I received a
request to repost a story I posted last year. To all those who wander thru my blog, I
will share a story about my Track and Field past !!
Well it was
1983 and I was a young Marine -- Proudly serving my country and just
married to a handsome stud of a Marine. He made my heart go pitter
patter then. Life was good.
Track season
rolls around and I am sent to Camp Pendelton, California to train and
compete on the US Marine Corps All Marine Track & Field Team and
the United States All Interservice Track & Field Team. It was an
outstanding track season, I met and competed with Jackie Joyner (before
she added the Kersee) and Florence Griffith (before she added the
Joyner). I was jumping high and running fast and enjoying life !!
The US Marine
Corps published an article about my track and field exploits in the
HQMC Hotline (the newsletter for Marines) and the article title was
WONDER WOMAN MARINE ! (now you all know the real secret of where my ID
really came from). The title came from a track meet we had between the
USMC and the USN (Navy)...I won 5 individual events (High Jump, 100m
Hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m ) and ran anchor leg on 3 winning relay
teams ( 4 x 100 , 4 x 200 and 4 x 400 relay).
Here is a picture I dug out of a memory box.
During
that season I jumped high enough to make the Olympic 'A' qualifing
standard. Which all but guarantees me a spot on the 1984 Olympic team.
The season is great and then my newly wed handsome husband was sent on
a deployment to Japan for 6 months. Track season ended and I was sent
back to my Permanent duty station to be a regular Marine again! The
year marches on and training continues.
Then Wooo Hooo
it is 1984.. the Olympic year !! My handsome Marine comes home from
Japan in late January and the Marine Corps sports unit at HQMC,
Washington DC notifies me that they have contacted the USOC and if I
should win a medal at the Olympics they are going to possibly allow me
to wear my uniform for the medal ceremony and the Marine Corps will use
it for future recruiting tape. It is all exciting.
The Marine
Corps is going to send me to Camp Pendleton to train and prepare for
the 1984 season and hopefully the Olympics which will be held in Los
Angeles. I get permission to travel home, for a 4 day weekend, to
visit my Mom and Dad before leaving. I get sick on the road trip
home....I am a very health conscious person and rarely get sick...so,
off to the Doctor I go.
After some
tests, my Doctor, who has taken care of my since I stop seeing my
Pediatrician walks into the room with this big smile on his face !! I
sit there with my Mom and my Husband, thinking why is he smiling when
something is wrong with me and track season is just on the horizon. He
says, well Kimberley, good news...your not sick your pregnant !! I
think Oh My Gosh -- I look at my husband, I look at my Mom and I am so
happy inside. Then it occurs to me....OMG....The Olympics....I'll be
6.5 months pregnant when they happen...OMG....OMG...what will I do !!
So, I missed
the 1984 Olympics that year and gave birth to a beautiful Baby Boy in
October 1984...That handsome young man whose picture is posted on an
earlier blog post of mine. He and his younger brother are my Gold Medal !!
Someday, I'll
tell you the story of his friends in middle school finding out this
story ...but that will wait for another day !!
Hope you enjoyed it Tiffany = :)
Kimberley (aka Wonder Woman Kim)
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