(Sunday, September 17)

I remember where I was when Martin Luther was shot. I remember where I was when Canada beat the Russian's in 72. I remember where I was when Alex Bauman won his 84 Gold Medal in swimming and likewise for Ben in 88 and Donavan in 96. But I was some place else. Today, Sept 17th (in Australia), I was there. Live. Close enough to see the sweat and sense the fear.

Unless you have been at the cottage on the most remote part of Canada where electricity doesn't exist, you now know that Simon Whitfield is the first ever Olympic Triathlon Gold Medallist. You will also know that Simon won Canada's first medal at these Olympic Games. No words properly describe the surreal day we had to day.

Its currently 4:25 am, Monday the 18th in Sydney. I got up some 22.5 hours ago to start this odyssey and I have decided that I will stay up until the complete 24 hours pass. The beauty and uniqueness of this day want me to keep it going. I am afraid if I close my eyes I will wake up and the dream will be gone. Imagine your most unbelievable fantasy and that pretty much occurred for me today. For Simon's personal privacy there are parts of the last 24 hours that will be left out. I will touch on the key issues so that you can understand the last day of Simon, myself, and his entire group of family and friends.

But first, lets go back to yesterday.

The girls gave it all they had and you can't ask anymore than that. There are days that the wind is in your back and that gets balanced out with the days its in your face. If you ever add up the score card mid way through, you might get the impression that the world is against you. Sharon's courage was fantastic and few people within our sport family will ever forget the effort she put in. She won more then a medal by showing that she has the courage to give everything she has (when the outcome is not guaranteed). Isabelle's day will stay with her for life. Never the girl who was considered Canada's best shot at a medal, it is ironic that Issy is the first Canadian over the line. She is happy with her race - her experience and her life right now. Her mom got in the day before our race and together with her brother and husband Ian, they will travel and take full advantage of the village and these 2000 Olympic Games. Carol obviously didn't return her library card when she was 9 and is now being punished for it.

Following the race we were whisked off to the CBC where Brian Williams interviewed the girls live. Sharon's husband Dave was there, as was Ian and myself. The offices just across the famous Opera Bridge have allowed the girls to do work with Brian, as well as CBC French Sports Channel, and French/English Radio. Two and a half hours of interview from radio to TV to French to English. Isabelle is perfect in both french/english, and Sharon is outstanding in both as well.

From CBC we drive immediately to the main press center (MPC). It is 2x as large as the Skydome and has every newspaper or magazine in the world working in their building). There is over 20 000 media at these games (print/electronic/TV/radio). That works out to 1.3 media per athlete (you can appreciate why there is so many stories about the Games).

I finally get back to the Athlete Village at 7:20pm. Simon is waiting for me as I have his bag with all his equipment (that had to be checked in at the ITU) office. I also have his new Speedo bathing suit. The suit only got to us the day before and we had to have his name branded on the bum of his suit. He tries the suit on and while it is quite tight, "it just looks cool" is Simon's reason for wanting to wear a brand new, never before worn outfit. Hey this is the Olympic Games with 3.5 billion people watching the events, I can appreciate him looking for something appealing.

I head over to the Team Leaders Office to work on yesterday's column (column 9) that I only did part of yesterday. Lady luck has to be partially on your side to do well and Sharon and Carol did not get the luck they needed. It will be a real tragedy if Carol Montgomery is not able to race the 10 000m next week. She is a brilliantly talented woman who legitimately could be the 2000 Olympic medallist today (if not for a bike crash). The media want information and Carol is better then I expect her to be with her significant setback. I was so tired (as you saw in yesterday's diary, that I just had to give up and go to bed). It was time to focus energy on Simon.

Race day (this morning) Sept 17th in Auzzie, came early (6 am). With Isabelle staying offsite with Ian, and Sharon not in the Village yet, I spent last night in their room. Before turning in for his last night before becoming Olympic Champ Simon borrowed my cellular and called a few old buddies and his gal Malika before he packed it in early. I hear Simon get up and within 20 minutes we are both over to breakfast at the main dinning hall. Simon sat with Derek Porter the Olympic Rowing God from Victoria who has become a good pal and Derek gives Simon some positive energy before we head off. Those triathletes who were staying in the Athlete's Village must take a bus @ 6:45am to a ferry (waiting 5km away) and then the ferry right to the Sydney Opera House steps.

Simon has his Black Nike hat and his headphones on, listening to his "attitude music". Setting the right tone is key for big races. We get over to the location to catch the buses and they are late. Simon sits down on a bench for 5 minutes still listening to his tunes and Stefan Vokovic (the German who was 2nd on this course in the April pre-Olympic Trials Race) sits next to him. The image of the two of them returns to me later in the afternoon when the German is sitting next to him in the post-race press conference.

