VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 184
AIR DATE: 07 23 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Girl Skater, Olympic Athlete
((SOT))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Because there's fewer of us, you’ll notice more people are
shocked. I love to see the girl skateboarding community
grow because it's becoming more normal.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Team Spirit
((SOT))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I'm fortunate to be able to coach really good athletes. I think
that when you're successful, that it is a combination of, you
know, you being able to get the best out of your athletes, but
you have to have good athletes to work with.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Burning Rubber
((SOT))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Well, the dangers here on an open road where we ride are
the oncoming traffic. They come into our lane and when they
do that, they really jeopardize our safety because we could
be coming around a blind corner and not know they are
there.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) SKATEBOARDER
((Previously aired April 2021))
((TRT: 08:56))
((Topic Banner: Bombette))
((Reporter/Camera: Aaron Fedor))
((2nd Camera: Lachlan McClellan))
((Producer: Kathleen McLaughlin))
((Editor: Kyle Dubiel))
((Map: New York City, New York))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 2 female; 3 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
My name is Bombette Martin. I'm 14 years old and I'm a
skateboarder.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
My parents do not skate. They cannot stand on a skateboard
for their life. My little brother, he is a really talented
skateboarder. He's 11. His name is Kayo and he also
competes a lot.
((Kayo Martin, Bombette’s Brother))
I'm way better. I’m totally better.
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
No, you're not.
((Kayo Martin, Bombette’s Brother))
I'm way better all around.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Bombette Martin))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Well, I was nine years old when I started skateboarding. So,
that was like almost six years ago now. And we're really
lucky to have a world-class skate park right down the street.
So, actually like when we were really little, me and my
brother, we'd go watch the skaters through the fence. And
one day, we decided to go in and I just fell in love with it. So,
here I am.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Mary Apple, Bombette’s Mother))
Just for your warmup, can you do back and forth on the five-
foot hip? Just, just really work on frontside, backside ollies
on the five-foot hip and then also try to include...just try, try
because you might need to do this in England. Just try to
make it a backside air with a grab.
((Mary Apple, Bombette’s Mother))
You know we live local. So, the kids used to come and like
we would just be playing in that park over there. And we
used to come kind of hang on to this fence and like watch
the guys through and, you know, cheer them on. But it just
looked so intimidating. I don't know about for the kids, but for
me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
When I was really little, I used to be like obsessed with
monkey bars [playground climbing frame]. Like I would go
around like to all different parks around the city and just like,
you know, do monkey bars and I would do like all different
like tricks and stuff. And so, I used to think that one day, I'm
going to go to the Olympics for monkey bars, even though
there is no such thing.
((Andrew Gelles, Owner - Substance Skatepark,
Bombette’s first teacher))
When I first saw Bombette and her brother, they were
pushing the wrong way, couldn't go down a three-foot ramp.
I started teaching them because I thought they were
hilarious. They were really funny kids who would like make
weird voices and amp each other up. But after those first six
months had passed between her and Kayo, it was clear that
these people were long-haul kids. They were in it for the
right reasons and they were going to make this work.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
There's like competitions that gain you points, the Olympic
Qualifiers. They were all supposed to be last year for the
2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but obviously that all got postponed
because of COVID. Now it changed from five competitions to
like what, three now. That gains you points and that goes
towards the rankings for the Olympics and I have to be in the
top 20 to go.
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Yeah, style comes into it a lot and the difficulty of tricks. So,
like it’s, I mean, it's really confusing. You have to like really
know skateboarding. Even like I still don't know. We like try
to ask people like “oh, what scores better, like this trick or
that trick?” And, you know, people, they can't give us like a
straight answer, but like it’s all based on, a lot of it's based
on opinion, like “oh, this judge thinks that looks better than
that” or whatever, “that's more difficult.” But yeah, it’s, you
know, based on difficulty mainly.
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Our lifestyle is pretty much changed so much just because of
skateboarding. And I mean, it's all over the place but it's fun.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
When I first started skateboarding, just something I mean
super simple that would be like such a big accomplishment
for me. But now that I’ve like grown so much, something like,
there’s, I learned a trick like a couple months ago that only a
few girls in the world can do and so that was a very big
breakthrough for me. The big trick was kickflip Indy.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Bombette Martin))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
I've been trying it for like a couple of years now, and then the
one day, I just got like super close and I was just going over
and over and over, falling and falling again for about like four
hours and then I finally landed it.
