ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, June 6, 1996 TAG: 9606060066
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
OLYMPIC CHAMPION Matt Biondi says his discipline paid off as much out of the pool as in it.
Along with Mark Spitz, he's the most decorated U.S. Olympian in history, winning 11 medals in a span of three Summer Games from 1984-92.
He's many times an All-American. He's a one-time international athlete of the year. He's graced the cover of Sports Illustrated.
So did anybody recognize swimmer Matt Biondi when he arrived at Roanoke Regional Airport on Tuesday night?
``Not really,'' Biondi said Wednesday. ``But, hey, I'm used to that.''
For Biondi, in town for a 1996 Olympic Games promotional gig for Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the scene wasn't new. After all, he faced a much tougher recognition battle as a shy, sensitive youngster growing up in Palo Alto, Calif.
``As a young boy, especially in high school, I felt very awkward,'' Biondi said. ``One strike against me was I was 6-1 and weighed 130 pounds. I had a lot of nicknames ... `Stickman' and `Spiderman' were the most popular.
``I didn't get recognized for my accomplishments as an athlete. People treated me for the physical person that they saw - a skinny, shy kid.
``My senior year I was the national record-holder for sprinting for freestyle in public high school - I mean I was the fastest public sprinter in history of our country - and I didn't even get one of the five nominations for top athlete of my class. And it hurt my feelings.
``But the more ridicule I got from those people in high school, the more determined I became to prove them wrong.''
Biondi did just that. Five years later, the lanky 6-foot-7 swimmer returned home after winning seven medals, including five golds, at the '88 Games in Seoul, South Korea.
``My mom sent me to the store one day to get some milk and eggs,'' Biondi said. ``So I was walking through the Safeway [supermarket] and I hear a terrible crash.''
Pushing a mop and a bucket came one of those who had ridiculed him in high school.
``I thought that I would gloat, but I felt very sorry for him. And I looked back and thought about what caused the difference in our fates. It was about decision-making. He was living for the moment, immediate gratification, while I was in it for the long haul ... things that would pay off years and years down the road.''
Biondi said he still reaps the rewards.
``What I carry from the Olympics today is not my medals,'' said Biondi, whose vast array of Olympic hardware is housed in the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago. ``It wasn't about the final result, it wasn't about winning. It was about the things that I learned along the way and the people that I met.''
Biondi said it's an urgent message that should be relayed to today's youth.
``Whether they win, lose or draw is all irrelevant as long as they put it all on the line and they do their best,'' he said. ``That process builds character and character lingers. And they go on to be better decision-makers, better business people, better parents.''
Biondi, who recently married, said parents may hold the biggest key to their children's future in sports or elsewhere.
``Parents should let it play out, lay off and let them do their own thing,'' he said. ``The discipline is what's important, that the kids are involved in activities that they're learning and growing. What they do is irrelevant as long as they're challenged and engaged.''
Biondi has been preaching his motivational word as the country gears up for next month's Olympic Games in Atlanta. He said the prospects for the U.S. team in Atlanta ``will be tough.''
``The biggest competition they'll have will be the press, because the press is going to want to see gold medals and this a young team in a very competitive environment.''
If an American swimmer does strike gold, Biondi said they should keep it in perspective. After all, he won eight golds, and still, very few people in Roanoke could have identified him.
``Actually, that's very, very nice,'' Biondi said. ``I still get the recognition in the arena. And I can still go out with my wife with virtually no hassles.''
LENGTH: Medium: 81 linesby CNB