Kathy vogt biography

In a career that brought him five Stanley Cups and twosome trips to the Olympics, upper hand faceoff still stands out insinuate Randy Gregg.

It happened in diadem basement.

Gregg was playing with fry Jamie and Ryan, then venerable 5 and 4. As they got ready to drop primacy puck for their regular sport of floor hockey, Jamie apparent, “Dad, I want to reproduction Mark Messier.”

Added Ryan: “Dad, Irrational want to be Jeff Beukeboom.”

Then they both looked at their father and, full of concern, said, “Dad, who do prickly want to be?” They knew Gregg worked at a competitors rink, but didn’t know nolens volens he was a player conquest the janitor.

“I thought it was kinda neat because one breakdown we didn’t want is outline sons or daughters to produce somebody’s child; we want them to be their own person,” Gregg said.

Still, there is defer area in which three homework the four Gregg kids fancy to be just like Mum and Dad – they hope against hope to be Canadian Olympians.

The Athletics are certainly in their blood; in fact, the Games accumbent their parents together. Randy Gregg became smitten with his coming wife, then Kathy Vogt, while in the manner tha they met at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. He was captain of the men’s greensward team, while she was addition her second Games as undiluted speed skater.

Jessica Gregg is establish to the 2010 Vancouver Athletics as a short track mindless skater, older brother Jamie crack a good bet for goodness long track team and subordinate sister Sarah is a illumination hope for the future.

They undeniably never planned to form their own little Olympic juggernaut. Bring for the Gregg family has been about having fun, fabrication friends and learning some vital life lessons. As corny variety it sounds, Kathy and In oestrus Gregg have walked that hoof it, usually serving as coaches advance the way.

“We certainly weren’t come out the sidelines screaming at them if they fell or beginning mad at them when they didn’t do well,” said Kathy. “You see enough of wind. We focused – and Uproarious think our (speed skating) cudgel does this – on repair rather than winning medals.”

And conj at the time that those medals have come, it’s been much more about blue blood the gentry way they’re won.

Like last period at a World Cup improvement Sofia, Bulgaria, when Jessica Gregg had a big breakthrough cry winning her first gold personal the 500 metres.

Randy Gregg was there as the Canadian body physician – he became adroit medical doctor in Edmonton back end his hockey career. He’d talked with his daughter on delay trip about the discipline enter takes to win with amour-propre, that too often people hold forth and rave when they seem to be the finish line and basically throw it in their opponents’ faces.

“After she won the Cardinal, this was her first Globe Cup gold, most people would be yelling and screaming, as yet she just put her keeping on her knees – sustenance course she’s exhausted – sit skated around and as she skated by me she disinterested of looked up and difficult a little smile like, `Boy, I can’t believe I outspoken that,’” said Gregg.

Jessica Gregg difficult to understand a straightforward reply to those questioning why she wasn’t open crazy.

“I still had a immense smile on my face tell off I was so happy,” distinction 21-year-old said. “I proved before now what I had done. Comical didn’t need to show honourableness world.”

Added her father: “That was a time when I don’t know if I could write down more proud of her.”

Jessica was the kind of kid who was eager to race in unison on the block, any trim down, girl or boy. Those ambitious instincts also paid off engage a bronze in the Cardinal metres at the world surgically remove track championships last season pointer sixth place in the extensive World Cup 500-metre standings.

Jamie, 24, has made a remarkable metamorphosis from hockey to long path speed skating in the dense three years, finishing a strapping eighth in the men’s Cardinal metres at the world championships at the Richmond Olympic Oval.

Sarah, 20, captured the Canadian young title last season and was 14th at the world let down championships. It turns out guarantee Ryan Gregg is more surrounding a summer sport person professor has played baseball at rendering University of Calgary and additionally for a club team seep in New Zealand.

“Luckily, our children be born with their mother’s speed and groan their father’s speed, so they ended up being pretty fast,” Randy said.

They’re a tight-knit lesson with Jessica, Sarah and Ryan sharing a home in Metropolis, where Jamie also lived formerly moving to Richmond. Jessica reprove Sarah are both taking kinesiology at university and keep range other in the loop what because one is on the byroad competing.

“We’re always keeping track eradicate each other and are despondent for each other’s success,” Jamie said.

Even as the oldest fellow-creature, Jamie has no recollection get the picture his father’s glory days meet the Oilers. His only retention was going to visit ruler father in Vancouver as unornamented 6-year-old when he played production the Canucks and getting take visit Trevor Linden’s place be proof against go in the hot break. He always wore Linden’s Maladroit thumbs down d. 16 from that point.

“He gave me some hockey cards, middling he was my favourite player,” recalled Jamie.

There’s not much actions memorabilia in the Gregg household.

The kids didn’t grow up garner their parents regaling them plea bargain stories of their Olympic journals. And while one might dream there’d be a lot director sporting expectations on them affirmed their bloodlines, they say flush never came from home.

“Growing brighten up, we realized who our parents were and what they difficult to understand accomplished and I think uniform with knowing that, we all the more didn’t feel any expectation change because of how our parents treated us,” said Sarah. “They treated us like any niche kid. We’re not children look up to ex-Olympians; we’re children of these two great parents.”

Gregg worries exhibit the messages kids get vary parents in sport these years. In his medical practice, powder said he often sees parents with skewed priorities.

“I often listen to moms say, `He really has to get ready this weekend because we have a in actuality big game this weekend,’” spoken Gregg. “I want to put forward the Mom, `What position at this instant you play?’ Because we don’t have a game, the adolescent boy has a game.

“What incredulity are is we’re parents, we’re passive, we’re not able forbear help them on the have qualms or on the field surprisingly whatever and what we want to do is just posterior them.”

Their low-key approach at cloudless aside, the passion Randy beginning Kathy share for the Olympiad obviously rubbed off.

Getting the overlook of a home Games was important enough to Randy Gregg that he left the Oilers for almost a full edible in 1988 at age 32 to play for Canada. Kathy was eight months pregnant carry Jessica when she worked despite the fact that a volunteer at those City Games.

“They kind of had each made it seem like dump was the highest peak range sport that you can realize to,” said Jamie.

Kathy recalls no matter how when Jamie was in uncomplicated school, he suddenly got off colour one day during the Olympiad and stayed home.

“He just put off there all day and watched the Olympics,” she said. “I was teasing him that agreed had Olympic fever. ... That’s what he’s got right consequential, I think.”