Trainer Watches Newport Harbor's Misty May Go for Gold

Misty May-Treanor, who lives in Long Beach and in Florida, grew up in Orange County and graduated from Newport Harbor High and Long Beach State, where she competed in 1995-96 alongside Jaime Barragan. After her Achilles' tendon injury on "Dancing With the Stars," she contacted Barragan to help rehabilitate, and the pair trained at their old stomping grounds, the 49er track. Monday night's rebroadcast of May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh in their preliminary round match against Czechoslovakia featured previously taped interviews on NBC. And there could be seen Barragan, who also goes by Armando Hart, his middle name, grinning at his friend in the footage of the pair training. He submitted the following about watching his friend go for the gold at the London Olympics.

Watching Misty May-Treanor at these Olympics is especially intense for me. As a former Olympian myself, I know a bit of what she is going through. As her trainer, I can only hope that her body remains strong and her training allows her to bring home gold. As her friend and former teammate, I am just thrilled for her to be able to get to this place in her career.

I feel both honored and privileged to have trained Misty in her preparation for the London Olympic Games. Her dedication has propelled her back to gold medal contention. It is a miracle that she is even on the court after the tragic achilles tendon injury she suffered on Dancing With The Stars. I never doubted her process and I feel inspired as I watch her matches knowing the obstacles she overcame to get back on the court. She is one of the most dedicated athletes that I have ever worked with.

I remember our time on the track team together at CSULB. As a teammate, Misty was a blast to have around and her sense of humor was contagious. Even though she is a tough competitor, she is also a great person to know and be around. Misty used to playfully challenge the sprinters on the track. Inside I knew that a part of her playing around was serious, and that was confirmed when I started training her. I saw her intensity in training. Yes, if properly trained, she could have beaten some of those sprinters out there.

No matter what the outcome at these Olympic Games, Misty is already a champion and has touched thousand of hearts with her winning smile and come-back spirit.