Brothers in Beijing

From: Misty Starks   155 days 3 hours 26 minutes ago

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Tyson Gay – Fastest Man in History

Record-setting distance runner, Tyson Gay, is America’s latest sweetheart. He’s a triple, yes triple, World Champion and has won titles in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 4x-100 meter relays – only the second man in history to ever accomplish this feat. He also holds the American record for the 100 meters. The 25-year-old athlete became a professional runner in 2005 and has zoomed past the competition ever since. Despite a recent injury, he will compete in the 100 meters and 400 relay in the Beijing Olympics. Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Tyson is known for his humble and quiet demeanor. Other than training and competing, Tyson spends most of his time with his seven-year-old daughter, Trinity.

Keeth Smart – Resilient Athlete

Not too many brothers out there are lacing up their fencing shoes, but Keeth Smart proves that African Americans are breaking boundaries in nearly every sport. Smart, 30, and his sister Erinn (who’s also an Olympian) took up fencing 18 years ago and continued to rise through the ranks. He competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and in 2003 he became the first American named as the top-ranked male saber fencer internationally. Despite his success, the Brooklyn-born Smart has had a very tough few years including losing both of his parents and contracting a rare blood disorder while in Africa. Despite these setbacks, he continued to train and will compete in Beijing individually and as part of a team. When he’s not challenging the best fencers in the world, Smart works as a financial analyst.

Bryan Clay – Jack of all Trades

The 2008 Beijing Games won’t be Bryan Clay’s first foray into the Olympic arena, but he’s undoubtedly no less excited. He won a silver medal in the decathlon event and followed that honor with a gold medal at the World Championship and the number one ranking in the world. Before becoming an Olympian though, Clay, who’s Japanese and African American, had trouble as a teenager, often getting into trouble. He got back on track though when he was introduced to sports and accepted the Christian faith in college. After years of training and competition, Clay expects to add another medal to his collection at the Beijing games.

Demetrius Andrade – Boxing Protégé

There aren’t a lot of men would take kindly to being called “Boo Boo,” but as part of the men’s U. S. boxing team, no one would dare tease Demetrius Andrade about his nickname because he definitely knows how to fight. Although Andrade is an amateur, he’s been boxing since the day his father first put gloves on his six-year-old fists. With his dad as his coach, Andrade jabbed his way to a goal medal at the 2007 World Championships and a silver medal at the PanAm Games that same year. Now in Beijing, the pressure is on, but Andrade performs well in intense situations and fully expects to return to his home in Providence, Rhode Island with another win under his belt. Besides boxing, Andrade enjoys playing football and spending time with his daughter.

Taraje Williams-Murray – The Ultimate Fighter

Taraje Williams-Murray already knows what it takes to become a champion. With four straight national championships to his name, this fighter learned early on what it takes to be successful in life: focus and dedication. As the fourth child in a family of six children raised in the South Bronx, Williams-Murray was home schooled by his mother. At the age of eight he picked up Judo from a cousin, and the sport, along with his parents’ guidance, has helped him reach one of his ultimate goals of competing at the 2008 Olympics. Taraje, which means “to expect” in Swahili, definitely plans to take home a medal from the summer games despite challenges presented by his anemia. He doesn’t let that get him down though. He’s currently earning a master’s degree in banking and financial services and plans to work in wealth management when his career in Judo is over.