When the buses arrive a huge rush to get on them occurs. Simon sits back and waits his time. Then another bus shows up. Somehow we end up as the only two athlete/coaches on this big 48 passenger bus (while the bus ahead of us is jammed). It drives us to the Ferry and within minutes we are heading down to the race site via the water ferry. Simon gets on the ferry and immediately turns into Simon the Clown. He grabs Switzerland athlete Reto Hug and puts him in a headlock. I watch the faces of many of the other athletes who can't seem to believe this guy is fooling around on the biggest race day of his life (Simon ain't going to change now). The water ferry makes it down in 20 minutes and as the guys come off the ferry to march onto the Opera House steps - you can feel the energy at the site. Within 20 minutes the stands are filling up and within 1hr (8am) they are basically full. Twenty thousands plus spectators are already in the stands and estimates of 400 000 - 450 000 people are lining the streets. As the athletes are ready to march out and past the grandstands on the way to the swim start, I call out to Simon. "You're an entertainer buddy and today's going to be the biggest opportunity of your life". While many others looked nervous, Simon just gives me that "smirk" and marches past the crowd.

The swim is wavy - but few people separate themselves. Walton did not get away and Simon Lessing is right on his feet. Simon Whitfield had a ready average swim and came out in the 2nd chase pack. He has work to do. I never feel comfortable until the kids get off the bike (particularly after yesterday). After lap one, Simon's pack is still chasing the main group. By lap two he has passed most of his competitors and is essentially in the lead group. I am stoked to see that but don't want to get excited too soon.

The guys were just flying coming under the Opera House Steps and making the hard right-hand turns into the transition zone. When the second chase pack with Aussie Peter Robertson catches Simon's pack, I become very nervous. The guy is renown for awesome running and its clear this race is going to turn into a runners' race. Then the fatal shot. The visual you least want to see. The big live screen in front of the spectators has a 6-9 person pile up and I am positive I see Simon Whitfield in that pact (in fact he was in that pile up). Fortunately for Simon he kept his cool, lifted his bike around some accident guys and rode hard to get into the transition zone. Some 300m from the transition zone he was behind a 2nd accident and almost got taken down again. By this time the Frenchman (Marceau) and Conrad Stotlz from the Republic of South Africa have broken away and are 75 seconds ahead going out onto the run.

This is it. Simon's best weapon (the run) against all the other 10-12 guys who have the ability to challenge. Great Britain's 4x World, Simon Lessing and Andrew Johns. World Champions Damitri Gaag and Pan Am Champion Gilberto Gonsales from Venezuela. The American studs Kemper, Bolton and Nick R are all in good form. Simon is 20 seconds behind the chase pack when he left the transition zone. He is sprinting hard up the outside of many guys because he doesn't want to loose them. Within 2km he is near the front and the crowd is starting to go wild. "If it can't be an Auzzie - make it a Canadian" has been the war cry all week! Whitfield is known here as his dad grew up in Sydney, he came to boarding school here (his dad's) for 3 years and his 96 year old Grandma is also here. Is the Karma flowing for you yet? After lap one is complete the World Champion Olivia Marceau is still 40 second ahead of the chase athletes. They guys are running amazingly fast and I think to myself that most can't keep up that pace. When Whitfield comes past he looks so relaxed (yet running sooooo fast) that I can't believe it. He is in 5th place and moving up. More amazing to, is his "waving to the crowd" to get them all motivated to cheer even louder. His ability to change focus from one task to another is awesome. At 7km he has move up to 4 people. Late in his second lap he pushes past into 3rd. The crowd (at home, and in the stadium) go wild. Still ahead of Whitfield is Jan Rehula from the Czech Republic and German Stefan Vocovic (Vocovic was 2nd here in the pre-Olympic Trials race).

As they are coming down McQuarry Street you know hey are getting closer. I look up at one point and there are 9 helicopters flying over head. Our press attaché person and I speak briefly. We need to plan for the media gang that are going to swamp in 2-3 minutes. As I watch the big screen TV in the stadium, I get this urge to call my dad to share the moment with him.

