Naperville man sets sights on 2008 Olympics
Two-time judo Olympian Rene Capo says age and experience have made him a smarter competitor.
But the Naperville resident acknowledges that entering his third U.S. Olympic Team Trials next year after he turns 47 will present some challenges.
"If you make the team at 47, that's a movie thing," he said. "There's nobody in judo who's made the team at this age."
But Capo, now 46, has more than a fighting chance. He qualified for the Olympic Trials by winning eight out of nine matches at the Fall Classic National Championships Sept. 1 in Coral Springs, Fla.
Joking that he wouldn't have gone if he had known it would take nine grueling matches to win, Capo said he did it on a few hours sleep after catching an evening flight the day before and jumping in the sauna after he arrived to drop a few pounds in order to qualify.
He's now the No. 3 ranked player nationally in the 100-kilogram (220 pounds) division. Capo hopes that tournaments between now and the Olympic Trials, which are June 13 and 14 in Las Vegas, will put him in the No. 1 spot for trying out for the Olympic team. But he's not taking anything for granted.
"I'll train as hard as I possibly can," he said. "It's in God's hands. Whatever happens, happens."
What's different than when Capo competed in the 1988 and 1996 Olympics is that he's now the single, custodial father of two sons, Alex, 9, and Anthony, 7. Judo comes third in his life, he said, after his children and his full-time job promoting magazine fundraisers in schools.
"I have to balance things out. It's not all about me," he said.
Capo said his sons, who travel with him to tournaments, are excited about the possibility of him going to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
"They're the ones who keep saying, ‘Daddy, I want you to make the team,'æ" he said.
Capo's biggest challenge may be in finding enough time to practice, said his coach, Irwin Cohen of Cohen's Judo Club in Mundelein. Cohen, the head U.S. judo coach in the 1988 Olympics, has known Capo since the younger man was 9.
"He's a fantastic athlete. He's in tremendous shape," Cohen said. "He doesn't have the agility or speed he had in his early 20s, but he makes up for it with heart and determination."
Capo said he's more careful to keep close to his competing weight than he was when he was younger. But he's not worried about getting hurt by the throws and chokeholds of judo.
"It's not a violent sport," he said. "There are a lot more injuries in football."
Born in Cuba and raised in Florida, Capo has participated in judo since he was 7. He attended the University of Minnesota on a football scholarship and got back into judo in time to make the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea.
At the urging of friends, he tried out and made the team again for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Capo didn't win medals either time, but participating in the Olympics is an experience in itself, he said.
"It's like no other," he said. "You're on a huge high."
Capo is quick to say that no one makes it to the Olympics alone - without coaches, training partners, family and, in his case, even his chiropractor and massage therapist.
He's also doing it with the encouragement of his girlfriend, Donna Hall, and an employer who has given him enough time off to compete in a couple of international tournaments this month.
Being an Olympian offers an opportunity to give back, he said. His past participation led to teaching judo classes, talking to kids about avoiding alcohol and drugs, and visiting the cancer section of a children's hospital.
"If you don't medal, it's not the end of the world," he said. "The ride getting there is what I look forward to."
FONTE: Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago, IL, USA
Two-time judo Olympian Rene Capo says age and experience have made him a smarter competitor.
But the Naperville resident acknowledges that entering his third U.S. Olympic Team Trials next year after he turns 47 will present some challenges.
"If you make the team at 47, that's a movie thing," he said. "There's nobody in judo who's made the team at this age."
But Capo, now 46, has more than a fighting chance. He qualified for the Olympic Trials by winning eight out of nine matches at the Fall Classic National Championships Sept. 1 in Coral Springs, Fla.
Joking that he wouldn't have gone if he had known it would take nine grueling matches to win, Capo said he did it on a few hours sleep after catching an evening flight the day before and jumping in the sauna after he arrived to drop a few pounds in order to qualify.
He's now the No. 3 ranked player nationally in the 100-kilogram (220 pounds) division. Capo hopes that tournaments between now and the Olympic Trials, which are June 13 and 14 in Las Vegas, will put him in the No. 1 spot for trying out for the Olympic team. But he's not taking anything for granted.
"I'll train as hard as I possibly can," he said. "It's in God's hands. Whatever happens, happens."
What's different than when Capo competed in the 1988 and 1996 Olympics is that he's now the single, custodial father of two sons, Alex, 9, and Anthony, 7. Judo comes third in his life, he said, after his children and his full-time job promoting magazine fundraisers in schools.
"I have to balance things out. It's not all about me," he said.
Capo said his sons, who travel with him to tournaments, are excited about the possibility of him going to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
"They're the ones who keep saying, ‘Daddy, I want you to make the team,'æ" he said.
Capo's biggest challenge may be in finding enough time to practice, said his coach, Irwin Cohen of Cohen's Judo Club in Mundelein. Cohen, the head U.S. judo coach in the 1988 Olympics, has known Capo since the younger man was 9.
"He's a fantastic athlete. He's in tremendous shape," Cohen said. "He doesn't have the agility or speed he had in his early 20s, but he makes up for it with heart and determination."
Capo said he's more careful to keep close to his competing weight than he was when he was younger. But he's not worried about getting hurt by the throws and chokeholds of judo.
"It's not a violent sport," he said. "There are a lot more injuries in football."
Born in Cuba and raised in Florida, Capo has participated in judo since he was 7. He attended the University of Minnesota on a football scholarship and got back into judo in time to make the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea.
At the urging of friends, he tried out and made the team again for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Capo didn't win medals either time, but participating in the Olympics is an experience in itself, he said.
"It's like no other," he said. "You're on a huge high."
Capo is quick to say that no one makes it to the Olympics alone - without coaches, training partners, family and, in his case, even his chiropractor and massage therapist.
He's also doing it with the encouragement of his girlfriend, Donna Hall, and an employer who has given him enough time off to compete in a couple of international tournaments this month.
Being an Olympian offers an opportunity to give back, he said. His past participation led to teaching judo classes, talking to kids about avoiding alcohol and drugs, and visiting the cancer section of a children's hospital.
"If you don't medal, it's not the end of the world," he said. "The ride getting there is what I look forward to."
FONTE: Chicago Daily Herald - Chicago, IL, USA
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário