From Asthmatic to Olympic Gold Medalist

FARAI CHIDEYA, host:

The Beijing Summer Olympics kick off in about four months. This time around, as folks gear up to compete for the gold, they're also dealing with political tensions and questions about air pollution and how it will affect their ability to compete. Jeanette Bolden is coach of the U.S. women's track team. She was an Olympic gold medal winner in the 1984 summer games, and she also has asthma. Jeanette, thanks for joining us today.

Ms. JEANETTE BOLDEN (U.S. Women's Track & Field Coach): Thank you very much. How're you doing?

CHIDEYA: I'm great. So, what excites you? I mean, it's a huge accomplishment to coach this team. And what excites you about this year's Olympic Games?

Ms. BOLDEN: We have a fantastic team. You know, naturally, the team isn't picked yet and everyone will go through Olympic trials. But whoever comes out in the top three, they will represent this country to the highest degree. I'm sure it will be a balance of our veterans and our up-and-coming athletes. And they did very well last year in the world championship. And I'm looking forward to seeing the U.S.A. do very well in Beijing.

CHIDEYA: What does it take - you're an Olympian, a medal-wining Olympian. What does it take to have, not just the skill, but the heart to get a medal in the Olympics?

Ms. BOLDEN: You know, it takes a lot of sacrifice, you know? Many times the athletes have, they've done a lot of competition, of course. From age-group track & field, through high school, and if they attended college, it takes a lot of dedication, a lot of sacrifice, and a lot of focus. You know, a lot of times, you know, sometimes they can get distracted. But the ones that you see, the cream of the crop that you see at the Olympic Games are extremely focused and dedicated athletes.

CHIDEYA: What do you think is going to - I mean, I know you can't say who you think the favorites are, but where are we in the process right now? If you take a look at where people are in the Olympic trials process, how much longer is that going to take in terms of people qualifying?

Ms. BOLDEN: Well, the Olympic trials start toward the end of June and go until the first part of July. And I think that, more than anything, the U.S. did very well for the U.S. vs. The World this weekend in that Penn Relays. And they had a great showing. The U.S. women won the four-by-100 meters relay and the four-by-four. The U.S. men won the four-by-four, had a little trouble with the baton exchange in the four-by-one, but I'm looking forward to a great, you know, competition this summer. And so far, the athletes look very good.

CHIDEYA: You've had to face asthma as, I guess, an extra competitive question for yourself. You're now running a foundation, the Jeanette Bolden Asthma and Allergy Track Clinic, and you're a member of the board of directors for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. But before that, you had to deal with this as an athlete. What was your routine? How did you deal separately from some of the other team members with facing asthma as part of being an athlete?

Ms. BOLDEN: One of the things is that I think asthma has made me even more focused as an athlete. And a lot of times, people don't put together having asthma and running track. But my mother pushed me a lot. And my father was, you know, he was the one who wanted his baby girl to sit down and not have any problems. And there was a tug-o-war in my household. One thing my mother always instilled in me was that asthma isn't a handicap. You can achieve your goals. And she just - you know, I had a tremendous amount of drive and determination.

And some of the things I had to do was, you know, I was allergic to, you know, dust, mold, mildew, pet dander. I would travel a lot of the times with a pillow, because a lot of times in hotels they'd have feather pillows and down comforters. And I didn't know I was allergic to that until I went to a track meet and I would wake up with asthma. And fortunately, I think I've gotten to the point now that my asthma is definitely under control.

CHIDEYA: It sounds strange, in a way, for someone who has asthma to do track and field at all, because it's such a - you know, you have to have a lot of lung capacity to be able to do those, whether they're sprints or long-distance runs. Did you ever think to yourself, you know what? Maybe this is just not the right thing for me?

Ms. BOLDEN: It's funny you mention that. When I was younger, my asthma was kind of out of control. I'm from Compton, California, and I was taken out of my home in Compton and placed in an asthmatic home. And there I really started learning that asthma wasn't a handicap. And one thing they taught all the kids there at the home was that you need to get involved in physical activity to feel good about yourself. And we started getting involved in swimming. And from there, I went and got involved in track and field. And like you say, they don't quite equate the two together. But for me, asthma has made me more determined as an athlete.

CHIDEYA: Well, Jeanette, thanks so much.

Ms. BOLDEN: Thank you very, very much.

CHIDEYA: That was Jeanette Bolden. She is a 1984 Olympic gold medalist and the current coach of the U.S. Olympic Women's Track & Field team. COST: $00.00

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