Olympian Jason Lezak stops by Cunningham Pool

Olympic gold medalist Jason Lezak

Olympian Jason Lezak stops by Cunningham Pool

Two years after retiring from a stellar swimming career, Olympic champion Jason Lezak is hoping to inspire younger swimmers to follow in his footsteps.


The eight-time Olympic medalist, referred to by many as “The Anchor,” decided to make port in Vallejo on Thursday to give dozens of young swimmers at Cunningham Pool autographs, photo opportunities and swimming pointers.

“I blocked about a week of time this summer to head up to Northern California and just see if teams or people wanted some help,” Lezak said. “I get a big mix of kids at this one and I get to share stories and teach them a few things. I made a lot of mistakes early in my swimming career and when I look back sometimes, I say to myself that I wish I would have done this, or I wish I would have done that. There are some kids here that are really serious about swimming but there are also a lot that are just having a good time.”

Lezak won eight medals, including four gold medals in his career that saw him compete in the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic games. He also owns long-course world records in the 400-meter freestyle and medley relays. He may be known more than anything for his role in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where in the final 25 meters of the 4-by-100 relay race he came from behind France’s Alain Bernard to win the race for the United States and give teammate Michael Phelps his record-breaking eighth gold medal in one Olympic games.


Dylan Powell, who lives in Vallejo and swam at Diablo Valley College, was 12 when Lezak starred in the 2008 games. On Thursday the 19-year-old Powell was thrilled to finally meet his idol.

“I remember watching his amazing, perfect swim in 2008 and it was like a dream finally coming true to finally meet him,” Powell said. “When I walked on deck I thought I was going to pass out. I was like, ‘Here is the guy. Here is the guy I’ve looked up to and he’s seven feet in front of me.’ So it felt great to finally shake his hand.”

Powell would be part of one of Lezak’s demonstrations in the pool as the Olympian discussed how to perform a perfect streamline. A streamline form is used at the start of a race to help create the least amount of resistance to help the swimmer propel as far as they can.

Powell and Lezak had a competition to see who could streamline the furthest. The crowd of swimmers cheered as Powell matched Lezak’s distance.

“I was just honored to be in (Lezak’s) presence,” Powell said. “I was extremely nervous and just wanted to make sure I didn’t slip on the block and do a complete belly-flop into the pool. I just focused on doing my dive right so I could make him proud.”


Vallejo’s Charity Donato, 11, was also thrilled to meet Lezak.

“He was really inspiring and he talked a lot about the Olympics,” Donato said. “I was really happy to meet him and it was cool to be wearing the actual gold medal he won when I had my picture taken with him. I had a bag, a swim cap and a shirt autographed by him.”

The 39-year-old Lezak said the decision to retire in 2013 was not a difficult one.

“The number one thing is my body felt ready to be done,” Lezak said, with a laugh. “Although, since I retired it’s nice because I get to do things like this a lot more often. Sometimes when I was training I wasn’t able to help kids at clinics like this as much as I wanted.”

Lezak also stressed that the most important thing to do while swimming was to have a good time.

“For a lot of the young kids they are here just to have fun,” Lezak said. “At the same time I see some of these young kids and you can see the look in their face and it’s the same one I had. The main focus is to try and keep this about being fun.”

 Olympic gold medalist Jason Lezak, facing, center, talks about ‘streamlining’ while visiting a Vallejo Aquatics Club practice last week at Cunningham Pool in Vallejo. MIKE JORY — VALLEJO TIMES-HERALD

MIKE JORY — VALLEJO TIMES-HERALD Retired Olympic swimmer Jason Lezak signs the back of a Vallejo Aquatics Club member during a visit to Cunningham Pool last week.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's Farewell to Roar

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's Farewell to Roar - An All Day Party!




ROAR is closing for good and we're having a goodbye party to honor this wooden coaster classic.
On Sunday, August 16 in celebration of National Roller Coaster Day, visit the park and ride ROAR one last time!
As a special treat, we're having an All-Day Farewell Party in the area between ROAR and Superman Ultimate Flight from noon to 6 p.m. Here, you can enjoy music, purchase delicious BBQ and be eligible for prize giveaways throughout the day.As part of the party, and be on hand to sample Coke Zero! And of course, you'll also want to ride ROAR now thru Aug 16th!

Season Pass holders, be sure to ride Roar during a special Exclusive Ride Time on Saturday and Sunday, August 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Just flash your Season Pass to ride!


