Athlete Rights Activist + Olympic Rower = World Record Masters Cyclist
Join John Moffet as he interviews Athlete Rights Activist, Olympic Rower, and World-Record Masters Cyclist Jan Palchikoff. Listen in as she talks about her journey in Olympic rowing, from finishing fifth in double sculls in the 1976 Summer Olympics to qualifying for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team.
Athlete Rights Activist + Olympic Rower = World Record Masters Cyclist
Join John Moffet as he interviews Athlete Rights Activist, Olympic Rower, and World-Record Masters Cyclist Jan Palchikoff. Listen in as she talks about her journey in Olympic rowing, from finishing fifth in double sculls in the 1976 Summer Olympics to qualifying for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team.
Welcome to season three episode 10 of struck me as a, as a student was, you know, I pay the same And yet my access to the benefits of being a student here significant ways in particular in sport. And so when you didn't make any sense. It doesn't add up. It's unfair, you we have title IX now, but at that time, we had to fight it boathouse. We were using discarded men's equipment, which The the men's coach there was not at all supportive. The supportive. We have volunteer coach did his level best, but it fighting for everything and this was true for women all around
JOHN MOFFET:That's an Olympic rower, Jan Palchikoff describing training time at UCLA during the mid 1970s. I'm John Moffitt and As always, thanks for joining us. Jan has been an athlete swimmer and then once in college, she became a world female college athletes around the country chance freedom to restricted, so she chose to fight. Despite the obstacles, placing fifth in the double sculls. But four years later, intensified when President Carter called for the boycott of And once again, Jan and her fellow 1980 Olympic rowers took the president's decision. Today, Jen continues her athletic world records in masters cycling, she still rose with her is still fighting, appreciating how far women's athletics have they still need to go. Jan, I'm quite honored to have you here you've recently retired from your professional career at the is your first week as a retiree. How does it feel?
Jan Palchikoff:It feels great so far! I'm sure I'm gonna have occupied.
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah, you will have plenty to do. I'm sure. So you Olympics for 18 years, I believe. Right?
Jan Palchikoff:That's right.
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah. Yeah. So tell me about what the Special necessarily know and the roles that you played? Okay. I'm just
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, it's, it's, I think it's probably one organizations that that came out and in some ways related to the this, the approach to people with intellectual disabilities how the culture in the United States in particular treats them the organization is just over 50 years old.
JOHN MOFFET:Okay, so it was established in the early 70s,
Jan Palchikoff:early 60s, I'm sorry, early 60s 60s. Sorry, mid exact date but I'm terrible . Okay, so, but it's, at that closeted, and people were an institutionalized, I think it time when they were still doing lobotomies. And so the impact span of 50 years, now, it's not uncommon for, you know, to see are included in ways that they never have been before. The much more attention to issues because they're different for disabilities. And there's a way and and it's important to know work well with the patient. Right. Yeah. So and the other standpoint, you have people now that instead of being put into schools, this is probably the best example clustered into integrated throughout schools everywhere. And so they are part of course helps them develop and grow and everybody else and else too. So it's, it's the impact that the organization has think about it a short time span is pretty remarkable. Yeah,
JOHN MOFFET:yeah. What else is remarkable is that your life and bit more of this later, but your whole life basically has been you know, civil rights and etc. So I want to talk to you about before we get off the topic of the Special Olympics, you also decathlon, gold medalist and legend Rafer Johnson, who is it like just last year. A like a diplomat, a politician, a And then he was instrumental in founding the Special Olympics.
Jan Palchikoff:was he was involved with the Kennedy family bodyguards for Bobby Kennedy. And was there on the night that actually wrestled the weapon away from from the murder. And after that, and it was Eunice Kennedy Shriver who basically got to get out of this. And we need you to work with us on this the time, so it must have been that was 68 is when the program he had had a long association with the Kennedy family, I think involved in the Robert Kennedy campaign, but remained a family
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah. A lifelong friend of the Kennedys and the to go read and explore a little bit more about his life. He's
Jan Palchikoff:an amazing human being. And I have to tell you, just tell you a little story about him. Right. He? First of anyone more gracious than then Rafer Johnson, and was maybe the And I heard a story about how it was that he prepared for he would come into a room and or, you know, to the Dyess, place would just go quiet. You'd been to events like this. one times, how do you do that and a colleague and talked to used to do was, what he told us was that he kept notebooks. And and just thoughts that he had about and the notebooks were that he was trying to leave. Oh, that he was that he wanted to or leave with the audience. And so he always he prepared for impact that he wanted to have at the end. What did he want them he, his, his presentations, were always very succinct, and impactful. And that's how he did it. That was how he prepared for watch him many times and had lots of conversations with him Bruin, the Bruins treated, they treat their Olympians really, institutions do. But they had a reunion or it was sort of a they brought the the newly minted one. So this was a 1976. got to meet Rafer and he, you know, he knew my resume, my background was, as a student, which absolutely, you know, blew this kid who had just come through this experience, but he about your background. And, and, and over the years, that's how like you were the only person in the room when you spoke to him. think with everybody.
