Heavy Medal II


Todd Lodwick
5x Olympian, 3x World Champion, Olympic Silver Medalist

2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES:
Silver Medal: Team Event
* - Five-time Olympian ('94, '98, '02, '06, ‘10)
* - Seven-time World Champions team member ('95, '97, '99, '01, '03, '05,'09)
* - 2010 Olympic Silver medalist)
* - 2009 World Championship gold (mass start)
* - 2009 World Championship gold (Gundersen)
* - 4th in '05 World Cup rankings (top-8, '98-2005 season)
* - Career: Six World Cup victories
* - 2004 German Grand Prix Champion
* - All-time U.S. Olympic best: 5th, 7th in 2002; and 4th in team event
* - 26 World Cup top-3s
* - USA record 17 U.S. titles (9 combined, 8 jumping)
* - Swept U.S. Combined, jumping titles '04, '05 and '06

BIOGRAPHY
Todd Lodwick, who returned to competition in '09 after a two-year retirement, redefined the idea of U.S. success in nordic combined right from his first international meet. He won that first competition – an International Cup meet, as they called it in those days - to open the 1994 Olympic season and has piled up unprecedented success for an American: Junior World Championships gold in 1996, six World Cup wins, the 2004 Grand Prix championship in the World Cup season and Summer Grand Prix title, and eight straight seasons of being in the top nine world rankings. After a retirement from the sport, Lodwick returned in 2009 to become a two-time World Champion.

UPDATE
At the start of the 2009 season the nordic combined world wondered, after a two year hiatus from a sport that requires constant training to be at peak performance, what was Lodwick going to be able to accomplish? Lodwick answered that question as he lived through a season-long fairytale that brought new levels of success with each turn of the page. Deciding to return to the sport, Lodwick had to earn his way back to competing at the World Cup level. Three consecutive Continental Cup wins and a second place later, and Lodwick was on his way to Germany - the site of his first World Cup performance since March of 2006. He proved his success was not limited to the Continental Cup level by taking two second place finishes in Oberhof. After another three top-15 finishes, Lodwick made his way to the competition that spurred his desire to make a comeback - World Championships. In Liberec, Czech Republic, Lodwick's dreams came true, twice! He opened the event with a gold in the mass start event and two days later had a gold in the Gundersen.




Steve Swanson
2x NASA Shuttle Mission, 4x Spacewalker, 20 year veteran of NASA

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Syracuse, New York, but considers Steamboat Springs, Colorado to be his hometown. Married to the former Mary Drake Young of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. They have three children. He enjoys mountain biking, basketball, skiing, weight lifting, trail running, woodworking and spending time with his family. His parents, Stanley and June Swanson, reside in Eagle, Idaho. Her parents, Chan and Martha Young, reside in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Steamboat Springs High School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; received a bachelor of science degree in engineering physics from the University of Colorado, and a master of applied science in computer systems from Florida Atlantic University, and a doctorate in computer science from Texas A&M University.

SPECIAL HONORS: Recipient of the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, the JSC Certificate of Accommodation, Flight Simulation Engineering Award, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

EXPERIENCE: Prior to coming to NASA, Steve worked for GTE in Phoenix, Arizona as a software engineer working on the realtime software of telephone system multiplexer/demultiplexers.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Steve joined NASA as a systems engineer and a flight engineer in the Aircraft Operations Division of JSC working on the Shuttle Training Aircraft. The Shuttle Training Aircraft (STA) is a complex airborne shuttle simulator, which models the flight characteristics of the Shuttle from 35,000 ft. to main gear touchdown. During his time with the STA, Steve worked on the improvement of the STA’s navigation and control systems and the incorporation of a real-time wind determination algorithm. In May of 1998, Steve was selected as mission specialist and started training in August of 1998. After completing Astronaut Candidate training, which included intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems, Steve was assigned to the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations Branch. Steve has also worked in the Astronaut Office Robotics Branch and as a CAPCOM (spacecraft communicator) for ISS and Shuttle missions. He also completed the advance training for EVA, the Shuttle and ISS robotic arms, and Shuttle rendezvous. In 2007 Steve flew on STS-117 logged 336 hours in space including almost 14 EVA hours. In 2009, Steve flew on the STS-119 mission in which he lead the EVA team and logged 307 hours in space including about 13 EVA hours.

