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>> I'M IN THE GYM, I'M WORKING. DOING WHAT I DO IN THE GYM,
TRAINING, AND I GET THIS PHONE CALL.
AND IT'S ANTHONY BUKOWSKI, THE HEAD OF USA BOXES -- BOXING.
I NEED -- I JUST CALLED YOU BECAUSE I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU
WERE STILL INTERESTED IN BEING ON THE COACHING STAFF FOR THE
OLYMPICS. AND I'M LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING
ME? ARE YOU -- DID YOU CALL ME JUST
TO JOKE ME? AND HE'S LIKE, NO, NO, I'M
SERIOUS. I'M LIKE, ANTHONY, 34 YEARS OF
COACHING SAYS YES! >> AND WITH THAT, CITY OF
NORFOLK BOXING DIRECTOR AND COACH GLORIA PEEK GOT READY FOR
THE 2012 SUMMER OLYMPICS. BELIEVE IT OR NOT, USA BOXING IS
NO STRANGER TO THE BUARRAD PARK BOXING FACILITY, WITH FORMER
OLYMPIC HEAD COACH DAN CAMPBELL ALSO COMING OUT OF THIS EXACT
SAME GYM. >> THAT'S JUST UNHEARD OF.
YOU'VE HAD TWO OLYMPIC COACHES OUT OF THIS VERY SINGLE GYM.
MOST GYMS DON'T GET ANY. MOST CITIES DON'T GET ANY.
NORFOLK HAS HAD TWO, AND BOTH OUT OF THE SAME GYM.
THAT'S PHENOMENAL. >> WHAT WAS THE OLYMPIC
EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR PEEK? LET'S START WITH THE OPENING
CEREMONIES. >> AND HERE THEY COME.
>> THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. >> OVER 80,000 PEOPLE IN THE
STADIUM, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT MEDIA FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD,
SO ALL YOU CAN SEE IS FLASHES GOING OFF AND, YOU KNOW, AND AS
THEY CALL THE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND YOU MARCH THROUGH,
IT'S JUST LIKE -- YOU JUST GET IN LUMP IN YOUR THROAT.
I MEAN IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE. I'VE BEEN WATCHING THE OLYMPICS
FOREVER, EVER SINCE I WAS A KID, AND I WOULD WATCH THE PEOPLE
COME THROUGH AND JUST THINK HOW GREAT THAT WAS AND EVERYTHING,
BUT TO ACTUALLY BE THERE, I JUST KEPT LOOKING AROUND AND I'M IN
AWE AND MY MOUTH IS HANGING DOWN AND I'M HERE, I'M HERE, I CAN'T
BELIEVE IT. >> AS AN ASSISTANT COACH TO THE
12 BOXERS ON BOTH THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BOXING TEAM, PEEK STAYED
PRETTY BUSY. >> I'M UP AT 5:00 IN THE MORNING
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO WAKE PEOPLE UP AND YOU WORK STRAIGHT THROUGH
UNTIL 12:00 OR 1:00 IN THE MORNING BEFORE YOU LAY DOWN.
SO IT'S LONG, LONG DAYS. IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
I'M NOT JUST THERE SIGHTSEEING. >> SHE DIDN'T SEE MANY SIGHTS,
BUT THEY DID SEE A FEW OTHER SPORT -- SHE DID SEE A FEW OTHER
SPORTS. >> I GOT TO SEE WATER POLO,
WRESTLING. I GOT TO SEE VOLLEYBALL.
NOW, I WANTED TO SEE BASKETBALL, BUT GETTING A TICKET FOR THE
MEN'S BASKETBALL, YEAH. BUT I GOT TO SEE LEBRON AND THEM
IN THE DINING HALL AND STUFF, AND I'D BE PASSING THEM BY, YO,
LEBRON, HOW YOU DOING? MICHAEL PHELPS, WHAT'S UP?
>> AND WHILE IT WAS NICE TO RUB ELBOWS WITH WELL-KNOWN U.S.
OLYMPIANS, SHE WOULD BE WELL-KNOWN FOREVER.
>> THE FIRST DAY THAT THE MEN STARTED WAS THE 28th AND I
STEPPED OUT ON TO THE RING, I MADE HISTORY.
FIRST WOMAN TO EVER COACH MEN ON THE OLYMPIC LEVEL.
THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE WORLD THAT COACHES MEN ON THE ELITE OLYMPIC
LEVEL, SO I MADE HISTORY JUST IN THAT RESPECT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WENT ON TO ALSO MAKE HISTORY WITH THE WOMEN
AND THE WOMEN BEING INCLUDED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.
>> WHICH INCLUDED COACHING MARLENA ESPARZA TO A BRONZE
MEDAL AND CLARISSA SHIELDS TO A GOLD MEDAL.
>> WHEN THAT FLAG GOES UP AND THEY PLAY THAT ANTHEM, I DON'T
CARE WHO YOU ARE, HOW BIG, MALE, HARD, I'M TELLING YOU, TEARS
COME TO YOUR EYES. IT'S A FEELING LIKE THE HAIR
STANDS UP ON THE BACK OF YOUR NECK AND YOU JUST -- YOU CAN'T
HELP IT. YOU JUST -- YOU CRY.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST -- IT'S AN UNBELIEVABLE FEELING TO HAVE THE
NATIONAL ANTHEM BEING PLAYED AND THE AMERICAN FLAG BEING RAISED
AND YOU KNOW THAT THAT ATHLETE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD.
>> COME BACK WITH THE TWO. >> YOU MET PEOPLE FROM NOT ONLY
EVERY NATIONALITY, EVERY COLOR, BUT EVERY RELIGION THAT COULD
POSSIBLY BE ON THE PLANET. THERE WERE COUNTRIES THERE THAT
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW EXISTED. I DIDN'T KNOW THEY EXISTED.
NAMES, I WAS LIKE WHAT? IS THAT A COUNTRY?
THEY GO, YEAH. I'M LIKE -- YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST
AMAZING AND I'M LIKE, WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GO AND REALLY EMBRACE
THE ENTIRE WORLD IN ONE PLACE? >> NOT A GOOD ROLL.
ROLL IT. >> THE FOLLOWING WEEK, SHE WAS
ALREADY BACK COACHING BOXING IN BARRAUD PARK, PREPARING FOR THE
2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS, BUT NOT NECESSARILY FOR HER.
>> I WANT ONE OR TWO OF MY BOXERS FROM MY CLUB TO
EXPERIENCE BEING AN OLYMPIAN. >> GOT TO BE STRONGER.
>> THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD LIKE IT.
YOU CAN'T TOUCH IT WITH ANY OTHER SPORT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE WITH THEM THE REST OF THEIR LIFE
AND WILL DO MORE FOR THEM, SO NOW I'M ON A MISSION.
MY MISSION IS TO GET ONE OR MORE OF MY BOXERS ON THE OLYMPIC TEAM
AND THAT'S MY DETERMINATION, AND I -- I DON'T GIVE UP EASY, SO I
PLAN TO DO THAT. >> THERE YOU GO.
>> FOR NORFOLK NEWS NOW, I'M JOHN LINKA.