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
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