“Foam Home”-Town Olympians Shine!
In a previous post, we celebrated the Olympic accomplishments of three members of Team USA who lived in and around locations that USA Insulation serves. As America‘s largest retrofit insulation company specializing in our exclusive Premium Foam insulation, we have locations throughout the East and Midwest. So today, as the Olympics are winding down, we want to honor some of our other “Foam Home”-town athletes.
NICK GOEPPER – LAWRENCEVILLE, INDIANA
Nick Goepper, slopestyle skier, did not hone his craft on the slopes of Colorado or New Hampshire or Utah—but Indiana, of all places! He learned to ski on a 300 foot hill, not the 3500 foot hills other skiers train on. It was hill he mastered so well, though, that today he is the No. 1 ranked slopestyle skier in the world–a sport that was added to the Winter Games program for 2014. He captured the bronze medal in this year‘s event.
Only 19 years old, Nick‘s home town of Lawrenceville is located between two of our locations—Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
SHANI DAVIS – CHICAGO
Shani Davis, speedskater, is competing in his third Olympics. Now 31 years old, he did not medal in this year‘s competition, but captured two gold and two silver medals in previous Winter Games. Shani has won a total of 15 world championships, nine more overall world cup titles, and is the winningest male speedskater in U.S. history,
He grew up on the south side of Chicago where the nearest skating rink was 45 minutes away. This is probably Shani‘s last Olympics and we will miss him!
JAYSON TERDIMAN, BERWICK, PA
Jayson Terdiman, doubles luge, is one of the youngest Olympic participants in his sport at just 21 years old. He received the opportunity to participate in this year‘s Winter Games when veteran Christian Niccum‘s partner retired. Though they failed to medal in this year‘s Olympics, the pair finished third in doubles luge at the Winterberg World Cup in Germany earlier in the year.
Jayson, a brilliant student and overall great athlete, overcame quite a bit to make it to the big time. He was born with strep B. He lived in an incubator and underwent two spinal taps in the first two weeks of his life. Jayson hails from Berwick, a town not far from our “Foam Home”-town of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
MERYL DAVIS AND CHARLIE WHITE, DETROIT AREA
Meryl Davis and Charlie White, ice dancing pairs, have been skating together since they were in elementary school. With 16 years of shared experience behind them, Davis and White were in perfect synchronicity when they won this year‘s Olympic ice dancing gold medal over their arch rival neighbors to the North, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada.
The United States had never had an ice dancing team win gold at an Olympic Winter Games. Davis and White, who have won two world championships and six U.S. championships, became the first with jumps and spins that wowed both the judges and everybody watching the event!
Team USA will be heading home after Sunday‘s closing ceremonies. Many will reconnect with their families in our “Foam Home”-towns. Medal or not, every athlete was a winner in the hearts and minds of all of us back home. Thank you Team USA!
