THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 26, 1994 TAG: 9408240180
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 8B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY NEWSOME
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines
Three of the city's finest proved recently why they're deserving of the title.
Virginia Beach patrol officer Jim Gawthrop and Detectives John and Kathy Tavlofski competed in the International Law Enforcement Olympics in Birmingham, Ala., earlier this month and each brought home the gold.
``It was the curiosity of competition,'' said Gawthrop, explaining what led him and the Tavlofskis to join more than 3,000 others from around the world to compete in the biennial competition.
Competitors came from more than 30 countries and participated in more than 40 events during the games, held Aug. 6-13. Gawthrop entered six events and brought home four medals for his sharp shooting, while John Tavlofski won five swimming medals and Kathy Tavlofski earned medals in the bench press and arm wrestling.
Many departments and nations financed their teams in the games, including a team from Dubai in the Middle East, which arrived by private jet, Gawthrop said. But he and the Tavlofskis represented themselves, mostly at their own expense.
Gawthrop, 35, began shooting as a 12-year-old in West Virginia and it became his hobby.
``This is my stress reliever,'' said Gawthrop, a patrol officer assigned to the First Precinct. The competition in Birmingham was only the fifth match he had ever entered, he said, explaining how he practiced at Oceana Naval Air Station's skeet range and at a private sand pit.
Gawthrop did not prepare, however, for breaking a finger on his right hand the week before competition or for his scores to improve the farther he moved from the target.
Still, the five-year veteran of the Beach force won gold in the skeet and 600-yard scoped rifle contests, and bronze in trap shooting and the 600-yard rifle competition using iron sights.
The naval base at Dam Neck has the only 600-yard range in the area and Gawthrop had not been there much. He said he learned a lot by watching an Australian marksman he was paired with during competition. ``Rain would be pouring down his neck and he was just oblivious to it,'' said Gawthrop.
He could still see the target six football fields away because of the frame that held it. The ``x-ring'' at its center is about the size of a candy dish. ``You can't see the `x-ring,' '' said Gawthrop, ``but you know it's there.''
This was Gawthrop's first time at the olympics.
Gawthrop's wife, Elaine, was able to attend the games with him, but they left a 7-year-old son behind.
The Tavlofskis also know the strains of balancing training with their jobs and four children, who range in age from 7 to 13.
The couple, who met as patrol partners several years ago, work different shifts as detectives and had to train alone. ``It was a little more difficult to stick to it,'' said John Tavlofski, a five-year veteran of the force. As a swimmer he was sometimes able to include his family in training by taking them to the beach, where the ocean built his endurance. Kathy Tavlofski, a weightlifter, spent long hours in the police gym.
John Tavlofski, 36, swam in college but did not compete between 1979 and 1992. ``You pick it back up real fast,'' he said, ``because it's all in the form, so it's a matter of sticking with it.'' His wife, a seven-year member of the Virginia Beach Police Department, went from exercising to competing in statewide competitions in 1987.
John Tavlofski won gold medals in the 50- and 100-meter breaststroke, silvers in the 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter individual medley, and a bronze in the 50-meter freestyle. Kathy Tavlofski, 33, won a gold in her weight class for the bench press and a silver in arm wrestling, an event where she won the gold in the 1992 law enforcement games.
Both the Tavlofskis and Gawthrop said competing has made them better individuals and better police officers. Part of it comes from the self-discipline.
``There's a tremendous difference when I'm not training,'' said John Tavlofski. ``Things tend to work on you (mentally) a lot harder than they normally would.''
Interacting with other cultures at the games also had an impact. The Tavlofskis and Gawthrop now find it easier to talk with people in general. They also learned how law enforcement agencies in other states and nations deal with some of the same problems found on Virginia Beach streets.
The three would like to compete in the next Law Enforcement Olympics but do not know if they can. The 1996 games will be held in either Australia, or Dubai, and either would be an expensive trip. Other costs add up during training.
The Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association and Police Supervisor's Association helped as sponsors, but all three competitors relied extensively on their own resources. The city allowed the three to take leave but offered no other support.
Gawthrop also was able to get additional help from local businesses and residents. ``They liked the fact that a face came to them instead of a big organization over the phone,'' said Gawthrop.
Gawthrop and John Tavlofski would like to establish a base to support participation in future competitions, either creating a fund or a team.
Although they represented themselves at this year's games, ``everywhere we go, we represent the city,'' said Tavlofski. ``You can't escape it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos courtesy of ELAINE GAWTHROP
A spotter waits to check the accuracy of Virginia Beach Police
Officer Jim Gawthrop's shooting in the 600-yard rifle event as the
officer aims at a target.
Patrol officer Jim Gawthrop won two gold and two bronze medals for
his sharp shooting in the International Law Enforcement Olympics.
by CNB