Roar is closing to make room for future expansion. The ride opened in May 1999 and since that time, more than 11 million guests have experienced and enjoyed Roar. Thank you to all of Roar's fans for giving it a good run!

Habit #4: Take Care of Your Body - Day #7

Your body is simply the vehicle for experience – and as we all know how important it is to maintain our cars, bicycles or other mechanical vehicles, the analogy can be extended to caring for your biological vehicle. Keeping your body in top physical/physiological form will assist you in growing through the grieving process.
Take control of your physical well-being by doing what you can every day: eat regular meals, full of nutritious foods; and limit junk food.
Get enough sleep, even if that means taking naps during the day – but beware of too much sleep. Sinking into the sofa to sleep the day away is a sure sign of depression.
Watch out for “creeping addictions”: alcohol and drugs (illicit or prescribed; even over-the-counter medications) will only delay grieving, and make it a more difficult process all together.
Exercise regularly. Even just a walk around the block, on a regular basis, can help to restore your mental and physical well-being.

Quotation for the Day

"Pain (any pain--emotional, physical, and mental) has a message. The information it has about our life can be remarkably specific, but it usually falls into one of two categories: 'We would be more alive if we did more of this,' and, 'Life would be more lovely if we did less of that.' Once we get the pain's message, and follow its advice, the pain goes away." ~Peter McWilliams

Habit #3: Relieve Your Anger - Day #6

When I was growing up, I was taught that anger wasn’t “ladylike”, and as I watched my mother swallow her anger with every sip of vodka she took, I knew that way of living was self-destructive.


As you work toward restoring your life after loss, recognize the power of anger for self-destruction – and harness it for growth instead. How? By recognizing that it’s okay to be angry – it’s a healthy human emotion that (when accepted and expressed) enables you to heal. Deal with it in constructive ways – discharging its energy in the following ways.

Quotation for the Day

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."~ Reinhold Niebuhr

Habit #2: Be Positive - Day #5

I know that “being positive” feels almost like an impossibility – and I’m sure you’re wondering how you can possibly do that when you are grieving deeply.


However, as we plan our daily activities, even the simplest one, it’s possible to put a more desirable, or “positive”, spin. That brighter outlook, that positivity expands in a positive direction – leading more swiftly to increased joy and recovery from loss.

Quotation for the Day
"What happened yesterday is history. What happens tomorrow is a mystery. What we do today makes a difference - the precious present moment." ~ Nick Saban

Habit #1: Be Kind to Yourself - Day #4

The first of the habits we’re going to cultivate is often ‘easier said than done’.


Be Kind to Your Self

Many things keep you stuck in a place I like to call “self-bashing”. While you’re grieving the feelings of guilt and anger are especially powerful – they can send you into a tail-spin of blame and self-criticism. The physical effects of grief, such as sleeplessness, lack of hunger, and depression can bring you into that dark place too, where you feel it’s appropriate to be less than kind to your Self.

Quotation for the Day

"Self-care means honoring and respecting the miraculous being that you are. Self-care means learning to listen with the ear of a dedicated mother to your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and then taking full responsibility for getting them met. Self-care means taking 100% responsibility for creating an environment that nurtures your physical, emotional and spiritual selves." ~ Carl Benedict

Habits for Good Health during This Time - Day #3

There are many things you can do to make your grieving harder. Not acknowledging the facts, not getting enough sleep, not eating well…not crying when you need to.

But what can you do to make it easier? In this, and the next 5 messages, I’m going to be asking you to do those things that I label “self-care” activities, and journaling as you do so. You’re going to be making these activities into habits – things you do without thinking, like breathing

What are the activities comprising “self-care”?
1. Be Kind to Yourself

2. Be Positive

3. Relieve Your Anger

4. Take Care of Your Body

5. Record Your Thoughts as You Recover


You’re already doing number 5 – or at least I hope you are! I’d like you to carry your journal (or a mini-journal/notebook) with you when you go out. So many places will trigger memories that your journal will become your best ally in the coming months.
Activity
Why not start by thinking and writing about self-care? What does it mean to you? Can you see your own worthiness – and the importance of nurturing your Self while you grieve?
Suffering a loss is traumatic and often renders us “speechless”; lost in emotions. Take just five minutes today, if that’s all you can manage, and write a sentence or two about how you’re feeling, and how you’d like to feel.

Quotation for the Day
"I define comfort as self-acceptance. When we finally learn that self-care begins and ends with ourselves, we no longer demand sustenance and happiness from others." ~Jennifer Louden ed