Coca-Cola Honors 20 Inspiring People as U.S. Torchbearers for Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Kudos to the following Georgia residents for being selected as torchbearers:

Crystal Hardy, 20 (Dublin, GA): Crystal co-founded Green Teens, a
local recycling program for PET1 bottles that donates the proceeds to
local schools.
Taylor LeBaron, 17 (Ball Ground, GA): Taylor authored a book entitled,
"Cutting Myself in Half," about his personal weight loss journey and
how he reduced his weight from 297 lbs. to 145 lbs., using a
self-developed, teen-oriented fitness program.
Liz Burns, Senior National Sales Executive, Coca-Cola North America
(Atlanta, GA): As incoming president of the board of directors for the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Georgia Chapter, Liz chairs one of the
largest fundraising events, Chocolate, which has helped raise more
than $500,000 for cystic fibrosis research. She also mentors a local
family through Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
Jed Selkowitz, Director of Entertainment Marketing, Coca-Cola North
America (Atlanta, GA): Jed is dedicated to raising awareness of lupus.
Through his work as a Board Member of the Georgia chapter of the Lupus
Foundation of America, he has helped raise more than $600,000 to
support lupus awareness, advocacy and research.

/PRNewswire/ -- Coca-Cola has chosen 20 inspiring people to be Torchbearers for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. The U.S. Torchbearers were selected because they each use their passion for positive living to affect meaningful, enduring changes in local and global communities.

The Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame through Calgary, Canada, on January 18-19, 2010 as it makes its way to Vancouver and the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on February 12, 2010. The Olympic Torch Relay, presented in part by Coca-Cola, will last for 106 days, cover more than 27,000 miles (45,000 kilometers) and link together more than 1,000 communities and places of interest throughout Canada.

Torchbearers were selected because of their commitments to sustainably promoting three aspects of positive living, including:

Balanced Living - staying active and physically fit while having fun with family and friends

Community - working to make good things happen for people throughout the community

Recycling - helping the planet by recycling or donating time to a recycling program in the community or school

Among those chosen to carry the Flame are 10 teens, five leaders from national health organizations, three Coca-Cola North America employees and Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Steven Lopez, who are part of the Coca-Cola "Six Pack" of Olympic athletes and competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. People can view the Torchbearers' route and learn more about their personal stories by visiting www.LivePositively.com.

"These inspirational people have shown remarkable dedication in encouraging others and making a positive difference in so many lives, traits that Coca-Cola has long embraced. Coca-Cola is saluting these champions of positive living by recognizing them with the special opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame," said Celeste Bottorff, Vice President of Living Well, Coca-Cola North America.

"I'm so impressed by the positive and diverse influence my fellow Torchbearers have had in communities across America," said Steven Lopez. "It is going to be an honor to pass the Flame to one of these inspirational individuals and celebrate the importance of wellbeing, community, unity and the Olympic Spirit."

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Arts Across Georgia

Former Yellow Jackets Add Gold Medals in Beijing

Two athletes with ties to the Georgia Institute of Technology received gold medals during the 2008 Olympic games.

Chis Bosh won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team. Bosh played his frehsman season at Georgia Tech before entering the NBA draft in 2003 and signing with the Toronto Raptors.

Former Georgia Tech track star, Angelo Taylor, won two gold medals in Beijing—one for the men’s 400 meter hurdles and the second for being a member of the first-place 1,600 relay team. Angelo attended Georgia Tech from 1997-98 where he won the NCAA title in 1998 and placed second in 1997.

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Ward And Team USA Win Bronze Medal In Team Sabre Competition

Incoming Duke freshman Rebecca Ward and USA teammates Sada Jacobson and Mariel Zagunis defeated France 45-38 to win the bronze medal in the team sabre competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics on Thursday in the Fencing Hall at the National Convention Centre.

Ward, who will enroll at Duke in the fall, earned her second bronze medal at the 2008 summer games after claiming the bronze in the individual sabre competition behind teammates Jacobson and Zagunis on Saturday, August 9. Ward won six of her nine bouts in the team competition, including two of three in the bronze medal round. Fifth-seeded Ukraine took home the gold, while third-seeded China claimed the silver medal.

