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April Athlete Profile: Kickin' it with Steven Lopez
By Bill Kellick // USA Taekwondo // April 5, 2007
(For the complete profile, including photos, go to http://www.usa-taekwondo.us/624_1658.htm)
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Steven Lopez, 28, of Sugar Land, Texas, will be gunning for his fourth straight world championship title at the 2007 World Taekwondo Championships to be held May 18-22 in Beijing, China. His last world title in 2005 was made all the more special when his brother Mark, 24, and sister Diana, 23, also won world titles at the same event. All three siblings are coached by eldest brother Jean, 33.
Steven answered the following 10 questions for this month's USA Taekwondo Athlete Profile...
Q1: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten from a parent, coach or teacher?
STEVEN LOPEZ: My parent’s always told me to do the very best in everything that I do and to enjoy what it is I’m doing.
Q2: What do you enjoy doing most in your spare time?
STEVEN LOPEZ: I enjoy hanging out with my family/friends, going out to eat, and watching movies. I recently watched the movie 300 and really enjoyed it.
Q3: What are your plans after your competitive career is over?
STEVEN LOPEZ: Taekwondo will always be a part of my life. I would like to create other champions and help them reach their potential.
Q4: What’s your favorite fast food drive-through, and your most frequent order?
STEVEN LOPEZ: I rarely eat any kind of fast food but I have on occasion gone to Jack in the Box and ordered a Jumbo Jack and the chicken sandwich. Oh yeah, I do have a weakness for donuts. I like to get donut holes and kolaches.
Q5: You were named one of People magazine’s 50 Hottest Bachelors in 2004. How did you feel about that honor?
STEVEN LOPEZ: Well, I remember being in the airplane once the magazine had came out and one flight attendant recognized me and asked me to sign it for her daughter. She just happened to then announce me over the intercom and said, “we are proud to have one of the 50 hottest bachelors on our flight”. So at times it could be embarrassing, but overall it was a fun experience.
Q6: How close are the Lopez siblings to winning three more world championships this year? What has to take place for this to happen?
STEVEN LOPEZ: I think we are very close. We are one step away and I always see Mark and Diana improving everyday. They have more experience and have gotten faster and stronger. I think if we continue believing in ourselves, having strong faith, and believing in one another, that it will be a repeat from '05. It will also be a prelude to what I see happening in 2008.
Q7: Tell us something about your hometown, Sugar Land, that many of us might not know?
STEVEN LOPEZ: MONEY Magazine and CNN/Money have ranked Sugar Land the third best place to live in America.
Q8: Which would you rather do: play a round of golf with Tiger Woods, take a spin around the track at 200 miles an hour at the Indy 500 with Dale Earnhardt Jr., or do a sparring session with Oscar de la Hoya?
STEVEN LOPEZ: I think Tiger Woods is amazing for what he has been able to do in golf and I know it’s very technical and difficult, and Oscar de la Hoya has been always someone who I looked up to when I was younger, but taking a spin with Dale Earnhardt would be something that would be a pretty cool experience. Going 200 miles an hour would be an adrenaline rush.
Q9: Has your life changed drastically since winning the gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games?
STEVEN LOPEZ: Yes it has. I have realized my dreams and continue doing so. I feel very satisfied and accomplished and have been able to reap the benefits of my hard work. It is something that will always be with me...“Once an Olympian always an Olympian”. It is something that I can share with my family and especially my niece and nephew, Alyxandra and Diego, and hopefully with the new one that’s on the way. Congratulations Jean and Tabitha.
Q10: What’s a favorite Olympic sport to watch, besides Taekwondo?
STEVEN LOPEZ: Track and Field. The 100 meter. What a feeling to be in the stadium with thousands of people, at the starting line, waiting to hear the sound of the gun fire and to know that every move counts and in less than 10 seconds you will know if you’re the fastest man on earth.
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