GOING FOR GOLD

ECU alumni compete and work at Paralympics and Olympics

East Carolina University graduate Elexis “Lex” Gillette ’07 will be competing in the 2016 Paralympic Games, which start today in Rio de Janeiro, but he’s not the only Pirate going for gold.

In addition to athletes in competition, several ECU alumni worked behind the scenes during and before the Olympics last month as coaches, physicians, athletic trainers, and graphic designers.

It takes a lot of staff to support athletes like Gillette and former Pirate track star LaShawn Merritt, who attended ECU for a year and won gold in the men’s 4×400-meter relay and bronze in the 400-meter in Rio.

“Everything is going pretty well right now,” Gillette said via phone a couple weeks ago from where he trains in San Diego. “I’m excited. This will be my fourth Paralympic Games, and it still doesn’t seem like it’s actually happening.”

Gillette, who lost his sight in childhood due to detached retinas, will compete in the long jump and 100-meter sprint, his signature events. He runs and jumps with the help of guides who either run alongside him or use their voices to direct him. He has won silver in long jump for the past three Paralympic Games, but won gold in national and international championships last year.

“Being mentally strong is just as important as being physically strong,” he said. “On the track, and in life, you’ve got to put it all on the table. There’s no weight on my shoulders going in. When I run and jump, I feel free. I’ve just got to go out and fly.”

Originally from Raleigh, Gillette came to ECU to major in recreation facilities management. He says he’s proud to represent ECU in the Paralympics. He plans to stay involved in sports after he finishes competing.

In the Olympics, USA Track and Field brought home 32 medals with the help of ECU alumnus Coach Curtis Frye ’74, longtime head coach at the University of South Carolina. ECU alumni were also behind the medals in several other sports.

Dr. Lisa Callahan ’83, ’87 was the only physician for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, which both went on to win gold for Team USA. She along with several athletic trainers ensured the health and safety of the athletes. They also managed to squeeze in a sightseeing trip to the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer.

ECU alumna Dr. Lisa Callahan ’83, ’87 with USA Basketball team member Kyle Lowry after the gold medal game.

“It was a tremendous, once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Callahan, who has worked for 12 years as the team doctor for the New York Knicks and other professional teams. “We had no significant illnesses or injuries, so it was as good an experience as we could’ve had.”

Callahan, originally from Washington, North Carolina, completed both her undergraduate and medical degrees at ECU. “Growing up and going to school here was very grounding,” she said. “Learning to appreciate and work with people of different backgrounds allows you to be successful at an event like the Olympics.”

Women’s gymnastics also brought home gold with the help of alumna Alicia Lysiuk ’02, one of two athletic trainers for the “the final five.”

“Representing the United States as a certified athletic trainer with the women’s artistic gymnastics team was and continues to be a huge honor. It is an experience that I will cherish for many years to come,” said Lysiuk, who works for St. Vincent’s Sports Performance in Indiana. She began volunteering for USA Gymnastics in 2004 and in 2015 was asked to be part of the national team. This was her first Olympics.

Athletic trainer for USA Gymnastics and ECU alumna Alicia Lysiuk ’02, second from right, got a selfie with “the final five.”

“ECU was a great foundation for my career,” said Lysiuk, who double majored in athletic training and health education. “From the start of my career with ECU to where I am now at SVSP, I consistently had great athletic trainers to model my behavior after. I couldn’t have chosen a better place to mold my life into what it is today.”

Team USA got its first women’s weightlifting medal since 2000 when Sarah Robles won bronze. When she finished her final lift of 160 kg, her coach Tim Swords ’82 ran out to give her a hug.

“We knew she could do it,” said Swords, who got his start as one of the first strength and conditioning coaches for football at ECU in the early 1980s. “I felt so great for Sarah, and I felt great for the country. But it feels the same way for the kids I coach back in Texas.”

In addition to Olympic coaching, Swords also runs a non-profit called Team Houston that uses weightlifting as a way to build self-esteem and discipline for local youth. He’s helped around 1,000 kids over the past 30 years, something he credits back to ECU.

Swords came to ECU from West Virginia to play football for Coach Pat Dye. That experience taught him that teams are families, something he passes on today.

“ECU helped me help others,” said Swords, who majored in physical education. “I learned that hard work, dedication and faith will lead to success. That came directly from ECU football. And my kinesiology and biomechanics professors gave me a greater understanding of how the human body works. I had some really good teachers.”

As Americans watched Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross go on to take bronze in beach volleyball, they likely saw on-screen graphics made with the help of alumnus Zachary Taylor ’13.

Taylor, who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree with a concentration in animation and interactive design, works for SportsMedia Technology in Durham, NC. NBC contracted with SMT to create a program that feeds real-time data like countdowns and scores into the network’s graphics for the live broadcast of beach volleyball.

“We make the graphics come alive on TV,” Taylor said.

Taylor was working late on another project when his package aired on Aug. 6, but his wife taped it for him. “It was such a thrill seeing our work on live TV,” he said.

“ECU most definitely prepared me for my career,” Taylor continued. “The art program gives you a foundation in the principles of art that goes across all disciplines. That program helped me become what I am today. I couldn’t have done this without the education I got at ECU.”

Tim Swords ’82 sports his Team USA jacket in front of an East Carolina banner at his weightlifting facility in Texas.