JOHN MOFFET:Yes. And I used to go to the breakfast with Ray for he's basically a banquet but for breakfast. Yeah, it was. It was then, also, you said that he's, you know, he's a fixture of Los through and through, but he was also just for the listeners who he lit the torch at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles peristyle him, him standing 50 feet above, like I anyway, I will never shake and is really kind of an embodiment of who he symbol. Yeah. So I let's backtrack a little bit. You as Southern California and Culver City, I
Jan Palchikoff:believe. Oh, yeah. Born and raised. Yeah,
JOHN MOFFET:Oh, yeah. So you're an Angelina. So tell me about journey. When did you learn You love sports.
Jan Palchikoff:Probably when I was flying off of the jungle gym was all sand in Playa Del Rey. House is no longer there because airport. Right, right right out some of that stuff. It was on managed to I don't know how he did this, but he found some, that was being discarded. So he brought it over to our house. So playground, kind of jungle jam, teeter totter, you know, swings, and jump off of, and we had all sand in the backyard. So we just was part of it.
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah. And you're you, you also as a lot of also swam a lot, right? Yep, in and out of the water,
Jan Palchikoff:went through all the Red Cross swimming programs. home one day, I think I was in the must have been like eight or How'd you like to swim every day? And I said, Yeah, let's do Blue Boy Swim School in Santa Ana. And that's where I got my
JOHN MOFFET:Well, you know, that's okay. Eventually, all of a rower at UCLA. How did how did rowing come about? For you
Jan Palchikoff:a swimmer and salmons who had Simmons was my teammate at UCLA. Yeah. And this was pre Title IX days, but we happening. So Anna and I were on the swim team together. And she, fabulous swimmer. I was, you know, a tear down seven gone, I had gone all through age group swimming, you know, AAU, at UCLA, and she, for several weeks, kept saying, she had gone saying, you know, we need, we need just one more person we more people. And she just do this. And I finally said, Okay, it was probably 530 In the morning was dark in Marina Del raining, it was, you know, miserable, miserable conditions. Yeah. Oh, yeah. They threw me I was plunged into the, you know, So, and they stuck me in the bow of the boat. And this isn't an And I'm all the way in the bow. And they just said, just follow me no other instruction. And it's a little more complicated how to row but, but I had a blast. I had a blast. And so I looked back. And I had no idea where it would lead where it so that was due to a swimmer. Thank you, Anne.
JOHN MOFFET:Thank you. And I know and very well, she was my school. And she was my also club coach when I made the 1984. Oh, and very well, it's great. Yeah, she's one of she's one of my persuasive. So I know. I know that. Yeah. At a certain point, rowing career at UCLA, where you found yourself actually having enforce Title IX, which, which was federal law that was enacted mid 70s, you realize that something was not equal with the little bit
Jan Palchikoff:back. Yeah. So here's how that came about. My from a very politically oriented family. And we'll just put it wing. My dad was a fundraiser my and my parents worked very hard the height of the John Birch Society, as the fundraising Party. And we regularly talk politics around our dinner that was just part of how I was brought up and how my family high school, anti war, anti Vietnam War. kind of stuff. I Kennedy campaign with my brother and we actually were at the at Yeah, we had just left we were there as 17 year old volunteer was yeah, pretty pretty devastating, really Shocking. student at UCLA, I entered in 1969. And as a freshman, and at to, you know, if you think about it from a sports career, that that girls topped out, they peaked at 1617. There was there all downhill. There were no scholarships, there were no real country. So you had a choice to make. It was you know, you could go to college. Or you could go to college, and you know, and career. Donna
JOHN MOFFET:de Varona famously had Oh, yeah, swimming career
Jan Palchikoff:That's right. Yeah. Yeah. And there were there there were we had a team that was pretty packed. It had, I it, but pokey Watson was on it. Karen Mo, she came a little bit Hewitt. So we had Tony was a medalist, Danish Schoenfeld, Games. So these were all people that were at UCLA. And then were the wannabes. And so we, you know, we're on a team, and time, we didn't have access to the, to the 50 meter pool at women's gym. And it was just, you know, we had a volunteer but it was hard to take it really very seriously. And yet, felt very serious about sport. And so it was this constant can't this be serious for me? At the same time, I'm, I got really, with the women's movement that was really active now it's around 69 to 72 or so, yeah. And this is around the you know, the advocacy around, it was becoming really you know, it was in colleges everywhere, there were people as a student was, you know, I pay the same taxes, my tuition to the benefits of being a student here are limited, in particular in sport. And so when you started looking at that, it doesn't add up. It's unfair, for all the reasons that we have we had to fight it actually, to get access to the boathouse, we equipment, which was very, you know, very heavy. The the men's supportive, the administration was not supportive. We had a Brown, who was very supportive and helped we have volunteer was always you're always fighting for everything. And around the country with rowing, in particular, was with other familiar with the road apart. So that's how I got involved in it. union union of women athletes. And we started enlisting use all the means we could within the university using the Senate, I think we even tried to deal with any of the student did a few little media
