Showing Their Medal

It is the ultimate symbol of Olympic achievement - the lifelong culmination of personal sacrifice, sweat and tears. Athletes dedicate their entire lives to the quest for one, yet for most, the dream is never realized. The object they seek hangs by a silk ribbon and is no larger than the palm of your hand. It is an Olympic medal.

Each Olympiad, America's most elite athletes stand on the medal podium and accept this eternal token of success. But what goes through the minds of these select few when they feel the weight of the medal around their necks? What do athletes do with their crown jewel after the national anthems fade and the Closing Ceremony comes to an end? Olympic Beat caught up with several Team USA athletes to hear the story of their Olympic hardware.

Merrill Moses
Water Polo

It had been 20 years since the U.S. Men's Water Polo team had reached a medal podium, and quite honestly, nobody expected the 2008 team to fare any different. But after monumental upsets of Italy, Croatia, Germany and Serbia, Team USA shocked the world by bringing home the silver medal.

What was your first feeling when the medal was put around your neck?
"People always say, ‘Winning a gold or bronze means you finished on a win - a good note. But silver, that means you were in that final game, a gold medal was a possibility.' My teammates and I had just finished losing that gold medal match, so it was hard to enjoy right away. But right now, it feels a lot better."

Where is your medal right now?
"I actually have it with me right now. Because of the funding situation with USA Water Polo, we had host families in the Thousand Oaks, Calif., area where we train. My host family owns Willie's Smokehouse BBQ and Grill, so I'm driving there right now to show all of the people that helped support me and the team."

Are you driving extra careful with the medal?
(Laughing) "I always drive safe."

How do people react when you show them your medal?
"I have gone to a couple BBQ parties with it, people love to see it and take pictures with it. A lot of people never get to touch one in their lifetime. The first thing they usually say is, ‘Wow this is really heavy!'"

What are your long-term plans for your medal?
"Some people opt to put in a social security box, but for the water polo team, this is our first medal in 20 years - that's something I want to see every day. It's going into a double-sided frame with the Olympic Scroll and then somewhere in my house for the rest of my life."

What will you tell people when they see your medal on display?
"This is when we shocked the world at the Olympic Games."

Deontay Wilder
Boxing

During the Beijing Games that garnered few bright moments for the U.S. Boxing team, Deontay Wilder was radiant in his Olympic debut. Fighting for his country and daughter, who suffers from spina bifida, Wilder's bronze medal performance showed dedication and heart can overcome many of life's toughest obstacles.

What was your first feeling when the medal was put around your neck?
"The first thing I thought was, ‘I did it.' It was a big accomplishment for me because I had a lot of people saying I didn't have enough experience. Just to medal was amazing. It felt great to stand on the podium and see my flag being raised - to be one of the medalists in front of the entire world - it was tremendous feeling for me."

How did you travel with your medal back to the United States?
"I wanted to leave China in style, so I put on a suit and wore my medal the whole time. I knew if it was on my neck it would be safe with me - I was protecting it. When people saw me walking through the airport with it on, their eyes got so big. Some people that knew who I was were saying, ‘Mr. Wilder! Mr. Wilder! Congratulations!' Everyone was so excited. Other people thought I was an NBA player because I'm 6'7". People were letting me cut in line and I didn't have to wait to get through security, even when I set the metal detector off."

What did you do with your medal when you made it home?
"I got back home around midnight. The next day I woke up and talked to my little girl; she was the first individual I saw. The first thing she did was scream real loud, then she said, ‘I want to go to Chucky Cheese!' (Laughing) I had told her I would take her there when I got home from Beijing. When I showed her the medal she said, ‘Oooooohh Olympics!' Now every time she sees it she says, ‘Olympics! Daddy boxed in the Olympics!'"

How do people react when they see your medal?
"People are still so excited. The Olympics have been over for a few weeks, but everyone wants to see a medal because nobody has ever seen a medal and may never get to see one. I get these star-struck looks when I'm shaking hands and hugging people. I have elderly women asking me to kiss them on their cheeks, people always start hollering. I don't really feel famous, but I guess maybe I am now."

Have you taken your medal out in public?
"I've taken it to a lot speaking engagements. Everyone wants me to talk to the kids. They hear me say I did it and one day, with hard work and dedication, they can get there too. When the kids see the medal their eyes light up. Even the older people say I inspire them a little bit too. That's a great feeling."

What does the medal mean to you?
"It represents pride, loyalty, dedication, sacrifice - most of all, joy. I can finally be at peace with myself and my career as an amateur. The medal will never get old to me. I'll never get tired of seeing it. Even after I've rubbed it 500 times and looked at every little design, I'll never get tired of it."

Corey Cogdell
Shooting

She wasn't even expecting to make the 2008 Olympic Team - let alone win an Olympic bronze medal - but her first taste of Olympic glory has left the 22-year-old trap shooter from Alaska licking her chops for 2012.

What was your first feeling when the medal was put around your neck?
"Your life kind of flashes before your eyes a little bit. You think about all of the stuff you went through to get there - all the people that have helped you, all of the struggles that you've had. That was definitely something I was thinking about as it was being placed around my neck. Just how grateful I was for it to come so soon and it motivated me for 2012 at the same time. Any competitor, unless you're standing on that medal stand with the gold, you definitely want more."