((NATS))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
And it was, it was really cool.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Jiro Platt, Skater and friend))
I’ve always like skated with her at contests a lot. She’s
always been really good at vert [vertical] skating.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Well, I actually enjoy being a girl skateboarder because you
honestly, when you're a high-level girl skateboarder, you
tend to get more praise. You’re just, I guess, you're noticed
more because boys, there's just so many of them and there's
fewer of us. So, they’re like, people are shocked, honestly. I
love to see the girl skateboarding community grow because
it's becoming more normal. There's, I mean, so many of my
friends, they've started skateboarding and I mean it's nice to
see.
((Lucinda Jacobson, Skater and friend))
I mean, Bombette's obviously an amazing skater. The first
time that I met her, she did like a kickflip front-rock, which is
like a really hard trick. And, I don't know, seeing another girl
skating at Substance, it was really cool. I think it's cool that
skating is going to be an Olympic sport because I think
people are starting to take it a little bit more seriously. They
don't just think it's like a thing that burnouts do.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
It's like a drug. It's so addicting. When you're just learning
something new or just accomplishing something that you've
been working so hard for, like that feeling is just the best
feeling ever. And I'm sure it's like that for other sports, but I
just feel that skateboarding, unlike other sports, is just so
welcoming and everyone's so encouraging. You'll rarely
meet someone that's like an ass to you because there’s just,
everyone just loves to see others progress. And that's really
nice.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Popup Banner: Bombette Martin, a dual US/British citizen
who won the UK National Championships, will be competing
in skateboarding for Great Britain at the Tokyo 2020
Olympics taking place this summer (July 23, 2021 to August
8, 2021.))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
For the Love of the Game
((SOT))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
When basketball season happens, that's all that we're
doing. I'm a school at 7:00 in the morning and I don't really
get home until 8:30 at night.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) FEMALE VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL COACH
((Previously aired April 2021))
((TRT: 9:06))
((Topic Banner: Playing True))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martínez))
((Map: Fallon, Nevada))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 4 males; 1 female))
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Come on. G up. Come on, Sam.
Good, good.
Nice, nice. Stay with it.
Push, push, push, push, push, push.
Don’t get screened, Matt. Don’t get screened.
Board, board, board, board.
Got it, baby.
Keith, nice shot.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
My name is Chelle Dalager and I coach the Boys Varsity
Basketball team at Churchill County High School. In the
state of Nevada, I'm the first female coach to coach a Boys
Varsity program.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Back cut, back cut.
Next pass.
Look, look.
Back cut him. Back cut him.
Nice. There you go. Good rig, Keith. Nice pass.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
There is really more to basketball than just the game of
basketball. It really is about life lessons. Your life is full of
wins and losses, you know. You feel like you've done
something great, and sure enough somebody will knock you
down or you feel like you're maybe not so great, and then
something picks you up. It teaches kids discipline, teaches
them about work ethic and it teaches about being able to rely
upon somebody and about a commitment to a family.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Here we go. Rotate.
First off, you're not always going to reach your goal,
right? You're not always going to make it. That's just part of
life and part of basketball. What you should never do is stop
or quit playing harder or stop trying to at least get the highest
number you can get. We made lots of good progress when
we were early, right? So then, you all went home and had
turkey legs. And then, I don't know what happened,
right? Like our minds aren't focused on basketball
anymore. And really this is where we should be the most
focused we can be. Understand? So, talk to your pals and
get them out. Okay? Questions? Collin? Guys? All
right. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
((NATS))
((Keith Smith, Boys Varsity Basketball Player, Churchill
County High School))
I love it. It's probably like my favorite basketball coach. I've
played for a couple of different coaches and she's just
different. She pushes us, the intensity, demands a lot out of
us.
((Toby Anderson, Boys Varsity Basketball Player,
Churchill County High School))
She really pushes us to our limits and I think that's why we
have done well the past few years. We've been just pushing
hard in practice and getting what we need done.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Wave on me. Wave on three. One, two, three.
((NATS: Team))
Wave.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
We've just completed and we've won two state
championships, back-to-back. One in 2019 and one in 2020.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
This is the state championship team that won for the first
time in 47 years, and it's pretty exciting. The last time they
won a state championship was in 1971, and that was the
year I was born.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
You can see my two boys together. Number 11, that was
Avery when he was a sophomore, and just behind him with a
big curly head, that was Hayden when he was a senior.