Ward won the opening bout in Thursday’s medal round 5-2 over France’s Mary Solenn and followed with an 8-2 triumph over Carole Vergne that erased a 20-17 deficit and put the US squad ahead 25-22. The American trio did not trail for the remainder of the round and led by as much as eight points at 40-32 before Ward locked up the bronze medal by holding off Leonore Perrus 5-6 in the final bout. Ward’s 8-2 victory over Vergne was the most lopsided victory in the round.

Ward, Jacobson and Zagunis – who collectively drew the number one seed in the team competition – opened their medal run with a commanding 45-8 win over eighth-seeded South Africa in the quarterfinals before falling 45-39 to Ukraine in the semifinals. Ward won each of her first three bouts against South Africa and gave up just two touches in the quarterfinals, defeating Adele Du Plooy 5-1 and Elvira Wood 5-1 before shutting out Joyti Chetty 5-0.

The Ukrainians handed Ward and team USA their first loss in the semifinals and advanced to the gold medal round where they edged China 45-44 to clinch the gold medal. Ward managed to pull out a 6-5 win over Olena Khomrova in the semis after falling 6-4 to Halyna Pundyk and 6-2 to Olga Kharlan.

The bronze medal finish concludes Ward’s stay in Beijing. She will join the Duke women’s fencing team this fall as a member of the sabre team.

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U.S. Army Soldier Strikes Olympic Gold

PRNewswire/ -- Army Spc. Walter Glenn Eller III, now believes in the adage "the third time is the charm," hitting 190 of 200 clay targets in the double trap competition to set an Olympic record and win gold Tuesday.

"Joining the U.S. Army in 2006 gave me the focus and maturity I needed to achieve my Olympic dream," said Spc. Eller. "I don't know how to better represent the United States and my fellow Soldiers around the world than with a gold medal around my neck."

The 26 year-old Katy, Texas native credits the Army for providing him with not only elite training, but world-class teammates to push him further than he could ever imagine.

"Training with some of the top shooters in the world on a daily basis, like fellow Olympians Pfc. Vincent Hancock and Olympic medalist Maj. Michael Anti, gives me the drive and discipline to succeed," said Spc. Eller.

Eller trains at Fort Benning, Ga., as a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU), which sent six shooters to Beijing. "By competing and winning on the world stage, AMU Soldiers highlight the meaning of Army Strong and help to raise the standards of marksmanship proficiency throughout the Army," said unit commander Lt. Col. Frank Muggeo. Since the AMU was established in 1956, its shooters have won 21 Olympic medals and more than 40 world championships.

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Phelps Rewrites Olympic Mark for Men's 400m Individual Medley

Michael Phelps of the United States set a new Olympic Record of 4:07.82 in the heats for the Men's 400m Individual Medley on Saturday, August 9, slicing 0.44 seconds off the previous record he set in Athens four years ago.

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Morehouse Senior Jerome Singleton Heads to Beijing as Part of the U.S. Paralympic Team

Jerome Singleton’s Olympic dreams have become reality as the Morehouse senior will be heading to Beijing, China, September 7 through 18, as part of the United States team in the 2008 Paralympic Games.

The Paralympic Games are Olympic competitions for athletes with physical disabilities, held every four years, coinciding with the Olympic Games and held in the same venue.

“It’s very exciting,” he said. “I’m very thankful that I’m getting an opportunity to go.”

Singleton, a triple major in math, physics and industrial engineering from Irmo, S.C., qualified for the team during the U.S. Paralympic Trials – Track and Field, in Mesa, Ariz., in June. Singleton, who wears a prosthetic lower right leg, competes in the T-44 division of the 100- and 200-meter dash, along with the 4x100-meter relay. The T-44 division is for single-leg, below the knee amputees.

“I was born without my fibula, so they had to amputate my foot (while an infant),” Singleton said. “But I’ve been playing sports since I was five.”

After getting to Morehouse, he was researching trends in biomedical engineering when he ran across a story about a Paralympian. He then went to www.paralympic.org.

“I looked at some of the times and said, ‘I believe I can compete with these times,’” said Singleton, who was an accomplished high school athlete.

He joined the Flying Maroon Tigers track team in 2006. A roving coach who sometimes works with the track team took Singleton to a Paralympics in 2006. A year later – and after working with Morehouse track coach Willie Hill -- Singleton began to enter and win Paralympic meets.

“This kid showed a lot of people about working and working hard,” Hill said. “I had no doubt this young man was going to do great things in life, on and off the track.”

