Apolo Ohno, Me, and a $25 Subway Giveaway!

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I just realized that I never posted about this! I got to meet Apolo Ohno! I also got to ask him a few questions too. I asked on Twitter and Facebook what people wanted to know, so here are his thoughts, ideas, and ramblings (and some of mine).

First, yes, he is just as cute in person as he is on TV. He is one of the most real and one of the nicest celebrities I have met.

Food
Apolo's favorite Subway sandwich (for those of you who don't know, he is a celebrity spokesperson for them) is Honey Nut Bread with Double turkey, chedder cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, spinach, oil, and vinegar. He also is trying to get Subway to add some gluten free menu items. His favorite splurge item is ethnic foods.

Life Lessons
He believes in balance — everything has to be in balance.

His one piece of advice: There are many life lessons to be learned through sports.

In 1998 he didn't make the US team. However, that gave him the drive he has today. Everything happens for a reason. We don't control if we win or lose, but it is how you handle that.

Running/Athletes/Sports
His favorite running weather? Crazy weather! He likes to run when it is crazy hot or crazy cold.

His opinion on why athletes seem to do so well on DWTS (Dancing With The Stars)? Athletes are very use to being coached. They are use to schedules and training. Hollywood celebrities — not as much.

He runs 40 miles a week.

His nutrition changes depending on what sport he is doing. While training for the marathon (he just ran in Chicago's), he gets to eat more carbohydrates. When skating, he has no to low carbohydrates. His normal weight is 160 lbs. However, his race weight is 141-142 lbs.

He only started training for marathon running in June. His goal time is 1 hr 45 minutes for the half marathon.

In speedskating, his longest race is only 2 (aff).5 minutes. So yes, marathon running is completely different. His training had to be customized to him. His trainer had to retrain him. He had to learn that “it's okay that people pass you”.

What surprised me the most is how Apolo told us how sports saved his life. As a child, he did swimming, basketball, football, and boxing. In 1992, he saw speedskating in the Olympics. He tried it and thought it was fun, and he happened to be really good at it. At 14, he was recruited for a program. At that point in his life, he said he was a “bad” kid. He hung out with bad kids and did bad things. (And if you don't believe people can change, I hope his story changes his tune). Now, this program he got in, they had made a special exemption to let him in. His dad dropped him off at the airport. Instead of getting on the plane, he called one of his friends and lived on his friends' couches for around 2 (aff) weeks. The program then called his dad and were like “where is he?” Needless to say, his dad tracked him down and was not a happy camper. He then drove him to airport again, walked him to the gate, walked him to his seat, and flew with him. He made it to the program that truly saved him. He said it wasn't easy. However, speedskating completely turned his life around. At 14 years old, he was #1 in US. 15 years later (at the 2010 Olympics), 70%-80% of the judges were people he has skated against over the years. (Now, how weird would that be?)

I had such a great conversation with him, so I have teamed with Subway to give one of my lucky readers a $25 Subway gift card. Here's what you need to do:



Lisa Martin

In April 2006, Lisa began blogging to stay connected with distant relatives and friends. As she delved into blogging, she discovered the potential to assist others by sharing her experiences. Lisa has actively engaged in numerous exclusive media ventures. Notable among these are her participation in events such as the Sony Mommy Bloggers Event, the Pampers Mommy Bloggers Event, the Epson Event in Chicago, the Stouffers Event, a memorable yacht excursion with Lands End, collaborations with 1-800-Baskets, an exclusive tour for bloggers by Mrs. Prindable’s, partnerships with Hallmark, PopCap games, Chicago Cubs Mastercard Priceless Events, and Rug Doctor. In addition, she has collaborated with Nutrisystem on a weight loss initiative, teamed up with Buick and Chevy, and served as a brand ambassador for Sprint. Lisa's collaboration portfolio also extends to Disney, where she has participated in press trips for significant movies such as Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, McFarland USA, The Good Dinosaur, The BFG, and Cars 3. Notably, for projects like Frozen, The BFG, and Cars 3, she was granted the privilege of walking the red carpet and conducting interviews with celebrities. The impact of Lisa's blog has gained recognition, with The New York Times referencing her content. Moreover, she has been featured in interviews by respected publications such as the Southtown Star, The Chicago Sun Times, and inside.

This Post Has 107 Comments

  1. Lauren

    I was surprised to learn how short speed skating races were.

  2. Lynn

    I was definitely surprised to learn that he likes to run in extreme weather!

  3. Katie74

    I learned his favorite subway sandwich is Honey Nut Bread with Double turkey, chedder cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, spinach, oil, and vinegar

  4. jennifer horn

    His favorite splurge is ethnic food.

  5. Sheila

    I learned that he like running in crazy weather – when it is crazy hot or crazy cold.

