Chris Witty, Olympic Gold Winner Presents at Next Director's Colloquium

In training for the 2002 Olympics and her quest for a gold medal, Chris Witty endured many challenges, including mononucleosis a month before the race. Some said her dream of a gold medal would not be realized. Under no pressure to win, taking one day at a time, she eyed her best event, the 1000 meter with conservative optimism. Despite these odds, Chris skated at Salt Lake City in 2002 and won a gold medal in the 1000-meter race, finishing at 1:13:83 - a new world record.

To what does Chris attribute her success? Join us at this special colloquium to learn of Chris' journey to the gold and how a NASA-led technology transfer effort helped give her, and the U.S. speed skating team, a competitive edge at the Salt Lake City Games. This transfer effort involved a team of commercial technology experts from NASA Goddard, a former NASA inventor, and a key representative from the U.S. Speed Skating Federation. Working together, a new polishing device was created that gave the U.S. athletes' skates a 15% improvement in glide, along with superior grip.

Finn Halvorsen, U.S. Speed Skating's Long-Track Program Director, will discuss his experience in working with Goddard to find inventions to address some of speed skating's technical challenges. The inventor, Jim Lyons, will add his unique perspective on the development and application of this skate-polishing device.

This event will be Friday, April 5 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in building 3 auditorium.