JOHN MOFFET:things as well. You had your press conferences to
Jan Palchikoff:up. Yeah, so are one of our big ones. The big one Young was going to announce the changes that UCLA was going to And we met that we our press conference was 30 minutes before through a little early and then we got to present our case, really listened to any they hadn't really involved any athletes. There were a lot of holes in what they were going to but there was a lot to be done. So that that was kind of that that, trying to get to events and all that it was you know, the legislation, it takes years to make that stuff actually really set. Okay, so what do we have to do to go to Nationals back we've done it. We're what do we need to do to secure the don't really Have any money for that? We really can't back that maybe I should call those media people that that responded about this. And you know, unless of course, she might be able to don't I come back this afternoon? And wow, the with. Norman P. Miller ended up we were at loggerheads, but he retirement, he was completely different generation just didn't have to say that after going through that experience with him friends over the years and his retirement gift to the women's aid with the oars. There's a race named after him. Really? Yeah. The Norman P. Miller cup race once he became really got on board.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, he had to get out from under the bureau Well,
Jan Palchikoff:yeah. But in fairness, I mean, he was of a everybody, it's easy for me to say this now, at the time, I he was the enemy. Yeah. But he, you know, as a really good does, they realize that they're dealing with students who are in try and keep them on course, give them room to do what they you can. But this was a real cultural thing. Battle. And out of it. Okay. And but it was a fight.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, you you actually, were not satisfied making through the press conferences, through the decided that you need to needed to bring a formal complaint, I
Jan Palchikoff:filed complaint lawsuit. It wasn't a lawsuit the regulations, which were with the Department of Education at and Welfare. Now, it's a different department. But so I because I wanted to make sure that the university was going to And so what happened was one and I wrote to the governor, the my elected officials, and because they like to respond to especially on contemporary issues, they followed up with all of that correspondence. So I know that it was a little bit of
JOHN MOFFET:Well, interesting. It got it ended up. Well, tell your activism, following, you know, all the efforts that you complaint?
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, well, the complaint was eventually just it, but they felt that it did you know, that things were in were it was, it was much better. You know, as as improvements scholarships. So there were all these things that had to be that without athletic, not without a fight. I mean, you have, you isn't it? And then also, there are the cultural norms that you have an athletic establishment. And I will say sport, that maybe and having been involved in activism for women, I think the last bastion of resistance is still in departments. Yeah, yeah. And it's because there's so much in athletic departments that came up through and you know, at it was you had to kind of go through the College of hard as sports management, training. Now, there are degrees that institutions at the time that I started grad school. Because I master's in sport management, there were two places you can UMass, which was one of the first places to have an actual wasn't even considered a profession. And so it really network of the highest order. And there were a lot of you, if you do sports, and you're female, you're gonna get you do so, I mean, all that just all the stereotypes, so you're And so from a generational standpoint, if you had people break norms, were standing against individuals in positions all of the tradition and their beliefs. You know, I'm on the social norm is in that position. Yeah. And that's really What we on that now but at the time, I was pissed off because, you sleeping for to a room when we traveled if we got to travel, we everything cramming into cars to carpool places. No access to the another one swimming. Bob Horne, bless his heart. He was so the UCLA. He knew of all he knew all of us that were swimming at can work out with the men's team, just come over here. And I the men's team effort. When you saw that we were serious. In me at a point, because Kenny versus anybody works so hard. He really good at it. But it's not really. You know, it's it's, you with it. He goes, if you ever find your sport, you're going to saw I think it was at the UCLA thing. He goes, What did I tell
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah, it was. It was it was Bob.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, it held the wrong proportions. I've got which is the opposite of what you need for swimming. No,
JOHN MOFFET:you need to you need to be part Neanderthal. but in your in your fight. Yeah. You weren't alone. There. Were place. And all kinds of of different sports. Yes. Yes. That Yeah.