This is our basketball trophy case. Here's our first one and
the other one is in my office because I'm not ready to give it
up yet. So, this is 2020 and this is 2019. And so, I play
those. If I'm in a bad mood, I go back and I watch both of
them.
((NATS: TV show))
State Championship, Churchill County High School taking on
Elko High School. Game time. Less than 10 seconds left in
OT [overtime]. And that’s Elijah Jackson. However, not the
first time it’s happened.
What? Flashback in 2019, Nevada 3A Basketball State
Championship. Elijah Jackson hit the three against the same
team. Boom. Ridiculous. No way..…to win the state
championship. No way.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Second time. Second shot.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I'm fortunate to be able to coach really good athletes. I think
that when you're successful, that it is a combination of, you
know, you being able to get the best out of your athletes, but
you have to have good athletes to work with.
It's not about gender for me. It's really about just coaching
and trusting your players and, you know, making them
believe in themselves.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I really did not expect to get the job. I wasn't really even
going to apply for it because I didn't think that I would get it
because you don't ever see, you know, women getting those
types of positions. And so, you've hired a female coach. Yes,
she's coach, but now we have two state championships to
go with that. And I think that just helps people, maybe,
recognize, I hope that a lot of female coaches get hired to
coach male programs because I don't think it's a gender
issue, right? It's you just don't see it very often. Although,
you see men coaching women's team. It's just never been
done, I guess. And that's what makes it pretty special. It
makes it unique.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Also, a really cool thing for me is that my two sons were on
the team and we got to share a state championship
together. That's a big memory for me.
So, that was them playing youth basketball for me. The left
one is when they were a little bit younger. The right one is
when they were a little bit older. You can tell that they're
getting a little bit taller than me. When they were growing up,
we played a lot of different games outside at home. When
they started beating me, I started using my Achilles as a
crutch.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
When basketball season happens, that's all that we're
doing. I'm at school at 7:00 in the morning and I don't really
get home until 8:30 at night.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
James or Lacey is here.
Are you sure?
How was your day?
((Avery Strasdin, High School Student, Tricia’s Son))
Good.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Good?
Where are you going?
((Avery Strasdin, High School Student, Tricia’s Son))
Nowhere.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Nowhere. You are just hanging out?
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Oh, this looks so good.
My partner at home is very supportive. Our boys are her
biological sons and, you know, she's been really supportive
about, you know, having me coach them and she's a huge
part of our team as well. She travels and goes to all the
games and takes our scorebook.
((Photo Courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
We love basketball.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Yeah.
((Photo Courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
We got lucky. If you get the opportunity to embrace anything
that is going to bring your family together,
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
and you get to travel together, and you get to experience
success together, and you get to fail together, and you get to
kind of pick yourselves up and try again together, and you
get to have some early mornings and some late nights and
some long weekends together, I'm not sure that it matters if
it's basketball or what it is.
((Photo Courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
I think it helped us in lots of different ways.
((Hayden Strasdin, Former High School Student, Tricia’s
Son))
I'll never forget it. I was glad to have my mom as a coach
and my brother on the team for my year, and then for him to
win a back-to-back is even cooler.
((Avery Strasdin, High School Student, Tricia’s Son))
Yeah, I don't have so many words for it, if I’m being honest.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
For me, it's the best memories I will have with basketball will
be with my family and, you know, what we brought to Fallon,
and we've been able to travel to all those tournaments
together, and then I coach them, and then we get back in the
car and we talk about the games and…..
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Start close, they say.
Oh, one for one.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I was a terrible shooter in high school. And then, when I went
to community college, it got a little bit better because I was a
little bit older.
I'm thankful for Fallon. They've supported me in coaching a
100 percent. I just have, we haven't run into issues like
that. My 2019 team, some kids on other teams were, you
know, giving them a hard time about me, you know, being
gay and about them playing for a woman.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
And, you know, I just told my players, I said, “That doesn't
hurt my feelings.” And he was like, “Well, what do you mean,
coach? It doesn't?” I said, “No, because it's true. Yes, I'm in
a relationship with a woman, that makes me gay.” And I said,
“I'm sorry you have to feel like you have to defend me. You
don't.” I said, “It does not hurt my feelings at all. Now, if they
call me fat, then you can get after them, right? But other than
that, just let them say whatever they want to say, and you
prove your point by just playing the best basketball you can
play and beating the people that are saying those mean
things.” And that’s a life lesson, right?
