And now, a diversion away from cross country...

Here's a story from the Vancouver Columbian written by US Olympic javelin thrower Kara Patterson updating everyone on what her life's been like after the Olympics.

"I think it was really good for me to come back from China and jump directly into the fall semester’s class schedule. I was excited about the normalcy of walking around campus and attending classes with people in my major who I really enjoy being around.

Professors were very understanding that I missed the first two days of lessons, thankfully! They were actually pretty excited to have me in their classes.

This summer after the Trials, the athletic department at Purdue (mainly our track and field staff) had a little get-together for me to celebrate my qualification for the Olympic team, and many of my nutrition, fitness, and health professors attended. It was really touching to feel their support outside of the classroom, since sometimes academics and athletics seem to battle more than they coincide.

I’m taking a wine appreciation class this semester, and we get to taste wines in the classroom. It is optional to propose a toast in class, and the first day this semester that we tasted wine, our professor proposed a toast to me. That was pretty cool, as the class is held in the largest lecture hall on campus.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet with and speak to a few different groups of people around campus and the greater Lafayette area about my experiences in Beijing, and it is always such an honor to do so. I am so grateful each time for the chance to simply say thank you to all the people that make what I do on the javelin runway possible."

To read the rest of the story, click here...