Jan Palchikoff:Just one. This was one example. Yeah. But the Title IX, and for in universities trying to become this was about numbers, right? How do you get equal numbers? largest programs and any, you know, at any university that's instantly mean you can you can add equal the football team if biggest users of resources and one of the biggest squads,
JOHN MOFFET:only men's football, right? So there's a numbers,
Jan Palchikoff:right. So real quick fix is at a rowing happening in a lot of places. And one really good example is brand new boathouse, this was this was I'm gonna get the dates the 90s. Because I'm thinking a friend of mine was the coach boathouse, brand new equipment, full scholarship program, the of the best people they could have at an actual respectable
JOHN MOFFET:And so Texas was was really a leader. And they
Jan Palchikoff:of them. Yeah. And then there were other I think Stanford had a different approach to how they were producing sport. versus you know, my dad used to always say, be by itself? And then everything else,
JOHN MOFFET:which is still a conversation that that is being
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it's, but it was also women for you know, all along, and it happens all that I've even in, you know, in 2015, Donna and I were on a Donna, with the World Games for Special Olympics when they were in Los there and headed up all the athlete services, you know, and, and she was on her. She was on the soI board of directors, our board of directors too. But we were doing a tour of with the UCLA people. And one of the guys in the athletic Title IX. And his comment was, yeah, well, if we didn't have really that we lost this one program, because it's because of program because of Title IX, which is how it's been succeed, men have to give something up. That's not
JOHN MOFFET:which is, which is not the not the case, not the
Jan Palchikoff:no. And Donna and I both just had a little that said, you know, you're representing your institution, few things.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, and then he probably was talking about the which was, I want to say it was the late 80s, maybe early 90s. right. I mean, they were they were the they were the greatest right. And then they were just it there was one day that the know, this is an easier fix than add more women. Let's take some horribly destructive thing to do. For for athletics in athletics or the sport of swimming.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, they've done it. It's happened in a lot fix? Yeah. Instead of getting creative with it, and there were other examples right now. But there was there were I mean that battle. It's still
JOHN MOFFET:it's still is. It still is Yeah, men's gymnastics men's wrestling and they're still men's swimming programs wayside because of this, but
Jan Palchikoff:well, and within rowing at UCLA, they ended up varsity sport and made the men's team a club. Oh, we'll see. just it's ridiculous. Yeah.
JOHN MOFFET:No, it's there's still much, much more fighting done. Oh, yeah, to really, truly create an equity to build long way since your ERA and oh, yeah, I want to I want to, I specifically, a little later. But I want to talk about, the most famous incident not incident, the most famous the Yale women's rowing team, which is very much publicized. didn't have access to the boathouse or showers or is, this is the North, this is New England, right? Right. and they didn't, they weren't able to take a shower or get out they had to sit in the bus and wait for the men to shower and before they could. And they were all getting some anyway. This key points, the incident it was not an incident it was activism effective. So, and many of these women were your teammates at Yep.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah. Tell me about what they did. What they athletic director's office and stripped and had on their bodies that you know, that are freezing at the boathouse every day, inequities at the at, you know, at Yale. And that made some Times, yeah. And it got it that really sprung a lot of other a number of those people who were teammates in 76 and 88. And working with one of them, who is now a renowned orthopedist who's that were active that we're, you know, addressing right now. amazing, an amazing thing to do. So, where I was just holding a know, sneaking in on the chancel big announcement they were out, don't only plunges into the low 50s. So there's it's not the
JOHN MOFFET:What was indoors? Yeah, it was in the office. that was courageous,
Jan Palchikoff:was saying this is what happens when people have
JOHN MOFFET:We'll be right back with Jan in just a minute. I partner ROKA, I've been using their wetsuits and goggles and Why? Because they design and manufacture the best gear money eyeglasses and sunglasses. And they're designed for those of us want to look good doing it. Listen, I know this firsthand, myself, and they're featherlight. And they don't I'm doing. And you can try them on at home ROKA will send you check them out in the mirror and pick your favorite. And if you I do, just send your details to ROKA with your online order, and you. So go to roka.com That's r-o-k-a - .com and enter life balance, that's just three letters S-L-B, to save 20% on anything on their website. Happy exploring. And we're back with was courageous.
Unknown:This is what happens when people have nothing to this is about. They had nothing to lose.
