Missy Franklin didn’t expect a thing.
In fact, last Friday, she almost didn’t come to school.
“It was the assembly for the senior gift giveaway,” Franklin said. “I had absolutely no idea that anything was going to happen. I was even thinking about not going to school that day — so my best friend and my mom had devised this whole plan to make sure that I was at school.”
But the Olympic hopeful was in for quite a surprise.
First, she was called up to the front of the assembly, bringing raucous cheers from her classmates.
Then came the big one — Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker entered the room to wish the swimmer luck.
“I had to be here,” Decker told the crowd. “On behalf of the Denver Broncos, I came here to wish her the best of luck this summer, and you better bring back that gold for us. Good luck!”
If the cheers were loud before, they were deafening when Decker arrived.
“I was so shocked,” Franklin said, mentioning that she had met Decker once before at the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame banquet. “As soon as they said his name, all of the girls just went crazy. Eric Decker in a room with 1,000 teenage girls? It just doesn’t get louder than that. I was so excited to see him. I was so happy he was there. And that was honestly one of the nicest things that anyone has done for me. For him to come and take his time right before he had a flight, to come and just say a few words, it meant the world to me.”
Franklin, who is a “huge Broncos fan,” said Decker’s presence even caused a few classmates to bend school rules a bit.
“It’s really funny, my mom was laughing because technically at school our phones are supposed to be in our lockers,” she said. “But she said as soon as he walked in, 500 phones just snapped up to take pictures and video.
“It was great.”
MORE FROM MISSY
Franklin first set her sights on the Olympics when she was just 12 years old.
“I qualified for Olympic trials when I was 12 years old, and I swam there when I was 13,” she explained. “That was for the 2008 Olympic trials. I knew I wasn’t going to make it then because I was so young, but it was still so exciting for me and I loved it so much. I remember I was driving home from Omaha just thinking, ‘Four years from now I want to be back here and I really want to have a good chance at making this team.’ So to come back four years later and have that happen would just be incredible.”
Trials for the 2012 games run from June 25 to July 2 in Omaha, Neb.
But she said her dream truly became a realistic goal either last summer or the summer before.
“The summer before I had nationals and I competed at the Pan Pacific Championships,” Franklin said. “That was a huge eye-opener for me. Then last summer with World Championships really got me on the international scene, I saw how much I loved it and how much fun we had. I think that’s when I really realized that, you know what, London could be really realistic for me, and it’s something that if I keep working really hard for it’s something that I could possibly achieve.”
Franklin said she tries not to think too far ahead, so she hasn’t gotten nervous about potentially swimming in the Olympics quite yet.
She said she tries to live one day at a time, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting excited about London.
“My goal is honestly just to keep the pressure off of myself, go out there and have fun and know that I’m ready.”
In the meantime, the lifelong Broncos fan said Decker’s surprise visit got the swimmer even more excited about Denver’s upcoming season.
“I’ve always been a Broncos fan, but I’ve always been a Colts fan, too,” Franklin said. “So right now I kind of have the best of both worlds. I absolutely love Peyton (Manning). I think he’s incredible, and the fact that he’s playing for us is so exciting.”
Franklin, who has a Broncos jersey, baseball hats and a handful of T-shirts, said football is a big deal in her family.
“My dad was actually drafted for Canadian football, so he’s a huge football fan,” she said. “Always growing up with him loving football and having Sundays, it’s just a big football day, which is great. It makes it a really special day and brings the whole family together — it’s exciting. I remember growing up with that, so now it’s fun because I get into it as much as he does. I’m trying to learn as much as I can from him. I’ve definitely grown as a fan the past few seasons.”
So will the Olympic hopeful head to Sports Authority Field at Mile High any time in 2012?
“I love going to games,” she smiled. “I love the whole atmosphere of it. I’m really excited for this season.”
-Gray Caldwell
Tags: Eric Decker, Missy Franklin
BT, I want him to win… I think it would be epic for I’ll Have Another to win! No ones won the triple crown in my lifetime.
Sure hope so Turtle… would be nice… 34 years since last one.
Swing and a miss Cat…. to be the Greatest of all Time you have to be better than second best of your decade…
Cough cough Tom Brady…
Royal, I am a lady, but I assure you, DB started the TT stuff.
LMAO !!! Mike !!