It takes 60 seconds for the number to call back to Canada and in that short time period Whitfield has made his move. The crowd is going nuts and with Whitfield just hitting the blue carpet my dad answers while watching it on TV. "We did it dad I say" and I immediately breakdown in tears. I can't say anything else and after 30 seconds of letting him hear the crowd I hang up the phone. I wipe away the tears and immediately go into media mode. We have CBC, TSN and other Canadian Rights Holders who want Simon. The main media want him. As do the photographers for still shots, the newspaper people for stories and radio people for "sound-bites". The place is madness and Whitfield is simply soaking it all up. He runs back out to the crowd with his Canadian Flag. I realize in that moment that Simon Whitfield the cool kid with a heart as big as gold, is never going to be the same again. His life will be forever changed. The first ever Olympic Gold Medallist. Canada's first medallist of the 21st century. After some disappointments the previous day, it's pure magic. Simon dances in the infield, goes over to hug Lance Watson the man that has helped make this all happen for Simon and then goes to his bike to kiss his seat. Lady Luck was on his side today and Simon knows it.

Somehow I sneak past some major - major security guys to get 10m from the podium in the middle of the infield. I was down on my knees so as not to be too obvious to the security. As the "marching in" music begins and the three medallists march past the grandstand, I have goose bumps and start feeling like I am in a dream. Simon plays the crowd all the way down the grandstand, even throwing in a few little "make a bicep" poses. He is classic for pretending his has big muscles (when in fact he is a lean - slender man). The crowd is going nuts (much louder then yesterday's women's crowd and that was huge). Simon takes his place on the top of the podium, like it was designed for his feet. Our little Kids of Steel, lose his jacket dude, is Canada's first Gold Medal Olympian of the 21st century. As the National Anthem is about to begin I start to lose it. I am stuck in the middle of 20 000 people and I don't want to be there any longer. The combination of fatigue, stress, and emotion have caught up with me. My mind goes to the people who are not here (Mark Bates, Dan Murray, Lach Vollmerhouse). It goes to the hundreds of people who have either personally helped me or Simon over the years. For brief split seconds images of many of you rush through my head. My mind goes to my amazing wife and family who have put up with 100 missed suppers and celebrations that had to be missed or changed. I cry tears that have only come out of my body when my best friend John was killed in a car crash 2 weeks before we graduated University. Someone CBC host, Terri-Libel sees me, gives me a hug and I can't stop. One of the cameras pick up on it and I can't get away from them. The Canadian National Anthem and the raising of the Maple Leaf occur and Simon looks so sweet on top of that podium. Like it was meant for him. So many things went right for him (and wrong for Sharon and Carol). No question in my mind that Simon was destined to win. A former team-mate of Simon's emailed me 4 days ago of a dream he had of Simon winning the Olympics. He said it was unbelievably clear. Whitfield loses it in the National Anthem and buries his head into his flowers and medal for half of it. The emotion he is feeling is real and this is one of the most surreal things I have ever seen. Our little Canadian buddy, on top of the podium, with our national anthem playing in front of a crowd of 400 000+ as Canadian I.O.C. Vice-president Dick Pound hands him his medal. A sport that Canadian Les McDonald helped build and take to the Games. As the Anthem ends, Simon poses for pictures and then heads to the sidelines to give Linda, Geoff, Kate (his sister), his gal Malka, and Ontario triathletes Jasper Blake and Stefan Timms. The crowd doesn't want to go and they are chanting "SIMON - SIMON - SIMON". We all dream about these things (I do). But today I got to see it with my own eyes.

From here things get real twisted. We are rushed off to a press conference with the top 3 Olympic Medallists. Over 50 press are there immediately for quick questions. Simon is so at home with the media work that is required and he answers the many questions like it was a morning game at the kitchen table. From there we are rushed to doping control where Simon has to do a urine test. As we march up stairs to the doping room, we go through a cafeteria and immediately they all start clapping and cheering.

This boy's life ain't going to be the same. We go into the drug testing lab and Miles Stewart and some of the other medallists are there. Simon is still on clown nine and the old clown side comes out as we sit down to drug test. We decide he wants a gold medal for peeing also, and he is the first to produce the 75ml of urine that is required. Hand under the tap and voila, he is out of drug testing, back out onto the Opera House steps and the crowd is going nuts again. They won't go home (yet its 2 hours after his race is done). Many of his pals from Kingston and his boarding school pals from Sydney are all there waiting for a hug and a smile. We are now on tight deadlines for various media and the rest of the day just accelerates. TSN, CNN, Sports Illustrated, MacLeans, etc. Lance Watson and I are both inundated as the press are trying to soak us for anything we can tell them about Simon.

CBC has two vans lined up and 10 minutes later Simon's family, Jasper, Lance, Malkia and myself are doing the same trip to CBC that I made with the girls the day before. We get to CBC offices and are rushed up stairs. Simon does two radio responses for CBC French/English then goes upstairs for CBC French TV. Finally the big show. Brian Williams has Simon and his mom and dad into his studio to be on the 11 O'clock news across Canada. The man is an instant hit. He photographs well, is bright, articulate and he is an Olympic Gold Medal in the Olympics newest sport. Can you say POSTER CHILD. While many of the other countries are disappointed in their own Performances, without hesitation they are stoked for our Simon. A real tribute to he as a person.