  6. Jessie C.

    I was quite surprised to learn that in speedskating, his longest race is only 2.5 minutes. That's fast!

  7. Mami2jcn

    I learned he runs 40 miles a week. Wow!

  8. Janice Cooper

    I was surprised to learn that he started speed skating at such a young age- 14 yrs old and he likes to run in extreme weather.

  9. Lori A.

    I was surprised to find out he was a "bad" kid!

    ljatwood at gmail dot com

  10. Tepe Rodrigo

    I didn't know what Ohno's favorite sandwich was!

  11. Jennifer Marie

    i like that he believes in balance-I do as well.

  12. cw

    I learned that he only starting training in june – wow

  13. Tara

    He runs 40 miles a week!

  14. karin

    The bad kid stuff surprised me–

  15. Tina M

    how sports saved his life

  16. Marcia Goss

    I didn't know that he was into marathon running.

  17. Leah Baird

    He did bad things before speed skating.

    lnb1191(at)aol(dot)com

  18. Leah Baird

    I learned he did bad things when he was young,

    lnb1191(at)aol(dot)com

  19. Amylynn H

    I did not know that he didn't make the team in 1998!

  20. LAMusing

    Wow – he runs 40 miles a week!

  21. Katie Bourke

    I learned that Apolo Ohno runs 40 miles a week. I can't imagine running that much!

  22. Erica C.

    He runs 40 miles a week…good for him…that's crazy!

  23. Tonya Dean

    He runs 40 miles a week! Wow, I can't even imagine that.

    tdlsfm(at)gmail(dot)com

  24. Wanda

    He is trying to get Subway to offer gluten free food choices.

  25. Karen

    I'm surprized he was a bad kid. Thanks for the giveaway.

  26. joni

    He runs 40 miles a week!

  27. Rebecca Graham

    I learned his normal weight is 160 lbs.

  28. ferriz

    i learned he is completely insane! running in crazy cold or crazy hot weather? o.O nuts!

  29. Cindy M

    When skating, he has no to low carbohydrates? Really? Hmm. Very interesting!

  30. ??? Louis ???

    I learned that he likes to run in crazy weather – and I have to agree, I performed best when I was in track and field practice I performed best in scorching heat

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis

    pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

  31. April V.

    I learned that while he is an incredible athlete, he's crazy enough to want to run in extremely hot weather! Makes me hot and irritable just to think of it!

  32. Marilyn Wons

    I learned that at one time he was a "bad kid". This surprized me.

  33. Tari Lawson

    I didn't know he was a troubled teen and that speed skating turned his life around.

  34. Adrienne Gordon

    Didn't realize he didn't make the 1998 team.

  35. Katharina

    What surprised me from the interview is that he was #1 at age 14!

    Katharina angelsandmusic[at]gmail[dot]com

  36. Caryn S

    I learned that the longest race is speedskating is only 2.5 minutes!

  37. EMMA L HORTON

    HE RUNS 40 MILES A WEEK

  38. Cynthia C

    I was surprised to see how much his race weight is different from his normal weight.

  39. Pauline M

    I had no idea he was training for marathons…. but I've always been a big fan of his speedskating since I saw him compete in the 2002 olympics and loved it! It's really an exciting sport!

  40. Sarah W

    I'm surprised that he was a bad kid.. He seems so disciplined that it's hard to imagine!

    Fs4Sarah at gmail dot com

  41. Holly

    I learned he runs 40 miles a week..wow!

  42. charline

    he believes in balance

    stanleybilly(at)bellsouth(dot)net

  43. Anastasia

    He runs 40 miles a week! That sounds crazy! I also love that he didn't make the team at one point, but he kept going! Always great to see people rewarded like that 🙂

  44. Lim

    The difference in weight depending on the sport is astounding!

  45. Katharine

    It was the running in crazy weather thing that caught my attention. I live in Texas and I don't know how anyone runs when it is crazy hot!

  46. Linda

    What a interesting interview, I didn't know he was going down the wrong track before he got into speedskating.

  47. Jeff

    I learned it's important to set goals like in the Apolo Ohno interview.

  48. Brittany

    He runs 40 miles a week!! Who does that! WOW!

  49. McKim

    I was surprised that he went through a "bad kid" phase.

  50. Simone

    I'm surprised that he likes running in crazy weather. I'm not an athlete, but I wouldn't run outside when it's blazing hot or freezing cold.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  51. Lori Hart

    I learned that at 14 years old, he was #1 in US. I didn't know he started that young

  52. nanjhall

    I learned that sports turned his life around. Love stories like this as it makes you realize that you should never give up on any child as there is something that may turn there life around.