I am excited for him!!! I don’t even really follow racing closely but I love Horses, and those animals are Real Athletes as well!!! they train as much or more than anybody
with out brady, the patriots went 11-5, without manning the colts went 2-14. cough cough you got that wrong….
Tom Brady rode the foot of Adam Vinetri in two of his super bowls and since they stopped cheating, he hasn’t won one.
Well… Five AFC Titles vs. Two AFC Titles would disagree with you… and considering Vinny played with Manning after Brady I’d say that’s strike two dear!!!
Hi tlcat06 – I’ll have to back and read todays post but doesn’t surprise me. Don’t get me wrong, I liked TT when he was here, but it’s time to move in Broncos Country!! The past is the past.
But it’s not just me. Go watch the best 100 players to EVER play the game and see where they rank TB and PM for yourself. I think PM is #2 behind Jerry Rice and TB #7?
ya those race horses are some truly beautiful animals, i would love to see a triple crown winner.
Ginny didn’t win the super bowl for him.
** move on in Broncos Country**
I know i’m a bit late but, MAANN IT FEELS GOOD TO SEE MANNING THROWING OUT THERE!!! ^^
Vinny… I hate auto correct
then eli rod a helmet and a sideline two step from manningham
And thanks for pointing out how overpaid Manning obviously was Lou… I was going to get to that, but now I don’t have too!!!
in case you didnt hear me that was WITHOUT TOM BRADY, THE PATRIOTS WENT 11-5, WITHOUT PEYTON MANNING THE COLTS WENT 2-14.
u wuld think by the way some of you talk that the qb is a one man team
Elway is hands down the greatest of all time… he played in an era that was not about being passer friendly… He was and always will be the best in my eyes…
BT… Even the analysts agree that the Patriots are an overall better team than the Colts were. But hey, if you can put up 11 wins no matter your QB I guess that just means your QB might fit well in that system? Since TB has become an elite QB he hasn’t won the SB, PM literally carried the team on his back for years and finally won the SB when he had a good team around him. I still pick PM if I have a choice.
did any of you see what westbrook just did
They sure do Turtle… used to go visit my grandparents when we were young as they had horses. Always loved the horses and would ride whenever I could. Don’t bet on them.. just enjoy watching them run!!
I heard ya lou… and I said thanks, I agree with you… Manning was definitely over paid, or his team wouldn’t have sucked without him
Skillz, Eli probably did. I never said Eli was as good as either.
oh boy. overpaid my butt. paid exactly what he’s worth. about 25X what tebow was paid! well since i put it that way he may be underpaid.
But because Eli plays for NY he will go in the HOF whether he deserves it or not.
i know cat
just pointing out that could be used for any qb
ok now that, turtle, we can agree on. elway is the very best ever to play.
Well, other teams were willing to pay more, so he must’ve thought we were a good bet.
but i do agree with you
manning > brady
then cat… my fantasy team with Elway/Brady would crush yours!!!
But Eli did beat TB in two SB and has never beat his brother.
Probably, BT, but I don’t play fantasy football. I refuse to root for players that aren’t on my team when we are playing against them.
manning is definately better than brady. not by a whole lot, but def better.
Sorry, I’m feisty tonight. Must be all the energy in OKC!
LBF!!
I can’t wait to not talk about the Jets 2nd string QB. But girl will be girls.
Go Broncos! Go Manning!!!
Um – Cat – unless you can find it further back – Strand first mentioned TT in his 7:43 post and you were full swing on Timmy a few minutes later. LOL – (just so I don’t get accused of the man crush…)
I was still telling hunting stories
If Elway/Marino/Young/Montana got to play by today’s rules most of these little girly guys playing QB now would be simple footnotes in history… It’s not the same game and it’s changing more and more every year and not for the better
007 – are you a girl?
I love Timmy, I just said I didn’t bring him up.
ya that punt team guy sure gets alot of love from a few around here. boggles the mind mike!
Peyton Manning CHANGED the way people play QB.
Manning really shouldn’t be mentioned in the same sentence as Brady when it comes to talent… Brady is in a league of his own right now…
Brees = Manning
and for that matter
Eli > Peyton
wow. agreed again turtle, wtf?
And Elway has my back on this. Maybe not the best to ever play, but he wants to make him the best who ever played, so I’ll just stick with Elway.
ah hell that didnt turn out right. agreed with the 940 post, crap!
manning
brady
rodgers
brees
eli