JOHN MOFFET:It's a great way. That's a great way to point that article really made it a firebrand I think for for the understand the issue, all the way to female athletes across across the country. And so that's that's why I bring it up and, and I encourage anybody listening, go explore more about mean, don't they're not there from the back and everything, in Title IX to explore. And it did have a happy ending the next
Jan Palchikoff:It did Yes, but the The other thing that's so know, I've been in rowing now since 1975 474. And, you know, 1975. And, and through all the years the thing, this team, the still. 76 was the first time women's rowing was on the about this on that team. Were some of the, you know, some IX. And we had already had to fight a lot of big fights just to 1980. And a lot of us were the same people. Yeah. And so surprising that that group was at the forefront of challenging States of America. The anti boycott movement was the women's
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah, absolutely. Look, I was just a little school. And all of this, you would you would had, you'd point,
Jan Palchikoff:we'd like to think so yeah. And
JOHN MOFFET:I want to I want to say that you, you, you, you. You in Montreal. Tell me about how the women's rowing team reacted boycott, and then the ultimate boy boycott
Jan Palchikoff:in 1980. Yes, yeah. I'm not well, no, it was, training and selection camp in Princeton, which was pretty it's got roughly twice the number of people that are going really, it was a gut punch, to find out that this was a taking, and that the feeling was, you know, we had no support, other than what you could drum up yourself. My my working. I was waiting tables at two restaurants and training was living, I had put an ad in the paper when I came to that I was training for the trying to make the Olympic team take housing in exchange for housework and cooking. And so happened, this woman responded, and she actually wouldn't allow She just took me in. And, but I did have to restaurant jobs was me. Everybody else was doing cobbling together some other
JOHN MOFFET:It was the same thing with me a few years later. in fact, very few athletes continued after college, because
Jan Palchikoff:no, there was no support. Yeah. And no mean, you don't do you don't start rowing, or, at that point, fortune. It's big for the love of the sport and personal things. So yeah, the reaction was not good. It felt like the under us. We had done everything we needed to do to be there. We Our families held up their end of the deal, and then it's just And, and, and then we're, I think part of it also is if the really only do that because they could take away our passports, That will it that the US United States Olympic Committee, which secure recognition as, as the nation's, you know, as the United States of America. This is before the Ted Stevens act. wasn't before it was in that era when the Ted Stevens Act was and codified the role of the US Olympic Committee, so they battle like this. No, and
JOHN MOFFET:didn't have tons of resources. It was no more were in used decommissioned military barracks. I mean, truly
Jan Palchikoff:Right. And so the and so what happened was at made, and the USO the USOC voted on it, but it was, I mean, don't send a team right so the vote wasn't even close. Right. hard. There are people that regretted going along with that in the moment and it was, you know, the political rhetoric at and there was really no understand To give what what it that was not something that people understood their only games was to watch it on television and see you know, Bob the on the Wheaties box right and and then the television the games but there wasn't like what like they have now with elite athletes and and the opportunities and the connection financial support was way before any of the big sponsorship kind
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah. Well, what one of your teammates really, which is needed to France, right and became, became the face Yep. filed a lawsuit on behalf of the 1980 Olympic team. And there of those plaintiffs?
Jan Palchikoff:No, they only can have 25. Okay. The alphabet. limit on the number of plaintiffs. But yeah, we were yeah, the there was a lot of discussion, of course, among the determined to go through the selection. However, the impact already said that there were, you probably have maybe twice selection pool. So we'll be selected. Some of those people injuries that they were just kind of nursing along and had education. And they just said, I'm not sure I just don't want I'm sure it happened in all the sports. So we lost a lot of And I'm sure there was, I know, there was a lot of bitterness. are left are going through selection. But it was you had to your mind. And with selection in rowing, it's pretty brutal in a pitted against one another multiple times during the day in process called seat racing. And so you've got to be in within you're judged not only on your individual fitness, but how you you make the boat how fast you make the boat, which requires this dichotomy that's that's pretty can be very challenging
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah. And the dinner table, then you might be