I am in the studio with Linda's little camera taking pictures of the Whitfield's, on their stools, chatting with Brian Williams while the live feed from Sydney is beaming back to Canadian houses at 11pm sharp. All the Whitfield's respond well and Brian has a little surprise for Simon. The Prime Minister is on the phone to congratulate Simon. How cool is that. When he comes on, I am positive in my mind that it is a skit and its some faking the PM's voice. Simon is stoked to chat to him and after the interview ends Simon gets a picture in Brian William's chair flanked by his mom, dad and Brian Williams. This is a day he will never forget.

We leave CBC and go to the main Press Center where 100 print media are waiting for him. 45 minutes later, many questions and still shots we go on live at TSN. The entire gang there are pumped up and everyone what's his autograph. Simon is tiring and a Canada party is planned at Canada Olympic Place (at McQuarry University for 8pm). Jazzie, Malkia and Simon's parents are going to meet the traveling caravan of myself, Lance Watson, and our media attaché dude named Yan. Our driver is stoked to be driving an Olympic Champion around for a press junket and he poses with Simon for a shot with his medal. We get back in the village, rush through 5 minute showers and head back to the waiting car. We are all incredibly hungry haven not eaten for a dozen hours and run into the Main Dinning Hall to grab something on the run. The only thing that is to go are McDonald Burgers and we throw 8-10 of them in a bag and the Olympic Champions first meal is a McDonald's burger to go. Maybe this could be Simon's first corporate sponsor from these Olympic Games I think. As we get to Canada Olympic House, we pull a bottle of Champagne out that has been reserved for Simon. He wanted to open it with his family and friends all together. Our team Chef de Mission for these Olympic Games, Diane Jones is waiting for us outside and she gives Simon a huge hug. Diane's job is to get the most out of the 309 Olympic Athletes and Simon just made her job a lot easier getting the medal haul started (and a gold one at that). As we march inside 200+ Canadians are waiting for a big cheer. SIMON - SIMON - SIMON. They sing Oh Canada out loud like young school children and as this is going on I spot my lovely wife. Caron and I have not spoken since early in the morning and she looks so awesome with her big proud smile.

The media have heard about the party and want more SIMON INFO. His parents get hit by 2-3 of them, Lance and I get a few more rounds of questions and then finally time to party. TRICAN President Bill Hallett is there, and he is an emotional wreck, as we all were at different times throughout the day. He has worked tirelessly over the past four years. His first meeting as president of Triathlon Canada was in Welland in 1996 and we took a break at that evening meeting to watch Donavan with the 100m's gold. This is another one of those moments that will be shown over and over and over again.

Our insane day is closing down. I really want to go to bed (I am exhausted) but Simon and the gang want to go to a dance bar that Greg Welch is running for the Olympic Games. Its one of the places to be tonight and we head down. I have a second purpose and that is to find Alain Depreas our other assistant coach. His coaching accreditation pass was suppose to be handed in yesterday and there will be an Olympic Coach who is not going to get to his venue today without it. These passes are limited and my boss Linda lets me know

A) How proud of me she is for Simon's great success B) How she will kick my butt if I don't come home with that pass.

Inside the bar I find my man. Alain gives up his pass and just before I leave to return to the village, Greg Welch calls the new Olympic Triathlon Champion up on stage. All 600 dancers stop and starting cheering SIMON - SIMON - SIMON. There is a new Simon in town!

SUMMARY

This day can never be repeated. Twenty years of my life came together in 24 hours. Simon Whitfield is the architect of his own success. He has picked the people and places he needed at different times of his life to be awesome. He moved to Auzzie and then back. He found the coaches and training partners to get him to his next level. He is going to become a very, very famous young man - and he is one of ours. This is a story that is just going to keep getting better in the future weeks and months ahead. Canada has a new sporting hero and it isn't a hockey player (although his idol is Wayne Gretzky). Good night Canada (actually good morning as its now 7am) and the sun is up on a new day. I'm heading to bed. Smile - we all done some good things. You guys sending your energy and love when it was needed and Simon getting the job done.

Barrie Shepley
Canadian Olympic Triathlon Coach

If you want to send an email to Barrie, use: barrie@personalbest.ca

The official 2000 Sydney site is http://www.olympics.com
The CBC coverage is at http://cbc.ca/olympics/