What did you do with your medal the first day you had it?
"I wore it pretty much until I went to bed that night. I remember putting it in my little dresser drawer next to my bed and then waking up in the middle of the night; the first thing I did was open my drawer and make sure it was still there. I had to make sure it was all real and it wasn't just a dream."

How did you travel with your medal back to the United States?
"It was with me the whole time. There was a bunch of us on the plane that were all wearing them and sort of celebrating. We were all comparing medals and stories and everything, it was really fun. Also, when I flew to Chicago for the ‘Oprah' show, one of the security guys said he needed to hand-check my purse. There wasn't anything in my purse that would have needed to be hand-checked, but he went right to the bottom of my bag, pulled out the little bag my medal was in, and took the medal out just to look at it. (Laughing) I was like, ‘What the heck is going on? This isn't fair!'"

Where is your medal right now?
"It is in my nightstand, in its case locked up."

You don't sleep too far away from it, do you?
"No, no. Throughout my day I'll open the drawer and make sure it's still there. I'll take it out and play with it (Laughing)."

What do you think you'll say about this medal in 10 years?
"Hopefully I'll be saying that this was my first medal and that it was a really good place to start. I'm hoping there will be many more to follow it."

Katie Smith
Basketball

One might imagine that after winning three straight Olympic gold medals, the thrill of standing on the medal podium could become a bit jaded. For Detroit Shock forward Katie Smith, however, the feeling just keeps getting better with time.

What was your first feeling when the medal was put around your neck?
"We did it. We had obviously been training for a while and we all knew what we wanted to get done. It is a sense of realizing that it's a done deal. You always have goals and there are things like injuries, bad luck, or this or that. But to overcome it all and know that you were able to do it."

What did you do with your medal when you returned home?
"I brought it to a Detroit Shock home game. They wanted to make a presentation and announcement; it was fun to show everyone. One day after practice they had a ‘Come Get a Picture with Katie and Her Medal Day' for employees at The Palace. It's fun to share with people and let them see and touch it because after a while you're not going to be carrying it around with you everywhere."

What did your Detroit Shock teammates say about the medal?
"I showed it to them when I got back. They all wanted to see it and take a peek at it. We e-mailed back and forth during the Games and they kept telling me, ‘Bring home the gold!' We have a lot of pride when we play overseas. They wanted to make sure we took care of business and represented. I have great teammates and I missed them a lot. I knew they were watching and keeping tabs. They took a peek at the medal, but right after that we got back to business and focused on winning the championship at home."

How do fans react when they see your medal?
"They're pretty geeked up. It's usually the first time they get to touch a medal. I let them touch it and put it on - even the stewardess on the flight home. I let them wear it and show the pilot. I mean, he's flying us home, keeping us safe. Why not let him take a peek? Everyone is excited to share in it and see one. When you think about it, it's pretty rare. People are like, ‘Oh my gosh it's a gold medal!' It is really fun to share and give them something memorable."

How is winning an Olympic medal different for you than winning a WNBA title?
"They are different and they are both challenging. They both have their luster. Obviously with the Olympic gold, you are representing your country and able to say you're the best in the world with your whole country cheering for you, and other countries cheering against you. It's very special. We take a lot of pride representing our country."

What is your favorite memory from the three medals?
"For some time I actually thought I had thrown my first medal away. I was moving from my apartment to another home and hid it in a sock during transportation from one place to the other. When you're moving you throw some stuff out, but after I got situated I couldn't find my medal. I was in and out and up and down and just could not find it. I had concluded I lost it. Almost a year later I was cleaning things, and all of the sudden there it was between two folded shirts. I was like ‘Oh my gosh!' I really thought I had thrown out my first medal. The feeling of finding it was right up there with getting the medal in the first place. What's a better story, how you won it, or how you lost it? I was so relieved when I found it. Now they sit out so everybody can see them."

Alicia Sacramone
Gymnastics

While most college students are worrying about mid-terms and weekend plans, Alicia Sacramone, a Brown University student, and her silver medal are in high demand from coast to coast.

What was your first feeling when the silver medal was put around your neck?
"I felt like I was dreaming. I was waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up. It was such a huge honor to compete - never mind medal."

Where did you keep the medal the first night, and for the rest of your stay in Beijing?
"I hid it with my socks! I was paranoid about someone trying to steal it when we weren't in our apartment."

What public appearances have you and your medal made?
"I was lucky enough to attend the beginning of New York's Fashion Week! I was a guest at number of shows, but my favorite was the BCBG where ‘Access Hollywood' followed me around and documented my first fashion show. I also went to LA and appeared on the ‘Best Damn Sports Show' and the ‘Bonnie Hunt Show.' I've also been doing appearances for my sponsors."

How did the celebrities react to your medal?
"They were in complete shock. For most of them, it was the first time they had ever seen an Olympic medal. A lot of them wanted to hold it or try it on for a picture."

What about your friends? How do they react they see your medal?
"My friends just want to wear it! (Laughing) They are so funny; they start acting like little kids."

What do you plan on doing with the medal in the future?
"I plan on having it on display at my parents' house."

What does the medal represent to you?
"It represents all the years I put into my gymnastics career - all the blood, tears and fears I've overcome to get to where I am today."