SPACE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE:
STS-117 Atlantis (June 8-22, 2007) was the 118th Shuttle mission and the 21st mission to visit the International Space Station, delivering the second starboard truss segment, the third set of U.S. solar arrays, batteries and associated equipment. This successful construction and repair mission involved four spacewalks by two teams of astronauts. Steve accumulated 13 hours and 45 minutes of EVA in 2 spacewalks. The mission also delivered and returned with an expedition crew member. STS-117 returned to land at Edwards Air Force Base, California, having traveled 5.8 million miles in 14 days. STS-119 Discovery (March 15-28, 2009) was the 125th Shuttle mission and the 28th mission to visit the International Space Station, delivering the final starboard truss segment, S6. As part of S6, the fourth and final set of U.S. solar arrays, batteries and associated equipment were also delivered, installed and deployed. This very successful construction mission consisted of three spacewalks conducted by three astronauts, two at a time. Steve accumulated 12 hours and 37 minutes of EVA in 2 spacewalks. STS-119 landed at the Kennedy Space Center after traveling 5.3 million miles in 13 days.




John Ruger
2x Olympian, 30 year veteran USOC Ombudsmen 16+ Olympic Teams

Provide independent advice to athletes at no cost about the applicable provisions of the Ted
Steven's Olympic Amateur Sports Act and the constitution and bylaws of the USOC, national
governing bodies, Paralympic sports organizations, international sports federations, the
International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, and the Pan-
American Sports Organization, and with respect to the resolution of any dispute involving the
opportunity of an amateur athlete to participate in the Olympic Games, the Paralympic
Games, the Pan-American Games, world championship competition or other protected
competition as defined in the constitution and bylaws of the USOC.

OMBUDSMAN OFFICE FUNCTIONS:
• Provide independent advice to elite athletes and NGBs
• Assist in mediating disputes
• Develop and implement USOC policy that secures the rights and interests of athletes




Robi Powers
2x Olympic Teams Coach, Armed Forces Sports Athlete, The Voice of AFE

Powers comes to AFE with 30 years of Olympic Team background. He also was instrumental in helping the US Biathlon Team and National Guard Bureau create what is now known as our World Class Athlete Program (WCAP). Powers joined the VTARNG in 1982 and was assigned to the “Green Mountain Project”... which then became the DOD’s Mtn Warfare School. As a 11B Mtn Cadre Certified Instructor he spent 50% of his time “in unit” and the balance traveling and training with the US National Team. He was also instrumental in developing doctrine for the DOD around high stress long range shooting accuracy. This work involved years of traveling around the country performing stand up lectures and field training exercises.

In the mid 80’s after his unit certified the Officers and NCOIC’s of the 10th Mtn Division and the Division Stood Up.. Powers was transferred over into the Air National Guard for a short period to further the mission of Soldier Athlete and high stress accuracy sniper training. Upon completion of his assignment in the Air Guard he was brought back over into the Army Guard and assigned to the 3-172 Mtn Infantry Bn. His final two years of service were spent juggling a busy National Team schedule with Liaison work with the F.B.I’s Special Operations and Research Section... again the mission was to develop the Bureau’s training doctrine on high stress shooting within the F.B.I. Sniper Program.

In 1990 Powers departed service and took a job with the US Ski Team as the development coach for Nordic Combined. It was during this time frame that Powers (a skilled public speaker) was asked by Event and Race organizations to perform emcee, corporate speaking and sports broadcasting duties for events all over the World. ** Of note is the fact that Powers lost his first military Biathlon Coach (John Hall- Navy SEAL, TDY assigned to the new Guard Bureau Biathlon Program - Powers was his one athlete.) KIA training mission. training accident....early on in Powers National Team career. Later in 2006, Powers lost another very influential member of his military family (John Stone) to a firefight in Afghanistan.

It is with a passion that Robi developed a non profit: The Warrior Tours, with an organizational mission of connecting World Class Athletes and Events...with deployed Soldiers and their Families, Friends and Employers. www.THEWARRIORTOURS.com 501c3 pending.

Now with the support of Armed Forces Entertainment (where Powers and his Board of Directors have committed all of their Tours and Connectivity Events) the goal is to tap into some of America’s most Iconic Sporting Events, Celebrity Athletes, Active Athletes and share the message of Teamwork and Success with our Nation’s Greatest Heroes - Our members of the Armed Forces and their networks of Family, Friends and Employers (Guard/Reservists).

Awarded USAF American Spirit Award in 2008, Sits on Wrangler’s Sr Advisory Committee for the Wrangler National Patriot Program. Wife Laila Powers MD and 5 children live in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.