Jan Palchikoff:yep, yep. Yeah. Very tense. So it's, it's a very emotionally intellectually challenging time. And then you not going to the games, but we're gonna fight it anyway. So everything that we could there were, you know, of course, the forefront. She received hate mail that you would it was, it stuff that she was receiving, at the time that she was also the team she just she just wants to compete? Yes, everybody does. did our end of the deal. This is it. And we had we were met with from the public. Oh, stopping such crybabies. You're just going to make money. Or you know, just come back. And so next year. Well, we all know how that works for athletes. It's have to stay healthy physically, and, you know, medically healthy selection and at the Games in order to achieve your best it's difficult. Yes, there are a lot of things that have to go it got really ugly. And we actually challenged right up Regatta. For the Europeans anyway, there's they they were points. in Lucerne, that was the last regatta at the road, see, were still under selection, the New Zealanders. They found out two weeks or a week before opening ceremonies that they they found out at least we had we kind of knew this earlier, uh, Tommy Keller, who was the president of FISA, the was a real advocate for us also in his way. He was the Swiss the invasion of when the Russians invaded Hungary. Okay, they boycotted. So he had already been through that and a way to do things. And we were trying to go under the IOC flag and they wouldn't let us which
JOHN MOFFET:a number of countries ultimately, since then great britain
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah. So there are it's something that you can it for some I don't know what all the machinations were, but I and another friend spent opening ceremonies, drinking a Greek island on a beach in a cheap hotel. Drinking red
JOHN MOFFET:the same time as Scout opening ceremonies. Yep, mean, you also went to the White House, which I believe was in
Jan Palchikoff:it was after the Olympic Games. I think it was because this was yeah, the games were early because it was colder July. We must have been in August. I think that's what
JOHN MOFFET:but but you as a Gosh, how do you how do I say it Okay. No, as a token, yeah, basically. Okay. Here you go, was let's have you. Let's have you be our guests at the White be done with you. Stop. You're complaining? Right. Yeah, that
Jan Palchikoff:Well, there was a whole week. I think the USOC celebrate that teams have been selected, even though we were Olympians. We still are. Internationally. We're not to Washington, they had us process and we got some of the gotten. Yeah. So you went through some of the things that They had a, you know, a party, there was a concert that was that. And then there was a reception at the White House. whole team was there. And you know, there were speeches made, said. But you had also had the opportunity for the team to come the with Jimmy Carter. Right. And I think the rowing team may didn't do it. There were a couple of individuals that did, And we also came with buttons, or stickers that said, we're again. We had T shirts made that were great. I think I've still 1980 rowing team and then on the back it said threat to national
JOHN MOFFET:I love that. Yeah. I love that. Yeah. So
Jan Palchikoff:we had our protests, we had media following were, what are you going to do? It's like, your seat. You're know that we exist. But we are not participating in part of we're gonna participate on our own terms.
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah. And in part of the insult to injury were if you ever want, if you ever want to make a bunch of Olympic honorary gold medal
Jan Palchikoff:medal for not going to the Olympics. Exactly.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, and then, and then I've, I've listened to both this one team. We came after the week after we didn't get to even didn't know we went afterwards. And we had had a private and a We, you know, met the president. And basically he stood there and know, we received these these medals. And in both of the never mentioned that they were Congressional Gold Medals. unanimously to bestow us with the highest honor. Yeah, that not going to the Olympic Games. Yeah, so yeah. Anyway, there's of issues. Yeah. are happening with those with those metals. don't quite know how I feel about it.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, I don't either, although they finally the president of usopc. Now, us the Olympic and Paralympic that we all got, and it was said, yes, these are our it didn't change.
JOHN MOFFET:It was a it was a swimmer that found that figure wrong. Nugent.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah. Okay. So, but in any event, it was nice. usopc is also made a display at the, you know, at the new Olympic team, which I think is really important. It
JOHN MOFFET:is really, really important. Yeah. And I've, I've I saw your name on the, on the exhibit about the 1981 Cot, and on the wall and it's a permanent exhibit so that we're making making progress. Of course, there were
Jan Palchikoff:so many people that there were I mean, a lot of two that were just really damaged by this. It just it was hard thing for people to recover from. I know people that just sport altogether? Absolutely. They had real mental health at a time when mental health and athletes were not in the same trying to have it addressed. And there were no resources with with this, you know, betrayal that a lot of most of stature of the Olympic movement at that point, the United States standpoint of, you know, again, it's this exceptional thing, and that much impact on anybody just get over it.
JOHN MOFFET:Sports has a huge impact on it on lives. Yeah,
Jan Palchikoff:It does in very fundamental ways. And, you know, is the thing that has motivated me throughout my entire career. was very young, although I didn't have words for it, then Athletes express themselves through sport. And to me, it's form of self expression. And it's not treated like that. It's so when it's denied a person, it's like saying to a painter, to paint. Or a singer. Sorry, sir. You may not sing, you're You may not sing, you may not paint. You may not right. It's so fundamental. I know. For me personally, as as, you know, It's what I've been doing since I was, you know, flying off of a say the least I'm still flying off of bicycles. But I'm, you rowing, I took up cycling, I'm going back to swimming now that to get back in the pool again, because I'm more time but it's, obviously something that's very important. And I imagine I'm not of people who find great a great deal of satisfaction and use expression, and everyone should have access to it.
