"It’s heavy!”
That’s how Team USA’s Chris Creveling described the silver medal he claimed at the 2014 Sochi Games in the 5000-meter relay in short track speed skating. “Of course the physical medal is great, and I dreamed of standing on the podium with a medal all my life,” the elite athlete explained, “but nothing can compare to the feeling of pride and accomplishment after you’ve overcome so many challenges to meet your goals.”
Joining Chris on the relay team was Jordan Malone, another Shaklee Pure Performance Team member.
These Shaklee Pure Performance Team members were two of the 10 athletes sponsored by Shaklee who came home with medals. Those 10 athletes, along with 14 more Shaklee Pure Performance Team members who competed in Sochi, engaged in some of the most hard-fought competitions on the world’s stage. “It was the most aggressive racing I’ve ever seen,” Chris said. “Even the qualifying heats were a brawl, a four-hour scrap-fest.”
Indeed, each of the 10 medal winners fought valiantly for every centimeter, one-thousandth of a second, or goal they could scrape out, and Americans—including the Shaklee Family—could not be more proud of them. Here are our medal-winning Shaklee Pure Performance Team heroes:
1. Kacey Bellamy: Silver medal, Women’s ice hockey
2. Megan Bozek: Silver medal, Women’s ice hockey
3. Chris Creveling: Silver medal, 5,000-meter relay, short track speed skating
4. Brianna Decker: Silver medal, Women’s ice hockey
5. Jamie Greubel: Bronze medal, Women’s bobsled
6. Jordan Malone: Silver medal, 5,000-meter relay, short track speed skating
7. Brianne McLaughlin: Silver medal, Women’s ice hockey
8. Molly Schaus: Silver medal, Women’s ice hockey
9. Kelli Stack: Silver medal, Women’s ice hockey
10. Curt Tomasevicz: Bronze medal, Four-man bobsled
Talk about heavy expectations: The USA women’s ice hockey team garnered much attention for their epic battles with the Canadian team, and no one placed more pressure on the team than its own members.
“This moment in these Games has been our driving obsession since Vancouver in 2010,” explained goaltender Brianne McLaughlin, “and although we didn’t get the outcome we wanted, we know we skated an amazing game and played incredibly well.”
Brianne noted that Team USA had defeated Canada four straight times in the seven months leading up to Sochi, so the team was confident coming into the Games. “Our preparation was fantastic; compared to 2010 we changed the attitude and atmosphere on the team, changed our training, our structure, and everyone bought into it,” she said. “We wanted to be the best, so we knew we needed to play the best opponent and never back down. Although we’re still hurting at the loss, we realize we achieved an incredible feat and we are proud of each other’s commitment to the team.”
While all the Shaklee Pure Performance Team members represented themselves admirably, not all carried away a medal. Erika Brown, the “skip” (team captain) for the women’s curling team, had high hopes for her team in Sochi, but the Americans could only claim one victory in nine matches. Still, participating in the monumental spectacle of the Games was an honor she’ll relish forever. “All the grandeur you might imagine about the Games is true—the world gathers in a peaceful but rousing event that helps us realize there are things bigger than ourselves,” she said. “It was awesome to be on our own small team, and an even greater honor to be a member of the ‘big team,’ Team USA. And everyone simply wanted to do their best.”
Bronze medalist bobsledders Curt Tomasevicz and Jamie Greubel might be on the back end of their competitive careers, but in Sochi they were leading the way for the U.S. bobsledders. Jamie finally won her medal in women’s bobsled after narrowly missing the U.S. team in 2010, and after a sterling World Cup season that gave her the confidence in her abilities heading into Sochi. Curt’s bronze medal in the four-man bobsled marked the second consecutive Games that he earned a medal, having been a member of the team that won gold in 2010, breaking a 62-year drought in that event for the Americans.
Even if he steps away from the sled as he claims he will, Curt will do so with no regrets. “I feel great about this medal, and our years of hard work really paid off,” he proclaimed.
Complete results for all Shaklee athletes and events in Sochi are available at this link. What you won’t find on that website are the numerous inspirational stories of the athletes who stood tall and charged forward with weighty expectations of all types, from the opening ceremonies to the challenges of every competition to the extinguishing of the flame. We’ll relate several of those stories from our Pure Performance Team members in upcoming reports on this Health Wise blog page, so check back frequently and on the Shaklee Corporation Facebook page. In the meantime, we offer our most heartfelt congratulations to all the Shaklee athletes in Sochi who stirred a rousing flame within each of us:
Lanny Barnes , Biathlon (15 km Individual)
Craig Brown, Men’s Curling
Kris Freeman, Cross-country skiing (Skiathlon, 15 km classic, 50 km)
Peter Frenette, Ski jumping (Normal hill, Large hill, Team event)
Kelly Gunther, Speed Skating (long track – 1,000 m)
Brian Hansen, Speed Skating (long track – 500m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, Team pursuit)
Jeff Isaacson, Men’s Curling
John Landsteiner, Men’s Curling
Debbie McCormick, Women’s Curling
Jilleanne Rookard, Speed Skating (long track – 3,000 m, 1,500 m, Team pursuit)
Jessica Schultz, Women’s Curling
John Shuster, Men’s Curling
Jared Zezel, Men’s Curling
Shaklee is committed to fueling excellence in any endeavor, whether you are an elite athlete, a business professional, domestic engineer, or student aspiring to your own weighty and lofty goals. How have these Pure Performance Team members motivated or inspired you? Comment below and take a shot at inspiring other dreamers and achievers!
Shaklee athletes are either Distributors or dedicated users who have received compensation for their partnership and/or complimentary Shaklee products.
Info thanks to Shaklee Health Wise Blog
Have a healthy and productive weekend!
MJ
