Author Archives:

By Jess Zutz
 
Our lives are filled with sacrifice.  On a daily basis, we make conscious decisions that impact the future events of our lives; for better or for worse.  We choose to put ourselves before others, to put others before ourselves, and sometimes, when we don’t choose, life just unrolls before us.  But very often, we don’t remember or even take notice of the sacrifices we put forth on the playing field.  As it turns out, We Grew Wings is … Continue reading →

by Jess Zutz
The beginning of this story is actually the end.  There we were, standing in the soft, cool sand on the beach at Seaside, Oregon.  Above, fiery bursts of blue, red, green, and white drew cheers and hoots from the raucous crowd.  The moral of the story?  The moral of our story, today, is the power of the public.  The power that a few positive voices can have on performance, morale, and one’s overall sense of self.
 
This scene came … Continue reading →

In London for the games. The city is showing it’s history as well as it’s willingness to take center stage to host this amazing event. And they are doing it right. If you are a track and field fan (sorry, I mean athletics), you would be in heaven. A crowd that appreciates each athlete, TV that shows the entire meet without commercial interruptions and uses Michael Johnson as the commentator. Brilliant.
On the women’s side, contrasting the apparel alone and you … Continue reading →

 
by Jess Zutz
1985 was a good year.  For somewhat obvious reasons, the year holds a special place in the hearts and minds of those connected to We Grew Wings.  It is the year when our Track Women of Oregon won the program’s lone outdoor national championship “in a different way,” as Leann Warren put it.  It marked a time when the figurative ball that the pioneers of the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s began rolling reached such epic size that it … Continue reading →

By Sam Baker
 
Bowerman – build•er•man
 
“The only step you need to lead is the one across the finish line.” ~ Bill Bowerman
 
As I watched runners of all ages gather to race around Nike’s world headquarters for the Bowerman 5k last night, I momentarily flashed back in time about thirty years. My bedroom was in the kitchen of our tiny apartment until I was eleven years old, but my mother never taught us that we had less. Instead she said that my … Continue reading →

By Jess Zutz
It became a familiar scene.  For a solid week before she set foot on Eugene terra firma during the 2012 US Track and Field Olympic Trials, a string of “Claudette the Jet” fans came to the booth anxiously anticipating her arrival.  “Is Claudette here yet?” “Claudette and I have been friends for a long time- tell her I stopped by!”  “Claudette Groenendaal, I remember her!”
 
But as the week wore on, the full story began to materialize.
 
Steve Ritchie of … Continue reading →

by Sam Baker
 
This is Portland, the City of Roses,
Where runners’ feet pound streets like poems pound proses.
 
Home of the Swoosh, and a few shoes that chase,
When races run thru, it’s Red Lizards that pace.
 
Athena has a team here that embodies her might,
Where women run as one, and as one they take flight.
 
The fittest city in the states, and a river runs through it,
When it comes to running, we love to just do it.
 
North, South, East, and West, all quadrants we … Continue reading →

by Jess Zutz
 
Every day, new stories are emerging from the Trials at Hayward Field.  With athletes’ inspiring victories and tremendous failures come throngs of media personnel seeking to capture these stories and share them with the world.  In a matter of seconds, an athlete’s future can be boosted or busted, and their entire competitive outlook will change.  But there is one element of the Hayward experience that never changes.
 
That element is Lynn Cox, one of the track and field world’s … Continue reading →

By Sam Baker
Happy Holliday
 
“I forgot how good it feels to be a Duck,” said Becky Holliday at a We Grew Wings party, after she saw a sneak peak of the highly anticipated film. When Becky set foot on the familiar grounds of Hayward Field, her intentions were clear to her former coach at University of Oregon. Tom Heinonen said that she looked strong and focused, and he was right. She set the bar high for herself early and jumped nearly … Continue reading →