((Video courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((NATS/MUSIC))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Finding Peace
((SOT))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
People think I'm a real thrill seeker, and I find it thrilling, but
it's also very peaceful. It’s almost a spiritual experience for
me. It's so quiet in my helmet.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) STREET LUGE
((Previously aired June 2019))
((Banner: Racing Downhill))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martínez))
((Map: Boise, Idaho))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 3 male))
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Sometimes we let our age, we let our number define us. It's
like grey hair bothers so many people and it just limits
happiness. I think once we can become comfortable in who
we are and what we're doing and create a life that we love, it
changes everything.
My name is CJ Wilkinson and I'm a mom, a hospice nurse,
but when I'm riding my street luge downhill, people know me
as Mama Wilky.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
All right, let’s go.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
People think I'm a real thrill seeker, and I find it thrilling, but
it's also very peaceful. It’s almost a spiritual experience for
me. It's so quiet in my helmet.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Street luge helps get rid of the anxiety and the stress and
depression that sometimes I'm dogged with. Working as a
hospice nurse, it can be really challenging and I feel
heartbroken sometimes, and it just provides a release so I
can come back and be as good as ever the next day. It's
almost like flying on the earth.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Not too fast. I'm old.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Next week, I'll be 55 years old and I started about three
years ago. It was a really challenging time. I got sick after
running my last half marathon in 2011 and it took years
before we figured out what was wrong and eventually I
ended up unable to work and in bed most days.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
This is what it looks like to wake up with Lyme disease. Very
hard.
((Dean Wilkinson, Street Luger))
I know you thought you were gonna die.
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
I was told I was probably not going to make it, remember?
((Dean Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Yeah. Luge gave her motivation to keep going because
otherwise she was ready to give up, and we found the low
dose immunotherapy. That was a key thing that turned
things around and made a big difference.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
It's still part of my stay well strategy and I can't imagine not
doing this.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
My downhill family feels like just a bouquet of wild flowers.
We're all unique, but we make a beautiful thing when we
come together.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
So, I am the skate mom of the community. I love all the
people I ride with and I just bring them under my wing and
make them my own, and they don't seem to mind.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
We don’t litter, Cade. You can’t litter.
((Cade Keller, Street Luger))
It’s biodegradable.
((Brandon Ayllon, Street Luger))
Mom yelled at you.
((Cade Keller, Street Luger))
Shut up.
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
It is not biodegradable.
((NATS))
((Brandon Ayllon, Street Luger))
She's Mama Wilky all the way. I mean, like every time we go
down the hill, she makes sure we have everything. If we fall
or if anything's happening, she's right there if you need
anyone to hear you out. She's my other mother, that's all.
((Cade Keller, Street Luger))
You don't see a lot of women skating and you also don't see
a lot of older women skating, so it's kind of abnormal.
((Brandon Ayllon, Street Luger))
My favorite part is that she's super fast. She’s faster than all
of us.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Although it's a male dominated sport, the women are starting
to catch on and we actually had our first women's division
two years ago.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Isn’t this the greatest adventure?
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
The maximum speed that I’ve achieved was 70 miles an
hour in a training run in Colorado. It was mind boggling. It
was so fast.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Well, the dangers here on an open road where we ride are
the oncoming traffic. They come into our lane and when they
do that, they really jeopardize our safety because we could
be coming around a blind corner and not know they are
there. My husband worries a lot. He's kind of a worrywart,
actually.
((NATS))
Is everybody in?
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
He drives for me. We have a truck that follows us down. He
drives it and that prevents any traffic from coming from
behind and overcoming us.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Best driver in the business. I love you man. He does support
me. He gets up at dawn and drives me and he also joins me
when he rides his gravity bike.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
And they call him Papa.
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
I hope that I encourage other women. Whatever your
passion is, if it lights your heart on fire, start it back up.
Anything's possible at any age. Just keep doing what you
love.