JOHN MOFFET:That's that's a great way to say that. So yes, life pursuing various, various competitions. I believe you one of the many, many
Jan Palchikoff:I did I try it went on for another year, I was coaching, I was coaching at Syracuse, but I had a real, I felt like I couldn't, I couldn't do the training that I needed what we know about, you know, there's just so much more known about sports science. There were ways I could have gotten around motivated anymore.
JOHN MOFFET:I probably am in that same category as most
Jan Palchikoff:but I didn't give up rowing. I just wasn't
JOHN MOFFET:So so what what is it about training and motivated? What is what is it about?
Jan Palchikoff:It's fun? Yeah, it's just plain fun. Feels good. fun, you raise people even when they don't know you're raising partner, Margie, Kate and I used to, we raced a lot together and national team a little bit after I was and but then we ended up Angeles and trained and raced together for many years. And experiences where we'd be out in the double and there'd be some going out and you know, and we just sort of up the effort a even have to say anything to each other. And then pretty soon like you're gonna freakin crush them. Yeah. And you wish you were still learning how to row. So and it was especially bunch of you know, guys who thought Well, there's two girls, just keep them behind you keep behind
JOHN MOFFET:if you haven't had your butt kicked by a woman or a yourself up again. Yeah, real female athletes.
Jan Palchikoff:It's really It's so funny though, that that but was more if there's anybody that was within the vicinity, you're because it can't help yourself. Yeah, that's true. I know. You even though
JOHN MOFFET:I try I try not to do it very often. But
Jan Palchikoff:yeah, but that's why it's just it's fun. I find well in cycling. They're very similar in a lot of ways being every stroke is a chance to achieve perfection. Yeah. And it you know it It's a meditation. It's helped me focus. I mean, mean, I don't think about anything else other than what it's an important skill to have also to be able to focus on what you're not doing that, you leave it alone. And you focus on the do anything about either one of them. Except when you're in the that's so true. So I find it physically challenging, makes me feel good. Except when I get hurt. But that's, that's Every sport has has that
JOHN MOFFET:sort of that's true. And this, this, this, sports like that you talk about? Yeah, it's led you to break
Jan Palchikoff:in masters and masters masters.
JOHN MOFFET:That's extraordinary.
Jan Palchikoff:Yes. I'm on the older and there aren't a whole that want to be racing on bikes. Which is partly because it's necessarily promoted very well. And there's just going to be People grow up. But I've never grown up with respect to sport, stopwatch involved or other people trying to get to the like, there's nothing more motivating
JOHN MOFFET:well, to keep you honest, too. Let's let's talk our time trying to keep you honest, in when you when you the 60 to 64 age age group. You were the fastest woman in except for like the 30 to 35
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, I went so the Our record is you it's it on a velodrome. It's on the Velodrome and indoor track. outdoor track, but it's on a track. And what you're trying to distance, how far can you go. So, at the time that I broke and I broke I the I went the farthest that any woman had gone around the time that I did, my record is around the time that they had standardized the equipment. So there was more there, there has been much more interested in elite level. So eight women who have I mean, they've been, you know, just just astounding. And then of course, with the men's record, age group record. So I set two more, I set one in the in the current age group, which was in January, and that's 70 to 74. So what's great, though, friends of mine who are younger, came up had to pay for it. And they went to Mexico to do it. So they did them said, Man, that was hard. She goes you I go good. You far as you can, and you want others to be challenged by it.
JOHN MOFFET:There's a there's a great video on YouTube of record. Oh, a couple of notable things that I would like to all, your average was 41.1 kilometers per hour for the excess to give you context of over 25 miles per hour. Right. cannot get up to 25 miles an hour and sustain it for much So it's, that's extraordinary. But I laughed out loud. I mean, a great watch watching you do this. It's just it's a beautiful
Jan Palchikoff:And it's not a whole hour, you'd have to watch
JOHN MOFFET:it's 10 minutes. And you you're on the bike. And in, so somebody's holding you, and you turn to Him, and you go,
Jan Palchikoff:Oh, and I'm getting off the bike,
JOHN MOFFET:off the bike. And I love it. It just expressed like like, putting everything you have in your, in your spirit that.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, no, it's an extraordinary I, my coach he's actually coached me to three of these and, and by the distance I lose from year to year and it averages it's year. A year, just in age. I actually trained better for the know, you know so so that's a little frustrating because you train harder and I'll get there now age starts to play into record. So but the fun thing so the preparation for the hour pace. And you have to learn how to edit. And on a track bike, have to figure out what the gear ratio and it's fixed.
