21 replies to this topic

[WreckWench]

So this post inspired this new thread and I think its great that many of our members have had some sort of FAME or brush with it!

So what's yours? It can be diving or non-diving related!

I know this was posted as a different topic, but while we are on the subject of astronauts ...

I thought you all might be interested to know that I actually certified one of our NASA astronauts for SCUBA about 12 years ago. Sandra Magnus (who is currently in orbit on the International Space Station) was finishing up her PhD at Georgia Tech in 1996, when she and her husband decided to enroll in the non-credit Openwater certification course that I teach there. Sandy had been accepted into the astronaut program by that time, and (besides being a fun thing to do!) SCUBA certification was one of the requirements that they wanted her to fulfill before reporting to NASA for training as a Mission Control Specialist.

Sandy's first space mission was STS-112, which was the last one that flew before the Columbia disaster (kind of scary!).

-JimG

[cmt489]

15 seconds?! And here I thought everyone at least got 15 minutes

[WreckWench]

15 seconds?! And here I thought everyone at least got 15 minutes

Yup....here you do get a full 15 minutes...but sadly other places its only 15 seconds!

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

Well, I'm certainly not famous! But, I did brush against it once. I was barely 19, in the Army and stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, TX as a tank mechanic. The last 5-star general in the Army, Omar Bradley, came to our base and actually visited our work area and I got to shake his hand, and then I was interviewed by the local newspaper about what I thought the General was thinking about female tank mechanics. The article printed had my responses out of context and I refused to keep a copy of it, I was so mad at the reporter! The General was very old at that time, and he devoted his entire life in service to his country. It was an honor to meet him.

[Bubbles]

In the mid-90's while I lived in Atlanta I would volunteer at the annual AT&T Challenge tennis tournament. One of those years I worked at the host hotel and helped coordinate the scheduling of the practice courts for the players. Most of the time it was the lesser known players who were scheduled to practice, but one afternoon Andre Agassi had one of the courts reserved. I was so excited when I saw he was on the schedule, and it was even more exciting when I got to hang out watching him practice SHIRTLESS!!! That was back when he was dating Brooke Shields. She was there too, but I hardly noticed because I only had eyes for Andre!!!

[Landlocked Dive Nut]

OOoohhh, was this back when Andre had the long, wild hair? I'd have hung out & watched, too!

[shawnabbott]

I was fortunate enough to spot the infamous ex Governor of Texas, Ann Richards in the airport on one of my travels. I worked up the nerve to ask for her autograph which she graciously provided. She was just as sassy in person as she appeared in the media! No silver spoon in her mouth...

I also spotted Sandra Bullock in the old Austin Airport years ago and overheard her being rude to people who asked for her autograph.

I was on a plane with Alicia Silverstone. When I walked by and asked her if she was who I thought she was she said "yes I am"...nice girl.

My FIRST dive trip, when I got certified, I dove with Ty Sawyer, editor for Islands and Sport Diver magazines, for the whole week!!

Edited by shawnabbott, 11 December 2008 - 07:52 PM.

[uwfan]

I was fortunate enough to spot the infamous ex Governor of Texas, Ann Richards in the airport on one of my travels. I worked up the nerve to ask for her autograph which she graciously provided. She was just as sassy in person as she appeared in the media! No silver spoon in her mouth...

I also spotted Sandra Bullock in the old Austin Airport years ago and overheard her being rude to people who asked for her autograph.

I was on a plane with Alicia Silverstone. When I walked by and asked her if she was who I thought she was she said "yes I am"...nice girl.

My FIRST dive trip, when I got certified, I dove with Ty Sawyer, editor for Islands and Sport Diver magazines, for the whole week!!

Hmm, didn't even think about it... Ann Richards was visiting our school the first year I taught in Houston and stopped by my classroom to see what we were doing. I was so nervous about someone visiting my classroom, I only remember being petrified!

[Bubbles]

OOoohhh, was this back when Andre had the long, wild hair? I'd have hung out & watched, too!

Oh yeah!!!!

[uwfan]

OOoohhh, was this back when Andre had the long, wild hair? I'd have hung out & watched, too!

Oh yeah!!!!

You two CRACK me UP!!! (Nahh, I wouldn't be watching, I wouldn't be watching at ALL!! LOL! --What? Where'd you say he was playing?? )

[Latitude Adjustment]

I'm older so I've had more time for this

I had a short conversation at a Philadelphia film festival in the early 70's with Jacques-Yves Cousteau, his English was bad, my French worse.

When I was in the auto business in Princeton Princess Yasmin Aga Khan who is Rita Hayworth's daughter and Peter Benchley were among my customers.

Stan Waterman and I used the same dive shop in Princeton, I ran into him a lot there and went to his home to look at some lights he had for sale. He told me they were all wrong Kelvin color for what I was doing. Once while at the shop my daughter who was about ten was sitting reading a book, Stan sat down with her to explain some of the stuff, she didn't have a clue who he was. Of course at BTS she was talking to Scott Carpenter who is also a diver and she didn't have a clue who he was either!