((NATS))
CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
EPISODE # 184
AIR DATE: 07 23 2021
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Girl Skater, Olympic Athlete
((SOT))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Because there's fewer of us, you’ll notice more people are
shocked. I love to see the girl skateboarding community
grow because it's becoming more normal.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Team Spirit
((SOT))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I'm fortunate to be able to coach really good athletes. I think
that when you're successful, that it is a combination of, you
know, you being able to get the best out of your athletes, but
you have to have good athletes to work with.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Burning Rubber
((SOT))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Well, the dangers here on an open road where we ride are
the oncoming traffic. They come into our lane and when they
do that, they really jeopardize our safety because we could
be coming around a blind corner and not know they are
there.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) SKATEBOARDER
((Previously aired April 2021))
((TRT: 08:56))
((Topic Banner: Bombette))
((Reporter/Camera: Aaron Fedor))
((2nd Camera: Lachlan McClellan))
((Producer: Kathleen McLaughlin))
((Editor: Kyle Dubiel))
((Map: New York City, New York))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 2 female; 3 male))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
My name is Bombette Martin. I'm 14 years old and I'm a
skateboarder.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
My parents do not skate. They cannot stand on a skateboard
for their life. My little brother, he is a really talented
skateboarder. He's 11. His name is Kayo and he also
competes a lot.
((Kayo Martin, Bombette’s Brother))
I'm way better. I’m totally better.
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
No, you're not.
((Kayo Martin, Bombette’s Brother))
I'm way better all around.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Bombette Martin))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Well, I was nine years old when I started skateboarding. So,
that was like almost six years ago now. And we're really
lucky to have a world-class skate park right down the street.
So, actually like when we were really little, me and my
brother, we'd go watch the skaters through the fence. And
one day, we decided to go in and I just fell in love with it. So,
here I am.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Mary Apple, Bombette’s Mother))
Just for your warmup, can you do back and forth on the five-
foot hip? Just, just really work on frontside, backside ollies
on the five-foot hip and then also try to include...just try, try
because you might need to do this in England. Just try to
make it a backside air with a grab.
((Mary Apple, Bombette’s Mother))
You know we live local. So, the kids used to come and like
we would just be playing in that park over there. And we
used to come kind of hang on to this fence and like watch
the guys through and, you know, cheer them on. But it just
looked so intimidating. I don't know about for the kids, but for
me.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
When I was really little, I used to be like obsessed with
monkey bars [playground climbing frame]. Like I would go
around like to all different parks around the city and just like,
you know, do monkey bars and I would do like all different
like tricks and stuff. And so, I used to think that one day, I'm
going to go to the Olympics for monkey bars, even though
there is no such thing.
((Andrew Gelles, Owner - Substance Skatepark,
Bombette’s first teacher))
When I first saw Bombette and her brother, they were
pushing the wrong way, couldn't go down a three-foot ramp.
I started teaching them because I thought they were
hilarious. They were really funny kids who would like make
weird voices and amp each other up. But after those first six
months had passed between her and Kayo, it was clear that
these people were long-haul kids. They were in it for the
right reasons and they were going to make this work.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
There's like competitions that gain you points, the Olympic
Qualifiers. They were all supposed to be last year for the
2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but obviously that all got postponed
because of COVID. Now it changed from five competitions to
like what, three now. That gains you points and that goes
towards the rankings for the Olympics and I have to be in the
top 20 to go.
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Yeah, style comes into it a lot and the difficulty of tricks. So,
like it’s, I mean, it's really confusing. You have to like really
know skateboarding. Even like I still don't know. We like try
to ask people like “oh, what scores better, like this trick or
that trick?” And, you know, people, they can't give us like a
straight answer, but like it’s all based on, a lot of it's based
on opinion, like “oh, this judge thinks that looks better than
that” or whatever, “that's more difficult.” But yeah, it’s, you
know, based on difficulty mainly.
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Our lifestyle is pretty much changed so much just because of
skateboarding. And I mean, it's all over the place but it's fun.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
When I first started skateboarding, just something I mean
super simple that would be like such a big accomplishment
for me. But now that I’ve like grown so much, something like,
there’s, I learned a trick like a couple months ago that only a
few girls in the world can do and so that was a very big
breakthrough for me. The big trick was kickflip Indy.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Courtesy: Bombette Martin))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
I've been trying it for like a couple of years now, and then the
one day, I just got like super close and I was just going over
and over and over, falling and falling again for about like four
hours and then I finally landed it.
