5 minute read
Giving Their All - South Carolina Olympic Athletes
Giving Their All
South Carolina agencies share connections with Olympic athletes
Training Grounds
By: Gina Ellis-Strother, Chief Administrative Officer, Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission
As Olympic hopefuls set their sights on competing in the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan this summer, their focus remains on maximizing their training regimen in pursuit of gold. Part of that regimen involves having the right facility to train. Charleston County Park’s SK8 Charleston skatepark was chosen as the Olympic training ground for a 14year old female skateboarder named Bombette Martin. Bombette, who has been skateboarding since she was 9-years old, had traveled all over the country visiting skateparks before she and her family chose SK8 Charleston to train for the Olympics. “There is so much you can do at SK8 Charleston, you can’t go wrong,” Bombette said. “I’ve been to world class skate parks, all over the world, and this is world class. Honestly, you don’t have many of these on the East Coast. This is great.” The skatepark opened in 2017, and features a 200-foot-long snake run, 315-foot-long street course, a sevenfoot-deep intermediate bowl and a 11.5-foot-deep pro bowl. Bombette is currently practicing on the intermediate bowl as part of her 25 hours per week training regimen while being home schooled. Although there are not as many female skaters in the sport, the U.S. competition is strong. Since she has dual-citizenship from the United States and Great Britain because her Dad was born there, she made the decision to pursue the Great Britain team as a strategy to qualify for the Olympics. Her coach based in Great Britain contacts her regularly to discuss the skateboard videos she sends, complimenting her on all the progress while also pushing her to keep perfecting her tricks. Bombette currently ranks 43 in top female skateboarders in the world and through various competitions needs to rank in the top 20. “Bombette is an incredibly talented skater,” SK8 Charleston manager Josh McFadden added. “It has been awesome to have her out at the park and to see her ride. We have a great deal of female skaters regularly coming out to SK8 Charleston. This is probably our fastest growing population and many of these girls shred.” When the sport of skateboarding officially debuts in the 2021 Summer Olympics, Bombette hopes to make her debut appearance as well. Her parents and brother (who also skateboards) believe that Bombette’s desire to compete in the Olympics is a dream shared by the whole family and they are committed to doing their part to making that become a reality.
Giving Back Gold
By: Mallory Holmes, Special Events Coordinator, City of Myrtle Beach
Amber Campbell-Moore can be seen all over the City of Myrtle Beach sporting a blue USA zip-up jacket. From a distance, one may think she’s simply patriotic but those that know her recognize the jacket as a symbol of her accomplishments in life. Amber is a Research and Development Analyst for the City of Myrtle Beach where she is currently working on developing new financial software for the city. Her job prior to the city was a little more “hands on”. Amber competed in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, London 2012 Olympic Games, and Rio 2016 Olympic Games in track and field and her event was the Hammer Throw. Amber began working towards becoming an Olympian while attending Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. Amber was introduced to throwing the hammer her freshman year at CCU, and quickly began having success with it. At the conclusion of that season, she made a plan to be able to compete in the 2004 Olympic games. Life presented some ups and downs during her colligate career, but ultimately she qualified for the 2004 US Olympic Trials where she placed third but didn’t make the team. The mark needed to make the team was less than a foot away from her throw. The next year, she came back to qualify for her first World Championship Team and subsequently qualified for four more before she retried (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015). She qualified for her first Olympic Team at the 2008 US Team Trials where she placed second. That was the true start of her Olympic career. Amber collected so many special moments through her years of competing, but a few stand out. One of those moments is the feeling she had when walking out onto the field. She described it in one word: overwhelming. In the 2008 Games, USA had the opportunity to go on the field and do a walk-through of the competition facility before the games started. The moment she stepped foot on the field, tears filled her eyes. That’s the moment it all felt real. Another favorite memory was seeing her parents and family in the stands at EVERY SINGLE Olympic Games event. Amber’s family has been the biggest mentors and support system; they are very tight knit. She’s the youngest of four and has three older brothers so between them and her parents, she’s had great people pushing her. They’ve been her support, help, inspiration, or that swift kick in the butt when needed. They’ve always been right there. Amber took a job at the City of Myrtle Beach in 2017 after retiring from her athletic career. She always wanted to give back to the city that had supported her so much, and when the opportunity presented itself, she jumped at the chance. She’s not sure if being an Olympic athlete changed her life as much as it has been a continuing influence in her life. To this day, she can lean on the work ethic she learned, or the relationships she formed from her time as an athlete. It gives her the opportunity to encourage others to follow their hearts and their dreams even if the path seems unconventional. Since Amber’s retirement, she is currently taking a mental break but feels confident that she’ll be involved in the sport again one day.
