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By Rebecca Greenspan It’s not often that the woman standing next to you is a world-class athlete. It’s even less likely for her to be an Olympic medal-winning women’s weightlifting champion who has been the national title-holder of her sport seven times. Lucky for the students, faculty and staff at the Savannah College of Art and Design, that athlete is Cheryl Haworth, a Savannah native majoring in historic preservation with a minor in illustration. She’s going to the Olympic Games again, this time in Athens, Greece. In honor of Haworth — who was the youngest women’s weightlifting participant in the history of the sport when she won the bronze medal in 2000 in Sydney, Australia — SCAD held a patriotic pep rally July 29 in Orleans Hall. Several hundred of Haworth’s family members, friends and fans turned out to wish her a bon voyage as she gets ready to depart Aug. 9 for the XXVIII Olympiad being held Aug. 13-29. At the pep rally, Danny Filson, dean of media and performing arts, acted as the emcee, introducing SCAD President Paula S. Wallace. Wallace praised “Cheryl’s resolve, tenacity and spirited determination [to] teach by example that strength is not measured by muscle alone.” She added, “After all, true champions — powerful, brave, dynamic individuals — are strong not only in body, but in mind, character and spirit, as well. As a historic preservation student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Cheryl has also excelled in the classroom, proving that brain and brawn can go hand in hand.” Michael Cohen, Haworth’s coach and the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Women’s Weightlifting head coach, delighted the audience with stories of Haworth, including one anecdote of her wearing raggedy clothing to a posh California eatery and being let in without incident, while he, in nicer clothing, had to change to be admitted. He also told those assembled of Haworth’s fortitude and emotional strength as she got back into peak shape after potentially career-ending elbow surgery in 2003. “We weren’t sure what was going to happen,” he said. “But only nine months after her surgery, Cheryl was back to lifting 95 percent of her high weight. She shows what determination and inspiration can do.” Filson presented Haworth with a basket of SCAD merchandise, including stuffed SCAD bees and lapel pins for trading with other athletes. Later, Haworth said, “The pep rally was very exciting, very energetic, and it reminds me about what I have to do, and also who I’m representing — not just the U.S.A. but also the college. I’m just really looking forward to going to Athens and coming back with something for everyone.” Haworth is not the only Olympian with SCAD connections. SCAD cheerleading coach Wayne Evans, better known as “Coach Wayne,” was on hand to receive a basket made for his wife, Zuzana Sekerova, the sole gymnast for the Slovakian team. Wallace might have put it best when she remarked that Haworth is indeed a “true champion. Her determination and drive to achieve her dreams have already taken her so very far in life … to summits few dare to reach.” Now Haworth attempts to scale one more summit. Greenspan is media relations manager at SCAD. |
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