Bethel track coach's gold medal experience helps team win first national title
ST. PAUL, Minn. — It's been pretty impressive to watch all of the athletes compete on the world stage at the Summer Games.
For one local coach, it's bringing back some golden memories.
It's 44 seconds Andrew Rock will never forget.
"A lot of emotions come back when I'm watching," Rock said.
Watching and reliving his time at the Athens Olympics in 2004.
"My wife and I always joke that our social calendar is full during the Olympics because we won't miss any of it," he said. "It's been 20 years but you know the memories are still strong for me."
As a 22-year-old fresh out of college, Rock took home the gold medal in the 4x400 meter relay.
"I ran at the Olympics for 44 seconds which was really a sliver of my life, right, it's not much but it is so much more to me than that," Rock said. "It's the journey and years of training and all the people who invested in me."
Now he's paying it back to the next generation by investing in young athletes just like him.
"I love Bethel and I love being here. I've been here 12 years," he said.
And he's still winning titles. This May, Rock led the Bethel Royals men's track and field team to its first national title, in the same event he medaled in 20 years ago.
"Just helping the next generation of people figuring out what their best is," Rock said. "I don't go into this recruiting saying, 'You're going into the Olympics.' I don't know that. But I want to go on that journey with these athletes to realize their dreams and what their best is."
It's a journey that makes the reward even sweeter.
"Walking through the ups and downs with the athletes is a really fulfilling part of my job," Rock said.
Rock and his family traveled to Oregon to see the track and field trials live this summer. Unsurprisingly, he told WCCO he's most excited to watch those athletes in action later this week.
