It’s been more than 30 years since the Miracle on Ice- the day the U.S. Hockey team beat the Soviets to clear the way to the Gold Medal. Somehow I missed that anniversary- I think it was 30 years ago this past Monday. But today is also a big anniversary- 30 years ago today the U.S. Hockey team beat Finland to win that Gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid.
Badgers Mark Johnson and Bobby Suter were both on that team. Mark is now coaching the women’s team which goes for Gold on Thursday against Canada. Mark Johnson could skate away with 2 Gold Medals…30 years apart. How cool would that be?
I very clearly remember the 1980 games. I remember that for years after the games Bobby Suter owned a little sports/bait shop around the corner from my Grandparents home. I remember walking down the street nervously with my poster of the U.S. Hockey team and shyly asking Bobby to sign it, which he did.
I remember being at a high school basketball game on the night of the Miracle on Ice. I remember exactly where I was sitting when I noticed the crowd in the opposite corner of the gym start to go crazy for no apparent reason. I remember turning to my buddy Tim and saying “do you think they got the hockey score?” I remember how that little corner of crazy cheering got bigger and bigger until the word got to the game announcers- they gave the score and the place went NUTS!
I remember just a couple years ago- being honored by Madison Magazine on the same night that Mark Johnson recieved a similar honor. I remember the limo pulling up to my house. I remember climbing into the limo with my wife and being face-to-face with Mark Johnson. I remember thinking about the 1980 Winter Olympics as I rode to the Monona Terrace.
I remember telling my friend Susan about the experience in the middle of a long run as we trained for Ironman 2008. I remember Susan telling me that she once walked down the aisle with Mark as they both stood up in a mutual friend’s wedding- it was just after the Olympics and she was still in high school- feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. I remember joking that between us, we have walked down the aisle and ridden in a limo with him- between us, we might be married to an Olympic star?
I remember later in my Ironman training reading my grade-school buddy, Bobby’s blog about beating a legend. Bobby finished the 2007 Ironman Wisconsin and while he was recovering with his family he heard Ironman announcer Mike Reilly say “Mark Johnson…you are an Ironman!” He had to go look- sure enough – Olympic hockey hero Mark Johnson had finished just a few minutes AFTER him.
I remember finishing the 2008 Ironman Wisconsin and checking my time against Bobby’s 2007 time- I was slightly faster…not a fair comparison, I know- different conditions from year to year, but still, I somehow felt like I had also beat a legend.