McClure comes home

Published 7:35 am Friday, February 29, 2008

Brett McClure was not even in Mill Creek City Hall for a minute before he was besieged by autograph seekers, picture requests and well-wishers.

Nonetheless, he sported a smile during his entire time with the gathered masses, gleefully posing for pictures and drawing the Olympic rings on every autograph he signed.

McClure, of Mill Creek, was honored at a community reception Wednesday, Sept. 1 during his brief return home from the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, where he was a member of the silver medal-winning mens gymnastics team, the first mens team to medal since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

“This makes me feel so happy to be home,” McClure said.

After spending several minutes in city hall’s entryway, McClure entered the City Council Chambers to a large round of applause from the gathered community members and young gymnasts on hand, his silver medal draped over his chest.

McClure, 23, was introduced to the crowd by Mill Creek Mayor Terry Ryan and City Council member Donna Michelson, the event’s primary organizer.

“You have made your family, friends and your community proud,” Michelson said. “We will never forget you. You’re our hometown boy.”

McClure retained his composure while getting all the accolades, but seemed to genuinely appreciate the turnout and affection.

“You make me feel so welcome here,” he told the crowd. “When I was out there (at the Games), it’s pretty stressful. You only get one shot, but just to hear of all your support, I was able to go out there and enjoy myself.

“It was an experience unlike any other. It was just so overwhelming,” he said. “I’m so glad it’s over with.”

In the team preliminaries, McClure had an overall score of 56.323, which ranked 19th among all participants and second on the U.S. team. He competed in the pommel horse and horizontal bar in the team finals, when the U.S. finished second behind Japan.

McClure, the first Olympian ever from Mill Creek, finished ninth in the individual all-around, with top-25 finishes in the horizontal bar, parallel bars and the vault. He was 37th in the floor exercise, 61st in pommel horse and 64th in rings.

“I’m happy with how I did,” McClure said. “I have no regrets.”

He said he intends to go for a spot on the 2008 team that will compete in Beijing.

After brief introductions by Ryan and Michelson, the event turned into a question-and-answer session.

McClure detailed how he got into gymnastics at age 9, which he described as late. He told the crowd about how his father, Les, got tickets to the mens gymnastics competition at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, and took his son.

“I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen,” Brett McClure said. “One of the first things I said when I started gymnastics was ‘I’m going to the Olympics.’ “

McClure detailed some of the training he did as a youngster prior to leaving home at age 16 to train with the national team in Colorado Springs, Colo. He said as a youth at Cascade Elite Gymnastics he used to train six hours a day, six days a week, adding that he learned time management skills because of his regimented life.

“Dedication and time management is the key,” he said.

McClure continued his high school studies via the Internet, and would fly home to take tests. He graduated from Chrysalis High School in Woodinville. He also attended Mill Creek Elementary, Heatherwood Middle School and Jackson High School.

“Anything is possible,” he said. “You’ve got to believe in everything you do. It may be a cliche you’ve heard a million times from a million people, but it’s true.”

Other people asked what it was like in Athens, such as what the extra security measures taken to counteract potential terrorism were and what life there was like away from the competition.

“The Greek hospitality was great,” McClure said, adding that the Olympic Village had free food for athletes 24 hours a day, as well as a television showing other events. He told one inquisitive youngster that he did get to visit the Parthenon.

As for the extra security, he said, “It was pretty overwhelming. There were guys with machine guns everywhere.”

McClure also said that the Olympic experience will probably keep the team members friends for life.

“Team unity was a key factor in our success, not just this year, but the last four years we’ve been together,” McClure said.

As for what it was like to earn a medal, he said, “When you look up (at the scoreboard) and see you’re on the (medalist) podium, your hair stands up and all that pride you feel comes forth.

“The hardest thing is to hit the best routine of your life during that one chance at the Olympics.”

The event came together just 50 hours before it took place, when Michelson talked with McClure’s parents, Les and Judy, about when Brett would be in Mill Creek – but just for two days before leaving to go on tour with the gymnastics team. Judy McClure said Brett regretted that he would once again have to miss Bumbershoot, Seattle’s annual four-day music and arts festival.

News of the event spread via e-mail and phone calls. Nonetheless, Les McClure told Michelson that he counted approximately 175 people at the reception.

Ryan paid tribute to Les and Judy McClure during his remarks, calling them “the nicest, most humble people I’ve met in a long time. You’ve raised a great son.”

After touring with the gymnastics team, McClure will wed Jaycie Phelps, a 1996 gymnastics medalist, on Feb. 10.

McClure said Phelps’ support was important to his success, calling it, “comforting.

“She said to enjoy it, have fun, and forget about expectations.”

McClure also said he hasn’t decided how he will ultimately display either his or his fiancee’s medals once they’re married.

Michele Pellettieri, the community service officer for the Mill Creek Police Department, asked McClure if he and Phelps, from Indiana, would someday live in Mill Creek, and he said they may.

“I love it here,” he said.

Scott M. Johnson, a reporter with The Herald in Everett, contributed to this story.