Stephanie Brown Trafton

Brown Trafton sets Discus American Record

Stephanie — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:42:28 +0000

5/7/2012

INDIANAPOLIS – Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Brown-Trafton set an American record of 67.74m/222-3 on Friday at the Altius TC Throwdown in Maui, Hawaii.

Brown-Trafton’s mark improved her own personal best from 2009 by more than five feet, and this was her third personal record set in Hawaii. Brown-Trafton easily won the competition, as second place finished more than three meters behind.

“I knew that I had been throwing well this entire season, and I knew that I’ve been pulling out the stops this year with everything from workouts to diet to technique,” Brown-Trafton said. “I knew this year was probably going to be a record setting year for me, not only a personal record, but I did have the intention of breaking the American record.”

The winning mark came on Brown-Trafton’s third attempt of the day and bettered Suzy Powell-Roos’ record of 67.67m/222-0 from 2007 by three inches.

“The actual throw where I broke the record didn’t necessarily feel like my best throw,” Brown-Trafton said. “I really wasn’t happy with the throw technically. Then the guys out in the field were like, ‘that’s it, that’s the record. Pull out the steel tape, she’s got it.’ But I know I’ve got so much more in me, and I’d love to break the record by 10 feet, not three inches. So there is this fine line with never being satisfied. I guess I’d call myself a perfectionist.”

Olympian Ian Waltz served as the meet director for the Altius TC Throwdown. Complete results can be found online at: www.altiustc.com

Katie Landry
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
USA Track & Field

Athletissima Lausanne 2011

Stephanie — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:37:07 +0000

I am back in Lausanne again for the Diamond League meeting Athletissima to be held on June 30. The wind has picked up today and I hope it can work in our favor tomorrow too. Last year the weather was a bit wet so we can only hope for sunny skies. The hotel is right on the water again and I have a chance to walk a little bit and take in all of the sail boats and swans at the marina. If I had more time here I would take the ferry over to Les Grangettes which is an idyllic tiny town with chalets hugging the lake. On warm summer days the kids and adults alike so for a dip near the ferry pier and that water looks so inviting. Again the Montreaux Jazz Fest is in full gear and one of these trips I will stop by and toast a glass of wine to the jazz greats who have played here.

Roseburg Rocks!

Stephanie — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:41:04 +0000

I had a chance to hang with Patty and Steph in Roseburg today. They were nice enough to let me use the ring for my premeet practice. It was super hot but we got to cool off at the pool and eat hamburgers. The kids had a few questions about prepping for USA champs and we had a chance to take a picture with the whole gang. I wouldn’t mind hanging out in Roseburg more often! Thanks for the pic Jodi!

Cruise on Lac Leman

Stephanie — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 06:08:03 +0000

I had a fairly average performance in Lausanne and finished in 8th place. Hope to do better in Paris and Albertville. I had a day after the meet to do some cool stuff like take a steamboat cruise to the upper lake Leman on La Suisse where I sat at the front of the first class deck for a three hour getaway. We went right by the Chateau de Chillon, pictured on the website, as well as Montreux where the jazz festival is held, one of the longest running in the world. If I hadn’t been feeling jet lagged I would have gone to the festival to watch some of the free concerts. I’m sure that would have been an awesome experience. After the cruise I rested up a bit then went to the Olympic Museum. It is a particularly significant place for me because it is dedicated to preserving the history of both the modern and ancient Olympics and I could definitely feel the “Olympic Spirit” in the exhibits and audio-visual presentations. One particularly cool exhibit housed all of the torches from the modern Olympics used to light the flame at opening ceremonies. I found my name in the archive of athletes in the upper floor exhibits. At the Museum Chop I bought a few replica souvenir from the 1948 London Olympics. The official poster from 1948 has a discus thrower. For a late dinner I bought some items at the grocery and had a nice picnic on the pier watching the sun set over the lake. I plan on vacationing here someday and I cant wait to bring back my loved ones to share this wonderful place.

Off to the Olympic Headquarters in Switzerland

Stephanie — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:10:54 +0000

I’ve just finished packing the bags and printing my boarding passes for my travels to Switzerland and France for competitions. I have conceded to check one piece of luggage on this trip but my heart will still be with the carry-on only crowd. First I am headed to Lausanne for a competition on July 8. This is a IAAF Diamond League event. Next I will head to Alberville for a small competition on July 12. Then off to Paris for another Diamond League event on July 16. In Lausanne I will visit the Olympic Museum and be able to read my name on the wall of Olympians. Ill take pictures of course and will post to the next blog. The weather should be nice for throwing far. My practices have been great and it feels like I am turning a corner in my season. Now its time to let it fly!

