The Interview

The Interview

I never thought I would have to go as far as Australia to write a story on a fellow High School alumnus,

Monica Confides. I was of course always familiar with her track breaking record all through school, but I never had the opportunity to talk with her one on one.

Now here I am in beautiful Sydney, waiting patiently with pen and paper in hand for Monica to finish her interview with NBC. It’s a delightful day with a temperature of about

85 degrees, and the sun shimmering down brightly. I can almost feel the same excitement in the air as Monica must have felt when winning the gold metal.

Nearly an hour and an half after arriving to the

Olympic tent I spot Monica trying to escape a gaggle of anxious reporters. Eventually I get her attention and she calls me over to where she is sitting, the infield grass of the track. After all the congratulations and formalities our interview begins.

She is friendly and open so I enjoy her company

Immediately. She starts off by telling me of her Uncle who was in the 1976 Olympics running for Poland. “He was my mentor, whenever I felt my practices were becoming to intense and wanted to quit he was always there to encourage me to thrive for success.” Unfortunately, Monica’s Uncle Peter passed away in

1996, but Monica says that despite the pain she felt she knows her Uncle is smiling down on her today: “I used to fear the death of a loved one the most, but I realize now that death is a part of life and that a death in this life might signify a birth in another.” Most people don’t realize the nervousness and anxiety that accompany someone to the Olympics. For Monica this plague attacked before her big day. “I went out to dinner with my teammates that evening. It wasn’t until 2 o’clock that morning when it starting feeling as if the kangaroo steaks I had for dinner were shill hopping around in my stomach.” Monica thought that she wouldn’t even be able to compete in, let win the race the next day. But the key break came when she was awarded the inside position, which saves the runner some advantage at the beginning of the race.

What are your plans for the immediate future?