Lighting of the torch at the Olympics in Mexico, the first Olympics Ann attended.

By Bobbi Powers 

Three CMC members have seen the Olympic Games as insiders. Ann Hendrickson and Keiko Merl were participants - yes, real Olympians! Lee Silver did not participate, but she was there in a way the rest of us could only dream about. Ann participated in two Olympics, 1968 and 1980 and almost participated in 1972 - in three different sports! Keiko was an alternate in the skiing competition, representing Japan at the Lake Placid Games in 1980. Lee, at age 15, was competing in gymnastics at the national level, but was too young (the rule has since been changed) to compete in the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympic Games; however, her coach took the team to Mexico City for an Olympic experience.

Because of the wealth of fascinating information that Ann, Keiko, and Lee were willing to share, their perspectives will be aired in two parts.

This month Ann's story takes center stage. Stay tuned for the September eNews to learn about Keiko's and Lee's adventures at the Olympics.

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Ann Hendrickson comes from a family whose motto is "Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all." Starting gymnastics at age 7, with extended training beginning at age 9 in Colorado Springs, she specialized in balance beam. A teenage Ann went to the Mexico City Summer Games in 1968 in gymnastics. While in Mexico City she suffered a career-ending knee injury in practice.

Several knee surgeries later, she switched sports, using cycling to rehab her knee. She was good enough to spend summers on the European circuit, was doing well with her qualifying, and really wanted to become the first woman to participate in both winter and summer Games. However, she accepted a Fulbright scholarship instead and attended the Munich games as an observer. Of the massacre that occurred during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, she said, "My heart ached for the world."

But Ann really REALLY wanted to participate in the Olympics. She took skating lessons as a child, and at age 10 discovered speed skating. (Many speed skaters are also world-class cyclists.) She spent much of her time in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Scandinavia - the longer and colder the winters the better! She was good, not fast enough to make the team in the sprint races, but still hoping to make the 1980 Winter Olympics team. Her coach had an "Aha" moment and said, "You are a flat-liner. Go for the distance." She did and made the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Games team, skating 5,000 meters, the longest distance a female skates. She says, "I skate like I hike, not fast, but I can go all day!" Side note: the leg she stroked with was not the re-structured one.

Ann reflected on her Olympic experiences, saying, "I am amazed at how equipment and technology changed sports. I am also glad I competed before texting, tweeting and the internet. Far easier to write a letter home about your results than having the world pick it apart before you even get your skates unlaced! It was a personal challenge for me, and I'm glad to be an American."

Ann is still living her life at full speed. She and her husband Bill have finished the CMC South Beyond 6000 Challenge, as well as the Waterfall Challenge, and are working on the Fire Tower Challenge. They may be the first couple to complete three challenges! They are also avid trail maintainers on the Friday Crew. She and Bill will trek the Annapurna circuit in Nepal during the month of October after she spends 10 days in September hiking in the Tetons with a gal pal from 5th grade.

Full speed ahead, Ann! 

Hiking As A Gateway Drug  

By Stuart English

If you don't want to activate your body, wake up your mind, stimulate your senses;  

Make sure you don't hike.

If you don't want to meet people from all walks of life, all occupations, all nationalities, all economic backgrounds, and probably have some of these people become your friends;

Just don't hike.  

If you don't want to learn the physical geography of your area, the names of all the mountains as well as what they look like on top, where the streams and rivers go and what the water in them feels like on your feet;

You'd better not hike.

If you don't want to learn about all the trees, flowers, plants, mosses, lichens, mushrooms, insects, and animals;

Then hiking is probably not for you.  

If you don't want to learn all the back roads that go through places like Cruso, Springdale, Loafers Glory, Beuladean, Micaville, Walnut, Trust, Luck, Elk Park, Cranberry, and Minneapolis,  

Don't hike.  

If you don't want to get involved, start leading hikes, start maintaining trails, and accept all the personal satisfaction that involves;  

Don't start hiking.

If you don't to one day meet all the challenges, climb all the mountains, hike all the trails, see all the waterfalls and fire towers;

Don't go on that first hike.  

If you don't want to leave all your troubles and worries at home behind the door and let your world open up to become the splendid, spectacular place that it really is; then it's up to you.

Don't take that first step.

Members Needed To Give Insights Into Enhancing CMC Opportunities

 By Barbara Morgan  

Last month's Let's Go featured information about the club's membership committee.  Currently we have four members, me (Barbara Morgan, Chair), Becky Smucker (Volunteer Coordinator), Bruce Bente, and Lee Silver.  Thank you all for your support.

We'd like to actually begin working as a committee to enhance opportunities for CMC members through adding information to the website and facilitating members who want to volunteer for long or short-term roles to help the club in some way.

We're looking for two or three additional Membership Committee members who would be willing to contribute their insights on what is needed and how it can become a reality.  Meetings, initially, would be one or two per quarter, meeting somewhere in the Asheville area, for no more than an hour each.  After we get going, I think that one meeting per quarter would be sufficient.

Annual Dinner Scheduled For Nov. 2