((NATS))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
And it was, it was really cool.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Jiro Platt, Skater and friend))
I’ve always like skated with her at contests a lot. She’s
always been really good at vert [vertical] skating.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
Well, I actually enjoy being a girl skateboarder because you
honestly, when you're a high-level girl skateboarder, you
tend to get more praise. You’re just, I guess, you're noticed
more because boys, there's just so many of them and there's
fewer of us. So, they’re like, people are shocked, honestly. I
love to see the girl skateboarding community grow because
it's becoming more normal. There's, I mean, so many of my
friends, they've started skateboarding and I mean it's nice to
see.
((Lucinda Jacobson, Skater and friend))
I mean, Bombette's obviously an amazing skater. The first
time that I met her, she did like a kickflip front-rock, which is
like a really hard trick. And, I don't know, seeing another girl
skating at Substance, it was really cool. I think it's cool that
skating is going to be an Olympic sport because I think
people are starting to take it a little bit more seriously. They
don't just think it's like a thing that burnouts do.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Bombette Martin, Olympic Hopeful))
It's like a drug. It's so addicting. When you're just learning
something new or just accomplishing something that you've
been working so hard for, like that feeling is just the best
feeling ever. And I'm sure it's like that for other sports, but I
just feel that skateboarding, unlike other sports, is just so
welcoming and everyone's so encouraging. You'll rarely
meet someone that's like an ass to you because there’s just,
everyone just loves to see others progress. And that's really
nice.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Popup Banner: Bombette Martin, a dual US/British citizen
who won the UK National Championships, will be competing
in skateboarding for Great Britain at the Tokyo 2020
Olympics taking place this summer (July 23, 2021 to August
8, 2021.))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
For the Love of the Game
((SOT))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
When basketball season happens, that's all that we're
doing. I'm a school at 7:00 in the morning and I don't really
get home until 8:30 at night.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) FEMALE VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL COACH
((Previously aired April 2021))
((TRT: 9:06))
((Topic Banner: Playing True))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martínez))
((Map: Fallon, Nevada))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub characters: 4 males; 1 female))
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Come on. G up. Come on, Sam.
Good, good.
Nice, nice. Stay with it.
Push, push, push, push, push, push.
Don’t get screened, Matt. Don’t get screened.
Board, board, board, board.
Got it, baby.
Keith, nice shot.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
My name is Chelle Dalager and I coach the Boys Varsity
Basketball team at Churchill County High School. In the
state of Nevada, I'm the first female coach to coach a Boys
Varsity program.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Back cut, back cut.
Next pass.
Look, look.
Back cut him. Back cut him.
Nice. There you go. Good rig, Keith. Nice pass.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
There is really more to basketball than just the game of
basketball. It really is about life lessons. Your life is full of
wins and losses, you know. You feel like you've done
something great, and sure enough somebody will knock you
down or you feel like you're maybe not so great, and then
something picks you up. It teaches kids discipline, teaches
them about work ethic and it teaches about being able to rely
upon somebody and about a commitment to a family.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Here we go. Rotate.
First off, you're not always going to reach your goal,
right? You're not always going to make it. That's just part of
life and part of basketball. What you should never do is stop
or quit playing harder or stop trying to at least get the highest
number you can get. We made lots of good progress when
we were early, right? So then, you all went home and had
turkey legs. And then, I don't know what happened,
right? Like our minds aren't focused on basketball
anymore. And really this is where we should be the most
focused we can be. Understand? So, talk to your pals and
get them out. Okay? Questions? Collin? Guys? All
right. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
((NATS))
((Keith Smith, Boys Varsity Basketball Player, Churchill
County High School))
I love it. It's probably like my favorite basketball coach. I've
played for a couple of different coaches and she's just
different. She pushes us, the intensity, demands a lot out of
us.
((Toby Anderson, Boys Varsity Basketball Player,
Churchill County High School))
She really pushes us to our limits and I think that's why we
have done well the past few years. We've been just pushing
hard in practice and getting what we need done.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Wave on me. Wave on three. One, two, three.
((NATS: Team))
Wave.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
We've just completed and we've won two state
championships, back-to-back. One in 2019 and one in 2020.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
This is the state championship team that won for the first
time in 47 years, and it's pretty exciting. The last time they
won a state championship was in 1971, and that was the
year I was born.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
You can see my two boys together. Number 11, that was
Avery when he was a sophomore, and just behind him with a
big curly head, that was Hayden when he was a senior.
