Image #3   All in the Family … Nikon F4 camera, Kodak Kodachrome 500 Transparency film ASA500 (push processed 1 stop), 1/500 at f4, Nikon 105mm f1.8 lens.

Lillihammer, Norway 1994: While Nancy and Tanya were a prime-time soap opera at Figure Skating, Bonnie Blair continued to dominate her sport of Speed Skating at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillihammer, Norway. Her career total of 6 Olympic medals, 5 of them GOLD gave her the title of Winter Olympian of the Century.

I first met Bonnie in 1976 when her aunt, Mary Poloski (far left-red turtleneck) introduced us. Back then I was coaching a gymnastics school and Mary was the Pre-School gym class teacher. She brought Bonnie to the gym one day to learn a back flip on the trampoline.

And thus it was, Bonnie learned her back flip and shortly there after I began my sports photography. I photographed Bonnie winning all 6 of her Olympic medals, including this image of Bonnie and her family “The Blair Bunch” shot immediately following her GOLD medal win in the 500m final in Lillihammer, Norway.

Image #4   Icing Glory … Nikon f5 film camera, Kodak Kodachrome 500 Transparency film, ASA 500 (push process 1 stop), 1/250 at f4, Nikon 400mm f2.8 with 1.4x Teleconverter.

Nagano, Japan 1998: Karyn Bye lead the USA Women’s Ice Hockey team to a first ever GOLD medal with 5 goals scored in six games at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.

The USA had just defeated Canada for the GOLD and the Canadian team lined up on the Blue Line between my designated “Priority” rink side photo position and the USA team celebrating the win. NOTE: At the Olympics photographers are often restricted to a photo position and not allowed to move.

David Klutho of Sports Illustrated was on my left and he and I were completely blocked from making any images of the USA victory celebration. I just kept saying “be patient, something will open up.” Just then, the Canadian goalie leaned to her left to speak to a teammate…”a window” and I saw Karyn and made one picture, and then my view was blocked again…the window had closed.

Image #5   Leap of a Lifetime … Nikon D1x, ISO800, 1/800 at f2.8, Nikon 400mm f2.8 lens, Gitzo monopod, SanDisk 128mb Compact Flash Card.

Salt Lake City, USA 2002: The 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City were the BEST Winter Games I had ever been to. My responsibilities for Newsweek Magazine were many, but the most important was covering Figure Skating.

Michelle Kwan was “supposed” to win the GOLD in the Ladies competition over Russia’s Irina Slutskya. Sarah Hughes was glad to be on the team. I had garnished the BEST photo position in the Delta Center, the middle photo seat, rink side on the south endzone. This would be a perfect line to photograph Kwan’s signature Spiral for Newsweek and a future sale to Olympic sponsor General Mills for the Wheaties box cover.

But when Kwan touched out on a Triple-Flip it became very evident that the earlier Free Program of Hughes was more than just a “clean” skate…it was indeed the “Performance of a Life Time” and good enough for the GOLD.

Image #6   Parting Shot … Nikon D2x, ISO800, 1/800 at f2.8, Nikon 300mm f2.8 lens, SanDisk 128mb Compact Flash Card.

Torino. Italy 2006: Apolo Ohno skated into the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino with GOLD medal victory in Short Track Speed Skating on his mind. South Korean Short Track Speed Skaters Ahn Hyun Soo and Lee Ho-suk had the same idea.

Apolo had a slight “trip-up” with the South Koreans in the 1500m, and was nearly “jammed out” by them again in the 1000m but finished with a Bronze. Time was running out for Ohno and a GOLD medal, as the South Koreans seemed to be in control of the Short Track ice sheet in Salt Lake City.

The 500m final seemed to end before it began with 2 false starts. The third start saw Ohno take an immediate lead as the pack finally broke away with a clean start. Most photographers choose the photo position looking head-on at the finish line. Their vision was a victorious Apolo crossing the line for the GOLD.

I had photographed Apolo many times before and knew from experience that he would sprint to the finish with his head down. I had chosen a rink side photo position directly across the track from the finish line, coming out of curve.  Sure enough, as he approached the finish he buried his head, but once he crossed the finish line he raised his head and his arms in victory as he glided through the curve and came directly at me.

Newsweek was on a rush deadline and so I grabbed my gear and cut across the Zamboni entrance before I would be trapped in the rink side photo area. I ran up the arena stars as the march music began for the Medal Ceremony.

As I ran from the Olympic Ice Hall I saw my best friend and photographer for the Colorado Springs Gazette Mark Reis running in. As we crossed paths on the run he shouted, “is it over” … “No”, I answered, Apolo is about to get his GOLD medal.”  Mark shouted back, “I mean are the Olympics over for you?”  “Yes” I said…”and I’m okay with it.” Mark knew what only my closest friends and family knew.

This image of Apolo Ohno would be my last picture at my last Olympic Games…a “Parting Shot” so to speak. My decision had been made two years earlier following the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece…possible the best Summer Games coverage of my career.

In my future, Professional and Olympic Sports would remain my subjects, but this time with an emphasis in the Commercial market place rather than editorial magazines. And I felt lead to pursue my love for teaching others about photography. Both ideas were certainly bold moves, which were completely based on my faith.

“I’ve never looked back to wonder what if…I have only looked forward to where I believe God has directed me.”