Dan O'Brien Biography

Dan O'Brien, Athlete

Attr: Gumpert10, Public domain

Born as	Daniel Dion O'Brien
Occup.	Athlete
From	USA
Born	June 18, 1966 Los Angeles, California, USA
Age	58 years

Early Life and also Training
Daniel Dion O'Brien, popularly referred to as Dan O'Brien, was birthed around 1966 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He invested his very early years growing up in Klamath Falls prior to transferring to Moscow, Idaho. His moms and dads were incapable to look after him, so O'Brien was embraced as a baby by Jim as well as Virginia O'Brien, an Irish-American couple.

O'Brien was an all-around athlete, trying his hand at countless sports during his time at Moscow High School. He excelled largely in basketball, football, as well as track as well as field events. Offered his abundant talents, O'Brien was urged to concentrate on sports by his trainers, Terry Galloway and also Mick Zupan. This guidance played an essential duty in shaping O'Brien's future as a track and also field athlete.

Discovering Mental as well as Physical Mettle at College
O'Brien's preliminary university years were marked by individual battles and a lack of inspiration to carry out academically. Although he originally participated in the University of Idaho, he left after his freshman year and ultimately signed up at Spokane Community College in Washington. It was right here that he fulfilled Rick Sloan, the coach that would ultimately transform O'Brien's path to success.

Under Sloan's support, O'Brien concentrated on the decathlon-- an athletic competition comprising 10 track and area occasions, consisting of sprinting, leaping over, leaping, as well as throwing. Sloan cultivated an intensive training routine for O'Brien and assisted him create both physical prowess as well as mental stamina.

International Success and the Decathlon Battle with Dave Johnson
O'Brien initially tasted worldwide victory in 1990 when he won a bronze medal at the Goodwill Games. This served as a turning factor in his job and marked the start of a tough rivalry between him as well as fellow decathlete Dave Johnson. O'Brien's surge in the world of track and also field was noted by numerous excellent victories, consisting of Gold Medals at the 1991 and also 1993 World Championships.

Nevertheless, the peak of his success originated from the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. After stopping working to get the Olympics in 1992, O'Brien was established to prove himself. Amid intensive media buzz bordering his rivalry with Johnson, O'Brien won the Gold Medal in the decathlon occasion, solidifying his condition as one of the greatest athletes worldwide.

Personal and also Professional Setbacks
O'Brien's specialist career was not without its challenges. He faced a four-year suspension from global competition after failing a doping test in 1993. O'Brien energetically denied the accusations, associating the favorable examination to a supplement he took without realizing it contained forbidden materials. The suspension was at some point lowered to two years because of the situations bordering the case, permitting him to contend in the 1996 Olympics.

Regardless of this problem, O'Brien retired as a three-time World Champion as well as an Olympic Gold Medalist. His story of victory over misfortune has been an ideas to athletes worldwide.

Life after Athletics and also Legacy
Upon retiring from competitors, Dan O'Brien turned his interest to training, mentoring, and also inspirational speaking. He has influenced the lives of professional athletes both on and off the area, sharing his knowledge and also experiences with a new generation.

O'Brien's story of perseverance and dedication has actually left a long-lasting impact on the globe of sporting activities. His trip from sectarian athlete to Olympic champion and train works as a testimony to the power of resolution and effort.

Our collection contains 17 quotes who is written / told by Dan.

Related authors: Brandon Boyd (Musician), Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

Source / external links:

17 Famous quotes by Dan O'Brien

"And there is such a thing as a decathlon high. It's like a rock rolling down hill, picking up momentum. You get better and better"

"You have to be able to be a good loser. You have to be okay knowing you're going to fail every day in something without getting mad and upset"

"When I was little, I wasn't allowed to put sugar on my breakfast cereal because it made me so hyper"

"Take pride in exactly what it is you do and remember it's okay to fail as long as you don't give up"

"If you never give up, you'll be successful"

"I think what my parents did was perfect. They were strict, concerned about my safety and held me back just a little"

"There is nothing better than having a personal-best day, being in shape and pushing myself beyond my own limits"

"It really means a lot that I won the gold medal - but I woke up the next morning expecting to feel different. I felt the same"

"You need to become more than one type of athlete. You have to be a sprinter, a weight man and a distance guy all in one"

"Through everything I've gone through- and I've been everywhere, at the top of the world, in jail, hung over drunk - I never gave up my dream of winning a gold medal in the Olympics"

"It took me time to realize that the men who won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon are just men, just like me"

"I call myself a chameleon"

"It's important for me to think I'm mixed-race"

"To me, the decathlon is its own little society and I am part of that culture"

"The decathlon includes ten separate events and they all matter. You can't work on just one of them"

"As a young child, I was never a crier. I never cried to get my way, or even when I was in pain"

"As a young athlete, it was first about having fun; then it was about winning"