Home-Field Advantage

Q: How did you wind up on Puerto Rico's Olympic team?

A: In 1980, I began my graduate work [in education] in Puerto Rico. I made the 1984 team in decathlon, and also in '88 [when he set the Puerto Rican national record in the sport]. Then I tried for the winter games [in bobsleigh]; it took me until '92 to make it.

Q: What sports did you play at Fort Myers High School?

A: Football, basketball, baseball. But I always liked the individual sports the best because you don't have eight or nine guys on the bench to blame if something goes wrong.

Q: What were your specialties in track

and field?

A: Whatever it would take to get some points. Our team was successful because we got along so well. We missed that whole racism thing-we just had a great time together.

Q: Were you a natural athlete?

A: I had a lot of desire and average talent. So I had to work real hard.

Q: What keeps you in Fort Myers?

A: It still feels like home. The Fort Myers of today is a lot like the Fort Myers of 40 or 50 years ago. We're humble, quality people, and that goes all the way back to Edison. And because of the retirement community, there's a respect for the aging process.

Q: What's the story behind your home?

A: My parents have had the big house since the early '70s; it was originally built for Mrs. Edison's brother. My little house in the back was built by Jack Beater, who wrote pirate novels. He moved here in the 1940s.

Q: When did you first think about being in the Olympics?

A: In 1968, when I saw it on TV. I saw a guy named Bill Toomey win the decathlon and said, "I want to do that." I sought out Bill to thank him, and he became one of my good friends.

Q: You're also an accomplished painter.

A: I never saw the separation between athletics and art. A lot of elite athletes have clever minds; a lot end up being attorneys, poets

or teachers.

Q: You're engaged, does that mean you'll settle down now?

A: Probably just change gears. My fiancée [Kristy Melius] loves [to travel]. She'll be going to Rio with me; she went with me to meet [British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his family] this summer; she'll go to Nairobi with me for a meeting.

Q: Is there anywhere you haven't been?

A: I've got a million miles on a few different airlines. I give the miles back to athletes who need to get to competitions.

Q: Do you have any time to sightsee when you're overseas?

A: I don't travel as a tourist very well. If there's something to be done, I'll also take a few days to explore. I really enjoy visiting the homes of creative, successful people. Maybe it's because I grew up beside the Edison house.

Q: You're now in your second term as secretary general of the WOA. Will you serve another?

A: If they can talk me into it. The WOA is a pretty tight-knit group; they'll tell you if they want you to hang around or not.