This is our basketball trophy case. Here's our first one and
the other one is in my office because I'm not ready to give it
up yet. So, this is 2020 and this is 2019. And so, I play
those. If I'm in a bad mood, I go back and I watch both of
them.
((NATS: TV show))
State Championship, Churchill County High School taking on
Elko High School. Game time. Less than 10 seconds left in
OT [overtime]. And that’s Elijah Jackson. However, not the
first time it’s happened.
What? Flashback in 2019, Nevada 3A Basketball State
Championship. Elijah Jackson hit the three against the same
team. Boom. Ridiculous. No way..…to win the state
championship. No way.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Second time. Second shot.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I'm fortunate to be able to coach really good athletes. I think
that when you're successful, that it is a combination of, you
know, you being able to get the best out of your athletes, but
you have to have good athletes to work with.
It's not about gender for me. It's really about just coaching
and trusting your players and, you know, making them
believe in themselves.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I really did not expect to get the job. I wasn't really even
going to apply for it because I didn't think that I would get it
because you don't ever see, you know, women getting those
types of positions. And so, you've hired a female coach. Yes,
she's coach, but now we have two state championships to
go with that. And I think that just helps people, maybe,
recognize, I hope that a lot of female coaches get hired to
coach male programs because I don't think it's a gender
issue, right? It's you just don't see it very often. Although,
you see men coaching women's team. It's just never been
done, I guess. And that's what makes it pretty special. It
makes it unique.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Also, a really cool thing for me is that my two sons were on
the team and we got to share a state championship
together. That's a big memory for me.
So, that was them playing youth basketball for me. The left
one is when they were a little bit younger. The right one is
when they were a little bit older. You can tell that they're
getting a little bit taller than me. When they were growing up,
we played a lot of different games outside at home. When
they started beating me, I started using my Achilles as a
crutch.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
When basketball season happens, that's all that we're
doing. I'm at school at 7:00 in the morning and I don't really
get home until 8:30 at night.
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
James or Lacey is here.
Are you sure?
How was your day?
((Avery Strasdin, High School Student, Tricia’s Son))
Good.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Good?
Where are you going?
((Avery Strasdin, High School Student, Tricia’s Son))
Nowhere.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Nowhere. You are just hanging out?
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Oh, this looks so good.
My partner at home is very supportive. Our boys are her
biological sons and, you know, she's been really supportive
about, you know, having me coach them and she's a huge
part of our team as well. She travels and goes to all the
games and takes our scorebook.
((Photo Courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
We love basketball.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Yeah.
((Photo Courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
We got lucky. If you get the opportunity to embrace anything
that is going to bring your family together,
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
and you get to travel together, and you get to experience
success together, and you get to fail together, and you get to
kind of pick yourselves up and try again together, and you
get to have some early mornings and some late nights and
some long weekends together, I'm not sure that it matters if
it's basketball or what it is.
((Photo Courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((Tricia Strasdin, Michelle’s Partner))
I think it helped us in lots of different ways.
((Hayden Strasdin, Former High School Student, Tricia’s
Son))
I'll never forget it. I was glad to have my mom as a coach
and my brother on the team for my year, and then for him to
win a back-to-back is even cooler.
((Avery Strasdin, High School Student, Tricia’s Son))
Yeah, I don't have so many words for it, if I’m being honest.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
For me, it's the best memories I will have with basketball will
be with my family and, you know, what we brought to Fallon,
and we've been able to travel to all those tournaments
together, and then I coach them, and then we get back in the
car and we talk about the games and…..
((NATS))
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
Start close, they say.
Oh, one for one.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
I was a terrible shooter in high school. And then, when I went
to community college, it got a little bit better because I was a
little bit older.
I'm thankful for Fallon. They've supported me in coaching a
100 percent. I just have, we haven't run into issues like
that. My 2019 team, some kids on other teams were, you
know, giving them a hard time about me, you know, being
gay and about them playing for a woman.
((Michelle Dalager, High School Athletic Training
Teacher, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach))
And, you know, I just told my players, I said, “That doesn't
hurt my feelings.” And he was like, “Well, what do you mean,
coach? It doesn't?” I said, “No, because it's true. Yes, I'm in
a relationship with a woman, that makes me gay.” And I said,
“I'm sorry you have to feel like you have to defend me. You
don't.” I said, “It does not hurt my feelings at all. Now, if they
call me fat, then you can get after them, right? But other than
that, just let them say whatever they want to say, and you
prove your point by just playing the best basketball you can
play and beating the people that are saying those mean
things.” And that’s a life lesson, right?
