Grizzly Baird

My friend and personal trainer, Rick (the Grizzly) Baird, has many personal and professional honors, which include being a former member of the US Bobsled team and running with the torch at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

In another distinction, Rick's employer, 24 Hour Fitness, has named Rick to be a Fitness Ambassador at the 2008 Olympic Games that begin in ~3 weeks in Beijing. Rick joins only twenty other esteemed trainers from 24 Hour Fitness, selected from ~5,000 fellow employees and possible candidates. After a local reporter learned the news, her station (NBC affiliate KVBC-3) interviewed Rick...

Now I know Rick fairly well, and the interviewer gives him (and colleague, Will Campbell, also named Fitness Ambassador) short shrift. Rick excels when his clients excel, so the opportunity to share his knowledge with professional athletes should help them achieve even higher levels of performance.

Congratulations, Rick! We all wish you the best, and hope you enjoy your trip to Beijing. Don't forget to snap some photos for us all to share your thrills.
-- David M Gordon / The Deipnosophist