Like Shawn I spent a week diving with Ty Sawer, one of the pictures of me on Sunset House's website was taken by him. And like Ty I spent a week diving with Shawn Abbott

Jim Hanks, Toms younger brother shoots u/w video and I was on Truth with him. Same voice and face but thinner body, last I heard a back injury was keeping him out of the water.

[Hipshot]

My 15 seconds of fame was just about that. Back in 1975, I was in an open freestyle wrestling tournament. Being the only wrestler in the 100 kg (220 lb) weight class, rather than win the tournament by forfeit, I went into the unlimited weight class, which it truly was.

My third and final match was with a gentleman named Erland van Lidth de Jeude. He was literally twice my size and the following year he was the alternate heavyweight for the U.S. team in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The match consisted of him throwing me for a pin (in freestyle, the shoulders touching simultaneously ends the match).

Besides a distinguised career as an amateur wrestler and opera singer (no fooling), Erland went on to parts in movies (The Wanderers, Stir Crazy, and The Running Man) using the screen name Erland van Lidth. Sadly, he passed on in 1987, shortly after The Running Man.

However, due to the quickness of our wrestling match, it really was my 15 seconds of fame.

Rick



Be the change you wish to see in the world!

[georoc01]

Well, I grew up with AJ Kitt, Sandy Williamson & Diane Roffe who all ended up on the US Ski team. My parents chose to send me to a real school rather than to the skiing schools that they all ended up. Diane married the son of the our race instructor, Pepi Steinrotter.

When I was working at Nike, the US ski team would train up at Mt. Hood and I ended up spending time with Picabo Street, who was rehabbing her knee on the Nike campus.

At Nike, you would run into famous athletes all the time. One day we were playing volleyball and some guy named Jordan asked to use the court. We also had ride a bike with Lance day, a golf demo with Tiger (he was hiding out on the Nike Campus when all of the Fuzzy Zoeller comments came out), he has full control over everything with the Tiger logo on it. An exhibition with Sampras and Agassi. A hitting exhibition with Ken Griffy Jr (I was able to hang out in the back with Harold Reynolds, a former Mariner who was working for ESPN at the time. Another day I was getting off a shuttle bus and met Roy Jones Jr and his posse as he was having custom shoes made.

[ScubaSis]

Well, one year I took a road trip with my parents from Texas to Colorado. We were on the last leg of our trip when we stopped at a truck stop in Trinidad, Co for lunch.

As we were walking into the place I saw a cowboy. Not just any cowboy, but if you can imagine, The MOST Beautiful Cowboy you could ever lay eyes on. He actually took my breath away.

I was walking behind my mother and started reaching out trying to tap her on the back to get her attention. I kept missing due to looking at the Cowboy. Then I realized I was about to "man watch" with my mother, I stopped reaching for her!! I could not take my eyes off this man.

He left as we sat down and then the waitress arrived to take our order. My mother asked the waitress what was around the area to go see or if anything was going on in the area. The waitress just said "No, not other than what just happened". We said "What just happened?" She said "Well didn't you see him!! Sam Elliott was just here!!"

I could have died!! I had never thought of Sam Elliott as a good looking man, but let me tell you he was the most striking, authentic, cowboy you could EVER see in person!!! This was in the late 80's and he was filming a movie nearby with Katherine Ross.


On another note.....I work with George Straits Brother-In-Law and Nephew. It gets fun sometimes listening to stories about George and his wife!!! Several of the people I work with have met him at family gatherings and weddings of his family. I hope to be invited someday.

I guess you can tell I'm partial to cowboys!!!

Edited by ScubaSis, 12 December 2008 - 12:48 PM.

[Capn Jack]

Clive Cussler was doing a book signing and lecture at Casa Manana here in Ft Worth (Small, theatre-in-the-round)

Both SWMBO and I love his books, as do another couple we socialize with - we all wanted to go - and it was only $5 for a ticket.

BUT, as usual, I procrastinated, and there was no longer an ad in the paper, and Casa Manana said it was being handled totally by the Ft Worth Star-Telegram newspaper.

So I called them, explained what I wanted, and was told someone would get back to me.

If you live here, and know me, you know there is a local radio talk show host, and columnist of the same name....

So I get a call -

"OMG - are you THE FirstName LastName ???? I have ALWAYS wanted to meet you"
Of course, I said I was - thinking I'd just play along.

Net of this she said she'd get me 4 front row tickets, and to pick them up at will call. Even better we showed up and they were free - the guy at will call said the newspaper had paid. Full disclosure - she never asked if I was the talk show host and columnist, so I didn't have to pop her bubble.

And I did get to meet Clive Cussler.