer last May. Keeth nearly succumbed to a rare blood disease in April, leaving the siblings with little hope of making it to Beijing this summer.
Both will take their medals home to New York, where they work in finance. Keeth is an analyst for Verizon Communications, and Erinn was a consultant for a financial firm before the Olympics.
Both will take their medals home to New York, where they work in finance. Keeth is an analyst for Verizon Communications, and Erinn was a consultant for a financial firm before the Olympics.
Source: Keeth and Erinn Smart
Cat Osterman: Softball Player, Assistant Coach at DePaul University
is an Olympic Gold Medalist and three-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year for her role as pitcher at the University of Texas at Austin. Since 2001, Osterman has been employed as a coach; she’s currently an assistant softball coach for DePaul University’s Blue Demons. Osterman also offers private pitching lessons and has worked at the pitching camps run by Michelle Smith, another Olympic pitcher.
Source: Cat Osterman
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