Women's 8 gold shows quality of USA athletes, ex-Olympian from Turlock says

By BILL POINDEXTER
bpoindexter@modbee.com

last updated: August 18, 2008 09:01:29 AM

Erin Cafaro's gold medal victory with the U.S. women's eight-member rowing team Sunday in Beijing brought back memories for another Olympic medalist from the Modesto area and her family.

Turlock High graduate Ali Cox was a member of the U.S. women's eight team that earned a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Cox watched the women's eight final online and was on the phone with Jen Terhaar, wife of U.S. women's rowing coach Tom Terhaar.

"I was definitely screaming at the computer, like everybody else was," Cox said from Austin, Texas.

She now owns a strategic and event marketing agency and splits her time between Austin, San Francisco and New York. Cox said she has rowed two times since the 2004 Olympics and has been asked if she misses it.

"My answer is, I'm absolutely fulfilled with my life to this point professionally," she said. "But I miss the team, I miss the people, I miss being in that great of shape, but I don't have any aspirations to go back into the sport ... except for today. You know what, it might not have been a bad idea to go back and train.

"I just hope now the world will be a little more aware of how great of athletes we have here, the coaching and the dedication to compete with the other countries."

Cox's parents, Sylvia and Chuck Cox of Turlock, went to Athens. Sylvia said Ali remains friends with the rowers who won Sunday. Sylvia also followed Michelle Guerette, a former teammate of Ali's, on her way to a silver medal in single sculls in Beijing.

"It's very exciting. It's wonderful," Sylvia Cox said. "It's a great sport that someone can have a normal life and a normal childhood, play many sports, as Ali has done, then they pick up this sport at a relatively late age, and they can succeed. It's inspiring for other young athletes."

Sylvia was preparing to watch Cafaro's winning row on TV on Sunday night. She and Ali had already talked about it.

"We're in constant communication," Sylvia said. "It just brings back wonderful memories."

Bee sports editor Bill Poindexter can be reached at bpoindexter@modbee.com or 238-4588.

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