Charlie Alterkruse is an Olympian in.. - Park Day School
Charlie Alterkruse is an Olympian in.. - Park Day School
Charlie Alterkruse is an Olympian in.. - Park Day School
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<strong>Charlie</strong> <strong>Alterkruse</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>an</strong> Olympi<strong>an</strong> <strong>in</strong>...<br />
BY Noah Zachary Maier<br />
“I just love be<strong>in</strong>g on or <strong>in</strong> the<br />
water,” <strong>Charlie</strong> Altekruse pers<strong>is</strong>ts. We’re<br />
<strong>in</strong>side a car on a Saturday even<strong>in</strong>g, the<br />
sky <strong>is</strong> golden p<strong>in</strong>k <strong>an</strong>d we’re parked<br />
right next to a basketball court with a<br />
view to S<strong>an</strong> Fr<strong>an</strong>c<strong>is</strong>co. <strong>Charlie</strong> Altekruse<br />
<strong>is</strong> a tall big m<strong>an</strong> with big strong h<strong>an</strong>ds,<br />
brown<strong>is</strong>h eyes <strong>an</strong>d light brown hair.<br />
He’s 53 years old <strong>an</strong>d <strong>is</strong> married to<br />
Barbara B<strong>an</strong>ks with two sons, Benjam<strong>in</strong>,<br />
who’s 10, <strong>an</strong>d Jeremy, who’s almost 4.<br />
He likes to play sports with h<strong>is</strong> children<br />
<strong>an</strong>d goes to lots of museums. He didn’t<br />
exactly know what he w<strong>an</strong>ted to be<br />
when he was a kid but he k<strong>in</strong>d of w<strong>an</strong>ted<br />
to work with different cultures, which he<br />
does now <strong>an</strong>d works with John Maier<br />
(my dad.) <strong>Charlie</strong> played lots of sports<br />
before h<strong>is</strong> expert<strong>is</strong>e; he told me that he<br />
played basketball, baseball, football,<br />
rugby, <strong>an</strong>d soccer, <strong>an</strong>d then he started<br />
h<strong>is</strong> expert<strong>is</strong>e.<br />
<strong>Charlie</strong> beg<strong>an</strong> row<strong>in</strong>g when he<br />
was a freshm<strong>an</strong> <strong>in</strong> high school when he<br />
lived <strong>in</strong> Irel<strong>an</strong>d. “I went to school <strong>in</strong><br />
Irel<strong>an</strong>d <strong>an</strong>d I was on these beautiful<br />
lakes with golden trees<br />
<strong>an</strong>d amaz<strong>in</strong>g castles <strong>an</strong>d it was<br />
parad<strong>is</strong>e,” he said slow<strong>in</strong>g down h<strong>is</strong><br />
words. He was lucky to be <strong>in</strong> a very<br />
good high school that had <strong>an</strong> amaz<strong>in</strong>g<br />
row<strong>in</strong>g team. After that he went to the<br />
junior national row<strong>in</strong>g team <strong>an</strong>d went to<br />
a college that had a good row<strong>in</strong>g team.<br />
After college he got lucky <strong>an</strong>d made it to<br />
the Olympics! “The first two Olympics I<br />
didn’t get very lucky,” he said gr<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />
thoughtfully.<br />
<strong>Charlie</strong> told me he was on the<br />
Olympic team <strong>in</strong> 1980 but then the U.S.<br />
government boycotted <strong>an</strong>d wouldn’t<br />
allow the team to go to the Moscow<br />
Olympics that was part of the Soviet<br />
Union <strong>in</strong> Russia.” I was lucky that I kept<br />
on try<strong>in</strong>g <strong>an</strong>d four years later the<br />
Olympics were <strong>in</strong> Los Angles. I was<br />
supposed to go to the Olympics but at<br />
the last m<strong>in</strong>ute I got sick <strong>an</strong>d couldn’t<br />
go,” <strong>Charlie</strong> says shak<strong>in</strong>g h<strong>is</strong> head sadly.<br />
That was <strong>Charlie</strong>’s second time m<strong>is</strong>s<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Olympics but then he remembered,<br />
“Three times lucky.” <strong>Charlie</strong> stayed<br />
around for the 1988 Olympics <strong>in</strong> Seoul<br />
<strong>in</strong> Korea <strong>an</strong>d f<strong>in</strong>ally went to the<br />
Olympics. “It was wonderful <strong>an</strong>d for just<br />
the joy of walk<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the stadium with<br />
all these people <strong>an</strong>d all the athletes <strong>an</strong>d<br />
colors it was sort of a victory lap,” he<br />
said <strong>in</strong> a cheerful voice.<br />
<strong>Charlie</strong> told me, pick<strong>in</strong>g up h<strong>is</strong><br />
phone, that he th<strong>in</strong>ks row<strong>in</strong>g <strong>is</strong> one of<br />
the most difficult sports because you<br />
have to use all your muscles <strong>in</strong> the body.<br />
He says when he started row<strong>in</strong>g he had<br />
to work out so much <strong>an</strong>d he was sore<br />
<strong>an</strong>d h<strong>is</strong> body ached but after a few years<br />
he got better at it. Then after he was very<br />
strong he could row really fast. “But <strong>in</strong><br />
row<strong>in</strong>g you never stop work<strong>in</strong>g out but<br />
because every day before we started<br />
row<strong>in</strong>g we would go <strong>in</strong>to th<strong>is</strong> big room<br />
with lots of athletes <strong>an</strong>d just work out,”<br />
<strong>Charlie</strong> pers<strong>is</strong>ts remember<strong>in</strong>g back. Now<br />
<strong>Charlie</strong>’s old so he doesn’t lift weights<br />
<strong>an</strong>ymore <strong>an</strong>d when he rows he usually<br />
just goes on row<strong>in</strong>g mach<strong>in</strong>es but not<br />
always.<br />
<strong>Charlie</strong> told me he’s done row<strong>in</strong>g<br />
competitively now but every year he gets<br />
with h<strong>is</strong> 1980 Olympic team. “ I race <strong>in</strong><br />
the biggest race <strong>in</strong> the world called the
Head of The Charles,” he says joyfully.<br />
He says there’s schoolboys to 90 year<br />
olds who race. He says it’s not a<br />
competitive race but just a fun race for<br />
all years around. The race <strong>is</strong> very<br />
colorful <strong>an</strong>d it’s <strong>in</strong> autumn <strong>in</strong> Boston.<br />
The sun’s almost down as<br />
<strong>Charlie</strong> gets out of the car <strong>an</strong>d runs to<br />
the basketball court. <strong>Charlie</strong>’s a very<br />
good rower which <strong>is</strong> obviously proven,<br />
because he’s been <strong>in</strong> the Olympics. I<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k he’s a very nice m<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d not one<br />
of those super competitive men <strong>an</strong>d he’s<br />
also very th<strong>an</strong>kful. He pl<strong>an</strong>s to just row<br />
for fun, which I th<strong>in</strong>k, <strong>is</strong> a wonderful<br />
idea.