Friday, August 24, 2012

Training and Meeting with my Big Hommie from the Chi!


Training
The month of August is almost at an end along with my summer training in Colorado Springs. I will be heading out to Lake Placid, NY September 9th to finish my final preparations for Push Championships and the start of the season. To date my training is going great!!! My coach and I have started timing my sprints, measuring my jumps and my throws for the events I will be tested, I’m happy to report that my practice testing numbers have improved from last year at this same time. I am extremely excited to display my hard work and get back to competing! Speaking of competing please follow this link to see the World Cup Schedule http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Bobsled-and-Skeleton-Federation/Events.aspx  As to not bore you with tales of ungodly amounts of weight that I throw around the weight room and how I created several sonic booms while sprinting or that I jumped over THE MOON…Twice! I will share the story below.


Meeting with my Big Hommie from the Chi (a.k.a Chicago)!
 I had to share this Story!!!

Thursday August 9, 2012 started of like any other day. I woke up stretched, ate breakfast,  took a few supplements and headed into the weight room. I hopped on the stationary bike for about ten minutes, and then began my normal thirty minute dynamic warm-up. Being that I’m pretty good at what I do my work out went smoothly! Lol No but seriously I’m a beast with it! The other day one of the tourist who visited the training center saw me lifting and started SCREAMING out Gayaka! Gayaka! Since they just saw me Movin Monster Type Weight, the police were on their way until they were told “Stand Down! Stand Down! It’s just Jesse in the weight room again and he scared another tourist!” lol And Yes there is something seriously wrong with me!  I….Knoooowww!

Sorry I got off track again.

In the middle of my workout my Coach Eric reminded me that President Obama would be speaking down the road today at Colorado College then jokingly asked me if I was going to go listen to him speak. I told him I would like to but I did not have a ticket nor did I have a clue on how to get a ticket. As I continued my workout I just had a feeling that somehow I would end up getting a ticket to hear the President speak, possibly getting to shake his hand at some point. Honestly I have no idea why I felt this way but for some reason I just saw everything falling into place. True to form just as I was finishing up my work out one of my friends and tour guides at the training enter walked in, asks me if I wanted a ticket to go hear the President speak! Evidently he had earned a ticket from volunteering but was unable to make use of it due to work. Of course I accepted the ticket, I mean come on people destiny was revealing itself and who am I to stand in its way! Lol

 The gates per say opened up at 11a.m but I did not finish up my work out till 11:45a.m, but I figured that I had until at least 1pm before he actually started speaking. After completing my work out I quickly stretched, showered, dressed and was soon headed to hear the President speak.
 
I arrived at Colorado College around 12:20 pm; the scene was what to be expected with a line of people extending at least five blocks. Initially I was worried that I may miss the president speak, until a volunteer told me that his speech would not start till 2pm.  Standing in line was definitely not the highlight of my day although the line moved along rather quickly. I think this was partly to do with my amusement/amazement at the stories and arguments from those people who saw this as a great opportunity to petition for the legalization of Cannabis.

  At the main entrance of the event the security was extremely tight complete with snipers a top several buildings, policeman and secret service members scattered throughout the crowd (some seen and others not seen I’m sure).  As I’m standing in the crowd waiting for the president to speak numerous people began to pass out from the heat and general out of shapeness (yes that is a real word…Deal with it lol).  But the medics there were efficient to say the least because within minutes of someone passing out the paramedics were right on the scene. They also had volunteers passing out cold water to keep everyone hydrated. Speaking of hydration, I happened to be standing next to this couple along with their mother-in-law (I had been talking to this group since my arrival). Every 20 minutes or so the mother would kindly offer me some water; and every 20 minutes I would kindly decline. About the fourth time she asked with me not accepting she expressed her concern about me passing out. I somewhat jokingly and possibly arrogantly said “I think I will be ok and if I pass out then everyone here is in trouble because surely Hell on Earth is soon to begin!” we both laughed!

 Needless to say the President was well received by the adoring crowd. I initially missed the President running up on stage because I was too busy looking up in the sky at the circling Blackhawk helicopter, which was pretty cool in itself! As you might imagine the President’s speech was polarizing, motivating and inspiring the assembled crowd. CNN already went over the ins and outs of the speech so there is no need for me to do so here….Yup You Are Welcome! Lol At the end of the speech the President made his way to his motorcade, shaking hands and greeting the public along the way. I was too far away so I did not get my hand shake!

Making my way back to my car I ran into Darrin Steel CEO of USBSF, which led to a twenty minute conversation about training and general bobsled dynamics that I will not bore you all with. The conversation was productive; afterwards we both left to meet destiny head on!  

