Interesting Story: Medalist battling through divorce
By Paul Newberry
Associated Press
KEARNS — With tears welling up, Derek Parra tried to compose himself as he finally revealed the turmoil that has haunted him since this summer.
Derek Parra The speedskater who won two medals at the Salt Lake City Games — with his wife and infant daughter providing inspiration — is going through a painful divorce, severely hurting his chances of making it back to the Olympics.
"Some days I'm OK," Parra said Wednesday. "Some days I'm not."
The extraordinary catharsis unfolded in the basement of the Utah Olympic Oval, where Parra had the greatest two days of his athletic career in 2002. This time, shortly after another mediocre showing at the U.S. national championships, he hopped atop a trash can and divulged that his marriage fell apart when he went home to Orlando, Fla., over the summer.
"I'm going through a divorce, guys," he said. "I skate with my heart. My family has been there with me for so many years. Now, that's all gone."
It's been clear for a while that something was wrong.
The 35-year-old Parra struggled on the World Cup circuit, failed to prequalify for the U.S. Olympic team and came to this week's national championships needing to earn his spot. He didn't come close in the 500 or 1,000, and he merely went through the motions in the 5,000 since there were no spots available.
On Friday, Parra will have one final chance in the 1,500, needing to go fast enough to claim one of the two openings.
It won't be easy.
"I've got to put this thing behind me for one day," Parra said, the words coming out in halting, painful spurts. "If I can't, I won't be going to the Olympics."
His teammates sound more hopeful than Parra.
"Don't count Derek out," said world record holder Chad Hedrick. "He's a fighter. He's one of the leaders of this team. A lot of us wouldn't be the skaters we are without him."
Four years ago, Parra felt like the luckiest guy around.
He was married to the love of his life, Tiffany. The couple had their first child, Mia Elizabeth, just two months before the Salt Lake City Games. At the opening ceremony, Parra was among the athletes chosen to carry the tattered American flag that survived the attack on the World Trade Center.
Riding a wave of emotion, Parra won a stunning silver medal in the 5,000 meters. Tiffany, watching the race on television from her parents' home in Florida, put a "USA" beret on Mia Elizabeth and jumped up and down on the sofa when her husband crossed the line.
Ten days later, Tiffany was on hand to see Derek win his signature race with a world-record performance in the 1,500. She made so much racket on the temporary metal bleachers that she worried about falling through.
"I was looking at my life and feeling so thankful about what I have," Parra said at the time.
Parra planned to retire after the Olympics but now says his wife pushed him to keep skating. He finally had a chance to make a little money in the sport. He still had a passion for the competition.
The first signs of trouble appeared when Parra's wife and daughter moved to Salt Lake City to be with him a few months after the Olympics. It was hard to have much of a life between his training and part-time job at Home Depot. Within weeks, Tiffany had packed up their daughter and moved back to Florida.
"I know it was difficult for her," Parra said. "I was gone 12 hours a day."
Still, they had a plan for the rest of their lives. Tiffany enrolled in college. Parra kept on skating and got to Florida when he could. After he skated in one more Olympics, they would settle down as husband, wife and daughter.
Now, Parra is trying to figure out his next move. His daughter just turned 4 and he hasn't seen her since October. He choked up when talking about being apart during Christmas. Compounding his fragile psyche, there are constant reminders that his life is spiraling off in a direction he never imagined.
"I just got a package today that I have to sign and send back," he said, referring to documents associated with his divorce.
Parra has been seeing a therapist, but there are nights when he barely gets more than an hour or two of sleep. He's trying to stay focused on making his third Olympic team, but he can't help but wonder what's next.
"If I don't make the team, I'll go back to Florida and be with (Mia Elizabeth) and try to decide what to do with the rest of my immediate life," he said. "If I do make the team, I'll go home for a few days, try to settle a few things and get all my stuff out of the house."
Associated Press
KEARNS — With tears welling up, Derek Parra tried to compose himself as he finally revealed the turmoil that has haunted him since this summer.
Derek Parra The speedskater who won two medals at the Salt Lake City Games — with his wife and infant daughter providing inspiration — is going through a painful divorce, severely hurting his chances of making it back to the Olympics.
"Some days I'm OK," Parra said Wednesday. "Some days I'm not."
The extraordinary catharsis unfolded in the basement of the Utah Olympic Oval, where Parra had the greatest two days of his athletic career in 2002. This time, shortly after another mediocre showing at the U.S. national championships, he hopped atop a trash can and divulged that his marriage fell apart when he went home to Orlando, Fla., over the summer.
"I'm going through a divorce, guys," he said. "I skate with my heart. My family has been there with me for so many years. Now, that's all gone."
It's been clear for a while that something was wrong.
The 35-year-old Parra struggled on the World Cup circuit, failed to prequalify for the U.S. Olympic team and came to this week's national championships needing to earn his spot. He didn't come close in the 500 or 1,000, and he merely went through the motions in the 5,000 since there were no spots available.
On Friday, Parra will have one final chance in the 1,500, needing to go fast enough to claim one of the two openings.
It won't be easy.
"I've got to put this thing behind me for one day," Parra said, the words coming out in halting, painful spurts. "If I can't, I won't be going to the Olympics."
His teammates sound more hopeful than Parra.
"Don't count Derek out," said world record holder Chad Hedrick. "He's a fighter. He's one of the leaders of this team. A lot of us wouldn't be the skaters we are without him."
Four years ago, Parra felt like the luckiest guy around.
He was married to the love of his life, Tiffany. The couple had their first child, Mia Elizabeth, just two months before the Salt Lake City Games. At the opening ceremony, Parra was among the athletes chosen to carry the tattered American flag that survived the attack on the World Trade Center.
Riding a wave of emotion, Parra won a stunning silver medal in the 5,000 meters. Tiffany, watching the race on television from her parents' home in Florida, put a "USA" beret on Mia Elizabeth and jumped up and down on the sofa when her husband crossed the line.
Ten days later, Tiffany was on hand to see Derek win his signature race with a world-record performance in the 1,500. She made so much racket on the temporary metal bleachers that she worried about falling through.
"I was looking at my life and feeling so thankful about what I have," Parra said at the time.
Parra planned to retire after the Olympics but now says his wife pushed him to keep skating. He finally had a chance to make a little money in the sport. He still had a passion for the competition.
The first signs of trouble appeared when Parra's wife and daughter moved to Salt Lake City to be with him a few months after the Olympics. It was hard to have much of a life between his training and part-time job at Home Depot. Within weeks, Tiffany had packed up their daughter and moved back to Florida.
"I know it was difficult for her," Parra said. "I was gone 12 hours a day."
Still, they had a plan for the rest of their lives. Tiffany enrolled in college. Parra kept on skating and got to Florida when he could. After he skated in one more Olympics, they would settle down as husband, wife and daughter.
Now, Parra is trying to figure out his next move. His daughter just turned 4 and he hasn't seen her since October. He choked up when talking about being apart during Christmas. Compounding his fragile psyche, there are constant reminders that his life is spiraling off in a direction he never imagined.
"I just got a package today that I have to sign and send back," he said, referring to documents associated with his divorce.
Parra has been seeing a therapist, but there are nights when he barely gets more than an hour or two of sleep. He's trying to stay focused on making his third Olympic team, but he can't help but wonder what's next.
"If I don't make the team, I'll go back to Florida and be with (Mia Elizabeth) and try to decide what to do with the rest of my immediate life," he said. "If I do make the team, I'll go home for a few days, try to settle a few things and get all my stuff out of the house."
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