  53. Emma Peel

    he believes in Balance, didnt know that

  54. Kat Emerick

    I learned the Apolo’s favorite Subway sandwich is Honey Nut Bread with Double turkey, chedder cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, spinach, oil, and vinegar. Now that is one I never tried but sounds good!

  55. Deborah Rosen

    I learned that he was a troubled kid whose life was turned around by sports.

  56. nicole

    I learned he likes to run in extreme temperatures.

  57. mistysunrise

    I learned He likes to run when it is crazy hot or crazy cold.

  58. Geoff K

    I was glad to learn that Apolo is encouraging Subway to add more gluten-free items – that's great!

  59. melanie

    He believes in balance

  60. Mary C

    I learned that he's real and down to earth.

  61. Sue

    I was surprised that sports saved his life

  62. kasey

    I learned about his weight – so interesting! and that's awesome that he runs 40 miles a week

  63. Jean Lynd

    Couldn't believe he started off as bad, dishonest kid, headed in the wrong direction. Glad he changed!

  64. Carrie

    I learned that as a child, he did swimming, basketball, football, and boxing

  65. ian isk

    I didnt know he liked crazy weather. crazy hot or crazy cold.

  66. Valerie Mabrey

    In 1998 he didn’t make the US team.

    vmkids3 at msn dot com

  67. Beth McLeod

    I learned he started at age 14!

  68. Samantha

    That his longest speedskating race is 2.5 minutes shocked me! I would've thought at least 10 minutes! You learn something new every day!

  69. Sean polcha

    He likes to run when it is either really hot or cold.

  70. tess

    nuttrition changes as to what sport he is doing- interesting

    tcogbill at live dot com

  71. ewhatley

    I was surprised to learn his race weight is 18-19 pounds lighter than his skating weight.

  72. Kylie C

    I'm always impressed by anyone attempting Marathon running, especially after being an ice sprinter.

  73. Kayla

    I love that I learned how driven he is. He seems like a great guy!

  74. Jackee

    That He runs 40 miles a week, dang!

  75. Patricia Treskovich

    surprised that he was a "BAD" kid

  76. tracey johnson

    i did not know that his nutrition changes depending on what sport he is doing

  77. Yvonne Butler

    Never heard of him but he sounds like a nice guy. I'm not suprised that sports saved his life when he was young. It has saved lots and lots of kids

  78. Susan Stahley

    I learned that he likes to run in hot or cold weather. When it is too hot or cold, I prefer to stay inside. I am glad that he is a nice celebrity!

  79. Suzanne K

    I was surprised at the wide range of things/sports that he has participated in!

  80. ANGIE FRYER

    apollo enjoyed success at any early age

  81. Laura

    I learned that he was a bad kid

  82. Ingrid

    He loves to run in crazy weather and seems to succeed at it.

  83. John Stetson

    I never realized what his background was. He is an impressive man to have overcome his bad start.

  84. Ambre W.

    At 14 years old, he was #1 in US.

  85. Jacob LaFountaine

    I'm surprised he runs 40 miles a week

  86. Brenda Witherspoon-B

    I was surprised to read that he was a bad kid

  87. Angela W

    I learned that his longest race was only 2.5 minutes

  88. nancy

    i was surprised that his race weight is only 141-142 pounds

    nblexp ( at ) gmail (dot) com

  89. Jimmy

    I was surpised he likes to run in either really hot or really cold weather

  90. Melanie Farmer

    I learned he is a very interesting person and a new sandwich idea, his fav sounds yummy! Thanks! 🙂

  91. Kayla

    I can't believe he runs 40 miles a week! That's insane!

  92. Penny W

    I'm surprised that his longest race is only 2.5 minutes! Wow!

    pkbw28 at gmail dot com

  93. Rosey

    I was surprised that he was in trouble as a kid. I'm glad he's sharing his story, it easily could help an impressionable teen today.

  94. Carolyn G

    I was surprised he weighs 160

  95. Deborah Wallin

    I was surprised He runs 40 miles a week

  96. Morgan

    I was amazed that after 15 years his judges were former competitors

  97. Stephanie V.

    In 1998 he didn’t make the US team. However, that gave him the drive he has today. Everything happens for a reason. We don’t control if we win or lose, but it is how you handle that.

  98. Christine Sarkauskas

    I learned His goal time is 1 hr 45 minutes for the half marathon.

    flychild7(at)gmail(dot)com

  99. Sylvie W

    Apolo is a dynamo. I learned that he just ran a marathon. So much energy!

  100. Nick D.

    He runs 40 miles a week.

  101. edq143

    He is a real inspiration for being determined

  102. Karen Gonyea

    Great Interview…. No Suprises though 🙂

  103. Christina

    I learned that he loves the Honey Nut Bread Sub!

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