 As I pulled into the OTC (Olympic Training Center) I saw the same police motorcycle escort that I had just seen at the rally! I immediately ask the guard what’s going on and who is on the campus? The security’s guard initial response was “I can’t say but we have a V.I.P on campus!” I looked at him and said “Sooo…Obama came over here after his speech then?” He said yeah pretty much! lol Knowing that the president would want to take pictures with some athletes, I figured that he would be either in the cafeteria or the main gym. I quickly parked my car, and then ran into the Athlete Student Center downstairs into the cafeteria. Seeing no president in sight I walked out to the main yard of the OTC where I saw Secret Service members lined along the entire Belk Pathway, which is the walkway that runs down the center of the campus! Ironically enough I was not the only one trying to get to the weight room or somewhere in that vicinity. It just so happened that a member of the kitchen staff had just gotten off work and was trying to get to his car that was parked by the gym and another athlete was trying to get inside the gym. The Secret service agent asked the guy from the kitchen where he was going and he replied to his car, the Agent told him he needed to wait. Then the athlete who was in front of approached and the Agent asked him where he was going and he replied to the weight room, the Agent told him he needed to wait! So then I walk up the Agent asked me where I was going, I said to the weight room and he said ok go ahead!! Lol I must have looked like I work out or something! As I walked past the Agent another Agent about thirty feet away screamed to the first Agent “Hey What about that guy?” The first agent screamed back “He’s Good!”

 As I continued down the stairwell towards the gym there was another Agent in front of me; so to make sure I did not get shot anytime soon I asked him if it was ok for me to proceed to the gym. He said he was not sure but to go as a group of three agents that were at the bottom of the stairs and adjacent to our position. As I walked over to the group of Agents I could see they were sizing me up as I them, they looked like a group of football tight ends; so off first impression I did not care for them and by the looks on their face they did not care for me either! Lol  I asked what seem to be the Agent in charge if it was O.K for me to go into the gym, he suggested that I wait 20 minutes or so. He then said don’t worry you want miss the snow (it was a reference to the Bobsled shirt I was wearing). When he saw I did not laugh he said it was a joke! I said yeah…I know and walked towards the side entrance of the gym! In hind sight he probably could have shot me, however growing up in Chicago I’ve been almost shot a few times (TMI?) so the thought really did not bother me much! lol

 Truly the fates were on my side because indeed the side entrance was open, as confirmed when I heard my team mate Emily Scream out “Jesse you just missed the president, he was just here!”  I was like really…really….you have to be kidding me! Taking Emily’s acknowledgement that indeed I belong in the weight room I quickly ducked into to assess the situation. Talking with my team mates I found out the president was next door in the wrestling room speak to the young wrestling camp that was going on. I would have tried to make my way into the room but the Secret Service Agents were not having it! However, luckily for me the inner hallway that lead to the wrestling room ran directly in front of the entrance to the weight room!  My plan was to wait inside the weight room by that hallway then knock on the glass when the president was walking out of the wrestling room hoping not to startle the Secret Service Agents to the point where they may want to shoot me! Lol Just Saying it could happen! As I approached the glass one of the Secret Service Agents saw me patted his hip and shook his finger as to say NO! NO!....just playing! When he saw me he actually started flexing towards me and pointing at my biceps; which inspired the cameraman next to him to start laughing and pointing at me as well! I pointed at the guard, then told the cameraman “It’s not my guns you need to worry about since they are made out of muscle, but it’s the gun that Agent is packing under his suit that you need be concerned!” we all started laughing. After waiting about 15 minutes or so one of the agents opened up the door that lead from the weight room to the hallway and with intent asked us if we would mind not suddenly coming into the hallway anytime soon! We did not have ask what would happen if we did…it was a given! Lol Shortly thereafter the President came walking out; it was time to my plan into action!! I used my Jedi mind trick to make the President look up in my direction, then proceeded to knock on the glass threw my arms up as to say “What up Prez can your boy come hollar for a minute at or what!? (and possibly to show the agents around me I had no weapons ha-ha”). Being that the President is from the Southside of Chi so without me having to say a word he looked at me and said “sure come on out”, then opened the door for me! In my mind I was thinking “The President just open the door for me Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat like Kanye said You Can’t Tell Me Nothing now! Lol” I was cheezing from ear to ear (and no need to spell check me on that in my blog that’s a word get over it, it makes it easier for everyone!)

 Now I’m in the hallway speaking with the Most Powerful man in America and arguably the World who has also lived in Chicago; I can definitely check that off my bucket list! He looks me up and down, then asks me what sport I did, I told him bobsled; he said I guess we make our bobsled athletes pretty big! Lol I told him that I use to play football at Iowa State and we fill out a little different than the basketball players he’s use to being around. I then told him I was also from the Southside of Chicago, without missing a beat the President Immediately Shouts Out SooouthSiiiiddde!!! His Security, the cameramen, newspaper reporters, the President along with myself all broke out in laughter, it was classic! He asked if the USA was any good in bobsled. I told him about are Men’s USA 1 Squad who won Gold in last winter Olympics and last year World Championships as well as our USA women who took Bronze in the Olympics and a Bronze in last year’s World Championships. He asked where I had attended high school and with pride I told him Corliss off 103rd street. He nodded his head in confirmation that he knew the area. He then told me congrats and that I had come a long way from the Southside of Chicago. Without missing a beat I told him “Hell you’re one to talk look at you!” once again everyone present got a good laugh out of my response. After we were done chatting one of the guys present asked me if I wanted a picture with the President, of course I responded and the rest is digital history.

 So ends the story of how President Barack Obama got to meet Jesse Beckom III! Lol

 
Have a great weekend everyone. Pictures will be posted by monday on my web page in the V.I.P album. But pics are already up on twitter @jessbeck3

 God Bless

 Jesse