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LDS Father and Son Luge for Venezuela
PARK CITY, UTAH -- Werner Hoeger, 39, and his son, Chris, 17, spent
more than $70,000 competing in luge events around the world and were
on the road for 68 of 79 days at one point, honing their craft and
sharing unforgettable moments. After a lifetime of dreaming and years
of training, the father and son competed at the Olympics representing
Venezuela. Werner finished 40 and Chris finished 31 out of 50.
Werner, director of the Human Performance Lab at Boise State and
author of six books on fitness, was Venezuela's all-around gymnastics
champion six years in a row, but his country never qualified for the
Olympics. "He was very big in my country," said Maria Boccalandro,
the president of Venezuela's sports federation. "When I was growing
up, I had two posters on my wall. One was Mark Spitz and one was
Werner Hoeger. I always thought Werner would be in the Olympics."
In 1998, Werner saw Iginia Boccalandro, the first luger from
Venezuela. He contacted her and she invited him back to his hometown
in Merida, Venezuela to learn luge. Werner, brought two sons, Jon,
who was 16 and Chris, who was 13, and his 11-year-old daughter,
Julianne. In 1999, they trained on wheels on the street with former
U.S. luger Jon Owen. A total of 124 athletes came to the tryout.
Thirteen made it onto the ice that first year, five qualified for
racing.
"In Calgary, my first time on ice, I was knocked unconscious, broke
my ankle, put a pin in my ankle. I was hooked," Hoeger said. Some
fathers ask their sons to go golfing with them, few ask their sons to
grab a sled, travel the world and slide down a sheet of ice at deadly
speeds.
Some criticize Werner and Chris for competing for Venezuela, but they
feel they are legitimate. They traveled the World Cup circuit. They
qualified for the Games. Chris said. "Yeah, I might not really be
Venezuelan, but I'm dang proud to be competing for Venezuela, to be
representing the country of my father's heritage. I wouldn't have it
any other way." Werner and Chris were the first father and son to
ever participate in the Olympics together. Chris plans on leaving the
sport to complete a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints.
Source:
Father, son realize their Olympic dream after sacrifices
Seattle WA Times 12Feb02 S2
By Steve Kelley: Times staff columnist
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