2008 Olympian talks about Beijing
8/4/2008 12:00:00 AM
Aug. 4, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - With the 2008 Olympics set to begin this Friday with the opening ceremonies, GoFrogs.com sat down with former Flyin' Frog Virgil Hodge to talk about her expectations heading into the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Hodge, who was a six-time All-American at TCU, will run for St. Kitts and Nevis and will be doing a weekly journal for GoFrogs.com while in Beijing.
What does it mean to you to know that you will be competing in the Olympics this week?
"It means a whole lot to me. I am so thankful that I can represent my family, my school, my country and myself over in Beijing. I think some people are more excited then I am right now, but that just goes to show what the Olympics are all about. It is a privilege to go to Beijing and represent my country of St. Kitts."
What do you expect in both the 100 and 200 next week?
"I am going in expecting the best. I have trained hard all college season and my goal is to make the finals in both the 100 and 200. At the end of the day, I just want to get as far as possible in the 100 meters and then make the finals of the 200 meters because that is my main goal. Last summer, I made it into the semifinals at the world championships and that is pretty comparable with the level of competition I will see. Overall, I just want to do my best and work hard."
What is your schedule like in Beijing?
"I'm feeling better and rested now, which is nice. I have been working with Coach Anderson the past couple of weeks and I leave tomorrow, so I will have at least 10 days before I start to compete again. Once I get to Beijing I will do a lot of speed work and try and make sure that my body is not too tired because I will have to go through eight rounds of competition."
What is going to be going through your head when you line up in the blocks in Beijing?
"It is the Olympics and I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I am just so excited to get to the track and see the stadium. My heart will probably be beating a little faster and I will just try and visualize my race, which is something I do every time I run. The Olympics are an amazing, spectacular event and I am glad that I get to experience this. It is a great feeling knowing that I can come in and make it into the finals."
What is your families reaction to the Olympics?
"My mom is pretty excited, but she is very humble with it. I'm sure when I am running she is going to be calling all the neighbors and waving her St. Kitts flag. My dad is also very excited, but humble."
Have you had a chance to look back now on your career at TCU?
"Yes, coming here my freshman year I had a lot of expectations on me and I am really glad that I had the chance to be coached by Coach Anderson. TCU gave me a great opportunity to make it to where I am at right now and that probably wouldn't have happened if it weren't for this great program. I am really grateful for all the accolades and honors I received and I think when I am older I will look back and be proud of what I did. I am going to miss school, but now I am going to move on and compete professionally. TCU will always be in my heart because this is where it all began for me."
Any final thoughts before you represent the Flyin' Frogs at the 2008 Olympics?
"I am really going to take with me that I have people that believe in me and my ability back here in Fort Worth. I am glad that I can be a role model for the younger generation here at TCU and hopefully I will be able to make TCU proud in Beijing."
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