2010 USA Championships in Des Moines

Stephanie — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 02:20:18 +0000

I’ll be ready to go tommorow at 12:20 CST for the womens discus finals at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. You can get realtime updates on the event and even some video coverage! Check out the post from USATF.org:

“USA Track & Field, in conjunction with RunnerSpace, is providing real-time coverage of all events not broadcast on television. Highlighted competitions in the webcast include Thursday’s men’s and women’s 10,000m as well as extensive field event coverage. Webcasts will also include the voices of elite athletes as guest commentators. The webcasts will be found on the USATF 2010 Championships page in addition to an already posted video clip from USATF CEO Doug Logan on the partnership at http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/index.asp“

Sweet Smells of the Souq

Stephanie — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:42:10 +0000

I’ve been fortunate enough to get some great experiences off the competition field on this trip to Japan and the Middle East. Usually I don’t have much time to see the sights and need to save my energy for competition. Luckily on this trip the sights are very close and I have some great hosts that can arrange a driver to take me out and about. I wanted to visit the Souq Waqif, or the traditional open air market in Doha. My host was even kind enough to provide my with Qatari Rial, the local currency, because I only have credit card while most of the vendors accept only cash. We arrived at the Souq just as most of the vendors were closing up for the mid-afternoon break but the smells of spices and sweet grilled meat still lingered. The shops open early in the morning, close for about 3 hours during the hottest part of the day, and reopen during the cooler temperatures of nighttime. I’m sure the Souq is more beautiful at night when the warm glowing lights of the shops outline the ancient architecture.

I was on a mission to find some oils and perfumes and found a shop that sold items from all around the world. The shop owner started opening up boxes and letting me try all kinds of perfumes, including the traditional arabic womans perfumes. These traditional smells are very strong and the one I tried smelled of ground up chili peppers. Both arms had been dotted on all sides with different flowery scents but the Arabic perfume overpowered them all. I bought some miniature bottles of perfume from Saudi Arabia that smelled of rose, honeysuckle, and other flowers. I walked out of the store with a mild headache but at least I didn’t smell like sweat, even in the scorching heat of the day. We went to a second shop that had oils in large glass bowls lined up on the counter. The owner dipped a ladle in the bowl and stirred up the thick lotion that had separated from the scented oil. After a good stir he ladled the concoction into a beautiful bottle with gold embellishments and a red gemstone on the bottle cap. Then he wrapped the bottle in a beautiful piece of fabric with gold swirls and tied with a gold ribbon. The presenation is almost as important as the product itself. Now I have no excuse for not smelling of fresh flowers when Jerry picks me up from the airport.

Ice Rink in Qatar?

Stephanie — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:21:47 +0000

I arrived in Doha after a long flight on EgyptAir from Osaka via Cairo. On the long flight (Osaka to Cairo) I sat just behind the galley. I had taken off my shoes and put on my fuzzy slipper socks for comfort and halfway through the flight my feet started to get wet. Something was leaking through the carpet from the galley just in front of me. The attendant said the that condensation from the cold carts in the galley was leaking out and put a bunch of paper towels on the floor. For the rest of the flight I had to put my feet up on the seats. It was fortunate that I had an entire row to myself.

After a layover in Cairo (four and a half hours) I was ready to get to Doha and settle into the hotel. I had bought some sake in Japan to bring home. In Doha airport I was stopped by customs and told that alcohol is banned from entering the country. I would have to leave the sake at customs and claim on my exit from Qatar. Most of the women wore long black robes with veils covering the face. I felt somewhat exposed even in my long sleeve shirt and pants. The men wear white robes with a cape on their head. I have no idea if I am supposed to make eye contact or smile at anyone. I have heard that men and women must not make any contact outside their immediate family members. I feel very out of place and its blazing hot on top of it all. The sun is especially bright here but no one seems to be wearing sunglasses. While waiting for my car to pick me up I hear some chanting coming from a loudspeaker that is on top of what looks like a religious building. My guess is that it is time for the Muslim prayers.