A total of 206 athletes will make up the entire United States contingent heading to the Beijing Paralympics. Singleton is one of 44 members of the U.S. track and field squad.

The Paralympic Games won’t be Singleton’s first international competition. He won a gold medal in the T-44 100-meter dash and a silver medal in the T-44 200-meter dash during the 2008 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, England, in May. He won silver in the 200-meter dash and a bronze in the 100-meter dash during the 2007 Para Pan American Games in Rio De Janiero.

“Hands down, he’s the most improved athlete on our elite squad,” U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Head Coach Troy Engle said in an article on Singleton on www.usparalympics.com. “He’s gone from an emerging athlete to a contending athlete to be on the podium in Beijing.”

Before heading to Beijing in September (and eventually to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where, this fall, he will begin completing the final two years of his dual-degree engineering program), Singleton will compete in two meets and then focus on training for the Games.

“I’m just going to train hard this summer,” he said. “But I’m ready to go.”

Five Kids On Top of the Sailing World

SSG Note: Super kudos to these youth! All of us who enjoy sailing in Georgia, whether it be on the coast or on one of our lovely lakes, will be cheering these young sailors on to victory.

BUSINESS WIRE--What were you doing when you were in your early teens? And what are teenagers doing now? Watching marathon TV? Hanging out at the mall, playing endless video games… But, for five young sailors, ages 12-14, life has a decidedly more provocative twist. These five boys have reached the pinnacle of their Optimist sailing careers and are headed to Cesme, Turkey next month to represent the United States in the International Optimist Dinghy Association World Championship Regatta. Fairly heady stuff for kids not even old enough to drive! This is the U.S. World Team!

Duncan Williford will be 13 in July. He is from Fort Lauderdale and is the sailor who won Team Trials – the qualifying regatta for the World Team. Pearson Potts is now from Sag Harbor, New York, but his roots are in New Orleans. Pearson is 15 and is a third-time World Team member. Christopher Craven just turned 14 and hails from Miami Shores, Florida. Axel Sly will be 14 this month and is a second-time World Team member from Weston, Florida; and Antoine Screve from San Francisco, California is also 14 and is making his second trip to the World Team.

These kids are among some 150,000 worldwide to sail the Optimist, a small pram sailboat just 7’6” long. From its humble beginnings in the late 1940s in Clearwater, Florida, when the Optimist was built as a soap-box racing car for the water, the “Opti” has grown to be the largest class of youth sailing boat in the world, represented in 110 countries.

While some might consider sailing an effortless pastime, they have not witnessed the rigorous training or intense competition involved in the sport. The dedicated few who make it to the World Championship sail all the time -- often to the detriment of their social lives. Sailing requires not only physical fortitude, but extraordinary mental focus as well. But what does sailing give these teens? It offers them life lessons and character-building experiences that form the foundation for motivated and successful people. They are tough, these kids, and they are devoted to the sport.

For these five that have made it to the top, it is indeed a rarefied atmosphere and a pivotal life experience. Perhaps, they are en route to the Olympics. 70% of Olympic medalists in sailing have begun their careers in the Optimist. But, they have arrived! To be competing in the world arena at their ages is nothing short of remarkable! One can imagine the impact on these kids’ futures – no challenge will seem impossible; no obstacle intransigent. These five sailors have been on top of the world!

For more information, visit www.usoda.org for U.S. information and www.ioda.org for international information.

Wyland to Announce End of 30-year Project, June 25

At 10am on Wednesday, June 25, renowned marine-life artist Wyland will announce details of his 100th and final Whaling Wall, bringing an end to his almost 30-year labor of love. The announcement will take place where it all began, at the site of the very first marine-themed mural in Laguna Beach. As a fitting tribute to Wyland’s international reach and commitment, the final mural will be painted in Beijing next month, in the lead-up to the Olympic Games. With the help of thousands of children from around the globe, Wyland will create a “Great Wall of China” canvas, spanning more than four miles with 50 and 100-foot segments representing 191 nations.

The idea behind the Whaling Wall project has always been to teach people about environmental conservation by simply showing them what they are conserving. This is the largest and longest ongoing arts in public places program dedicated to environmental awareness. The murals have set world records for the largest paintings by one person and are seen by an estimated one billion people each year.

For more information on the Whaling Wall project, go to the Wyland Foundation website at http://www.wylandfoundation.org.