((Video courtesy: Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley
News))
((NATS/MUSIC))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up…..
((Banner))
Finding Peace
((SOT))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
People think I'm a real thrill seeker, and I find it thrilling, but
it's also very peaceful. It’s almost a spiritual experience for
me. It's so quiet in my helmet.
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) STREET LUGE
((Previously aired June 2019))
((Banner: Racing Downhill))
((Reporter/Camera: Arturo Martínez))
((Map: Boise, Idaho))
((Main character: 1 female))
((Sub characters: 3 male))
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Sometimes we let our age, we let our number define us. It's
like grey hair bothers so many people and it just limits
happiness. I think once we can become comfortable in who
we are and what we're doing and create a life that we love, it
changes everything.
My name is CJ Wilkinson and I'm a mom, a hospice nurse,
but when I'm riding my street luge downhill, people know me
as Mama Wilky.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
All right, let’s go.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
People think I'm a real thrill seeker, and I find it thrilling, but
it's also very peaceful. It’s almost a spiritual experience for
me. It's so quiet in my helmet.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Street luge helps get rid of the anxiety and the stress and
depression that sometimes I'm dogged with. Working as a
hospice nurse, it can be really challenging and I feel
heartbroken sometimes, and it just provides a release so I
can come back and be as good as ever the next day. It's
almost like flying on the earth.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Not too fast. I'm old.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Next week, I'll be 55 years old and I started about three
years ago. It was a really challenging time. I got sick after
running my last half marathon in 2011 and it took years
before we figured out what was wrong and eventually I
ended up unable to work and in bed most days.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
This is what it looks like to wake up with Lyme disease. Very
hard.
((Dean Wilkinson, Street Luger))
I know you thought you were gonna die.
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
I was told I was probably not going to make it, remember?
((Dean Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Yeah. Luge gave her motivation to keep going because
otherwise she was ready to give up, and we found the low
dose immunotherapy. That was a key thing that turned
things around and made a big difference.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
It's still part of my stay well strategy and I can't imagine not
doing this.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
My downhill family feels like just a bouquet of wild flowers.
We're all unique, but we make a beautiful thing when we
come together.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
So, I am the skate mom of the community. I love all the
people I ride with and I just bring them under my wing and
make them my own, and they don't seem to mind.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
We don’t litter, Cade. You can’t litter.
((Cade Keller, Street Luger))
It’s biodegradable.
((Brandon Ayllon, Street Luger))
Mom yelled at you.
((Cade Keller, Street Luger))
Shut up.
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
It is not biodegradable.
((NATS))
((Brandon Ayllon, Street Luger))
She's Mama Wilky all the way. I mean, like every time we go
down the hill, she makes sure we have everything. If we fall
or if anything's happening, she's right there if you need
anyone to hear you out. She's my other mother, that's all.
((Cade Keller, Street Luger))
You don't see a lot of women skating and you also don't see
a lot of older women skating, so it's kind of abnormal.
((Brandon Ayllon, Street Luger))
My favorite part is that she's super fast. She’s faster than all
of us.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Although it's a male dominated sport, the women are starting
to catch on and we actually had our first women's division
two years ago.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Isn’t this the greatest adventure?
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
The maximum speed that I’ve achieved was 70 miles an
hour in a training run in Colorado. It was mind boggling. It
was so fast.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Well, the dangers here on an open road where we ride are
the oncoming traffic. They come into our lane and when they
do that, they really jeopardize our safety because we could
be coming around a blind corner and not know they are
there. My husband worries a lot. He's kind of a worrywart,
actually.
((NATS))
Is everybody in?
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
He drives for me. We have a truck that follows us down. He
drives it and that prevents any traffic from coming from
behind and overcoming us.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
Best driver in the business. I love you man. He does support
me. He gets up at dawn and drives me and he also joins me
when he rides his gravity bike.
((NATS))
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
And they call him Papa.
((CJ Wilkinson, Street Luger))
I hope that I encourage other women. Whatever your
passion is, if it lights your heart on fire, start it back up.
Anything's possible at any age. Just keep doing what you
love.
((NATS))
CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
BREAK THREE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