The landscape turns from industrial and commercial strip malls to high rise financial and administrative buildings next to the azure water of the Arabian gulf. Most of these buildings have only been in existence for five or six years and about a quarter of the buildings still have cranes bringing up more material to complete the top levels. They are even filling in the water to create more space to put hotels and high rises. Fill dirt is plentiful and tourism is big business even in the tough financial times . Construction is showing no sign of slowing.

The hotel is very nice; the Sheraton Doha. I check in and find that I am sharing a room with Dani Samuels, the young World Champ from Australia. We have been assigned to a suite on the top floor with two twin beds and a view of the Doha skyline. I take a swim in the pool and spa and head back to an amazing dinner and fall asleep with the AC blasting.

I need to buy a mini tripod for my new camera so the transportation staff organizes a driver to take me to the City Center mall. Lots of nice home goods stores, a Coffee Bean & Leaf, all of the American fast food places, electronics, etc. I spot a store right at the entrance and buy a mini tripod that cost me 5 Qatari Rial (about $1.50). Not sure why the price was so low but I didn’t have any Qatar money so I payed with Visa. We visited the ice rink in the middle of the mall. Its about 95F outside and they have an ice rink here…at least its nice and cool inside!

Train to Kyoto

Stephanie — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:26:54 +0000

On the last day of my visit to Japan I had the opportunity to visit Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan. It was at one point the capital city of Japan. It is about 1 hour ride on the express train from the Rihga Royal hotel in Osaka where I stayed. When I arrived in Kyoto, I expected a quaint and bustling village full of people wearing kimonos and Shinto robes. Instead, I was amazed to see temples and shrines to Shinto gods coexisting with rows of shopping arcades, antique shops, food markets and high rise buildings. I did see some kimono clad Japanese women and one Caucasian lady who was dressed to impress in her pink flowery kimono and geta japanese sandals. Everyone wanted to take a picture with her and she was the center of attention wherever she went. I visited the Kiyomizu – dera Temple where a group of worshipers were doing their daily chants. Also at this temple is a fortune telling legend, the Love Stones. Two boulders are set in the earth about 40 feet apart. It is said that if you stand by one rock, close your eyes, and walk in the direction of the other rock and the journey is successful (make it to the other rock without assistance) you will find your love match. If you go off course it means that you are doomed to love failures and may need to take some advice from the elders to find a suitable partner. I saw the 80 foot tall statue of RyoZen Kannon which is a interesting sight in the setting of green trees and blooming azaleas. I had a few close encounters with real Geisha. I bought a sake set and and a few souvenirs from a craft store way off of the tourist area and I’m pretty sure my purchases were more authentic then the cheap stuff sold by the street vendors. Kyoto is one of the only places in the world where traditions still exist in all of its colorful and romantic glory. I only stayed in Kyoto for about four hours but there is so much more to do and I look forward to visiting again someday.

Sashimi and Mochi Creams

Stephanie — Tue, 11 May 2010 10:08:33 +0000

After the competition in Osaka I went out to do more shopping with another one of the athletes. We both enjoy sushi and decided to experience real Japanese cuisine. On the top floor of the shopping mall there were two Japanese restaurants. One had very nice decor and as Japanese culture dictates, shoes must be removed and left at the door. There were about 50 pairs of shoes all in a row right at the hostess desk. Kind of a strange sight for me but understandable. The other option was a place that looked like ”hardcore” sushi bar and much more casual. They served only sashimi…sushi is more of an Americanized version of Japanese. There were no spider rolls or California rolls to be found on this menu. Raw fished served up on a canvas of leaves, rice, ice, bamboo decorations, etc. The plates were pieces of edible art. The two of us imbibed in a couple bottles of hot sake and ate enough fish to feed about 6 average diners. It was pure heaven on a plate. Jerry, I’m sure, is jealous and I cant wait to come back here with him to show him the real sushi experience.

After a dinner of fresh raw fish, mochi is my dessert of choice. Mochi was not served at the restaurant but one floor down was the “Sweets Museum”. The entire floor is dedicated to cake, candy, ice cream and of course mochi. We had our choice of about 20 flavors with all types of creamy fillings, not ice cream but a very creamy sweet mush in the middle. Click here for a good review. I bought one with white chocolate and one with apple pie filling. It was just about as wonderfully satisfying as the sashimi dinner. If they have mail order of these to the states I will be ordering them from now on and I expect a box on birthdays and anniversaries too! Hint, hint.