Tag Archives: profiles

Making America’s Gladiators: Jake Dalton, the Machine

I interviewed American Olympic gymnast Jake Dalton as part of our “Making America’s Gladiators” series for Men’s Fitness. Some athletes are pretty numb when it comes to interviews, but not Jake—he was probably just as excited as I was.

One thing I marveled at in this reporting was just how seriously he takes his nutrition. It’s not unusual to hear bodybuilders log calories, but he tracks his nutrition like an ongoing experiment in human-broccoli interaction.

Don’t worry, though: He still occasionally eats maple glazed donuts.

READ: Making America’s Gladiators: Jake Dalton

Photo by Miller Mobley

Making America’s Gladiators: John Orozco, the Fighter

As part of the “Making America’s Gladiators” feature in the Men’s Fitness run-up to the Rio Olympics, I had the opportunity to profile John Orozco, the Bronx-born gymnast who had overcome tremendous odds simply to compete at the qualifying meets to make the U.S. Olympic team. In his competitive career, Orozco had twice ruptured the same Achilles tendon, and was still in pain from that injury when he qualified—only to injure the ACL and meniscus of his left knee, essentially ending his Olympic hopes.

But he’s still got one more passion to pursue: acting.

READ: Making America’s Gladiators: John Orozco

Photo by Miller Mobley

The Professor of Rock

Notre Dame Magazine | Spring 2012

Like any good rock musician, Don Savoie looks like a mechanic.

He has Bruce Springsteen’s blue-collar appeal, as if he should be installing sheetrock or working at a car wash when he’s not playing onstage.

But Savoie isn’t a mechanic or even your average rock ’n’ roll musician. He’s a professor at Notre Dame.

Click here to read “The Professor of Rock” at Notre Dame Magazine

 

Photo by Barbara Johnston for Notre Dame Magazine

(A note about the photo: I helped Barbara and Kerry Prugh, Notre Dame Magazine’s art director, scout several locations for the photoshoot. We ultimately chose the University’s motor pool as the backdrop.  The gritty concrete-and-metal interior matched Don’s blue-collar look. Speaking of which: The outfit? All Don. He arrived at the shoot from a junkyard, where he was searching for spare parts for his daughter’s car.)