JOHN MOFFET:So it's the exact wheel is turning, the pedals are
Jan Palchikoff:it's always down, you cannot, you don't get brakes, and you're in an arrow position that you hold for the is are the things you're working on. And the idea is to find the right lap times and do negative splits. So that by the end, you you spend it too early, that's when you see mostly there'll be attempts have failed, because they went too hard at the had a circumstance where where they really just weren't, they couldn't space out the the energy. So you start off pretty first 30 minutes, and especially the first 10 It feels like oh my effort, this is too easy. But if you if you do not resist that minutes, and it's oh, this is getting uncomfortable. You still error bars. And and the gears aren't, it's not getting any minutes. And that's like, that's when so 30 minutes, you know, up maybe you're dropping another half second at most off of your minutes, that's when that's that's the moment of truth spicy where it, you start feeling it everywhere. And if you have gone you're going to take out right there and you just it all falls squeak it up just a little bit. And then the last 10 minutes are have left. Yeah, people are rocking and rolling on the bike. takes to get through.
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah, yeah. And
Jan Palchikoff:I remember having this feeling that you're a long time. So let's be honest, the southern regions of the body like, there is no way that is going to stand between me and through
JOHN MOFFET:get through the temporary there's a saying at it's temporary. Same
Jan Palchikoff:thing with rowing. I used to get like like looking through a straw and, and that's just your system stop, then it doesn't hurt anymore. And you get your
JOHN MOFFET:you get the Holy Moly from you. Yeah. Well, you time rowing. And I know I was at the head of the Charles last the 1980 with the 1980 Olympic rowers, and you were you were in you do this quite often. You're still very close. Yep,
Jan Palchikoff:the team is very close. And I think this, I think Charles since I was a grad student 77 Until now, every years, I didn't make it was having kids or had, you know, I There were some conflicts with that. So, but yeah, the team. together, it's this collection of people from the 76 and 80. will take but you're in our long enough in the sport where we for a long time could basically kick butt on the, you we we got out of that couldn't do that anymore. So then we And now you kind of now we can hardly wait to get to the next got to bring her in the boat. It's all done by age average for senior member. But yeah, it's great. The fun thing is that, you don't forget about what it feels like to be in the water technique. All of us were trained with the same kind of And so we can easily jump in and out of boats together and within really well. So we've had some really great, really great races not but really good racing. It's really a lot of fun.
JOHN MOFFET:And another thing that you don't forget is the for me, the 1980 Olympians in my on the swim team. We feel for there's a universal in that.
Jan Palchikoff:There's a very it's a deep connection. I think through such a horrible time together and such controversy. for so many and you know, adversity sometimes breeds some there were gifts from 1980 that was there were a lot of them
JOHN MOFFET:Agreed? Yeah, I was I had that experience last good friend and 1980 Swim teammate who held the world broke the world record at the Olympic trials, and would have half. And in Moscow, his name is Craig Beardsley, and he was years, you know, he was he's one of the Great's of our era. the International Swimming Hall of Fame. And in Fort Lauderdale, showed up for the ceremony that is so cool. It's so cool. And so decades and decades, like, yeah, it was, it was quite awe about how amazingly close all of us remain, even after like a part of this team that in so many ways didn't exist. Yeah, because
Jan Palchikoff:we didn't get the culminating experience. got to really go through and test themselves. And that was, an athlete, that's a tragedy to the rest of the world. That's someone who, you know, they might even call privilege get to do these things. But as an individual human being that's preparation, it's a huge loss. And you know, you just and athletics, right is competing, and that was, again, the self But it's wonderful that you're connected with, you know, with
JOHN MOFFET:I would venture to say that all the sports have
Jan Palchikoff:probably do the boycott summer. Yeah, we're got the head of the Charles, which is the largest regatta in 10,000 competitors in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, mile race timed course. And there are boats leaving the 10 seconds. It's daylight areas that and maybe I think I've seen depending on the weather, it will range from three quarters spectators. So over the weekend, it's really this banks are a big reunion. So we have this built in reunion for a year. And that.
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah. And another interesting thing that I find that you share your passion for sports and the Olympics with Wilson. I actually got to know Wayne, before I got to know you librarian, I believe was his his official titles at the biggest outside of Busan, Switzerland, which is, which is home of the Foundation. And it was it was it was created through the proceeds Yeah. So and he was there for more than more than 30 years. So
Jan Palchikoff:just to give him some kudos here. He actually was collection, and was involved in the design of the building.
JOHN MOFFET:It's such a beautiful bill. Yeah. So
Jan Palchikoff:he he was involved in the creation of that point, the best sports library in the world. And now it's all gone. But he led that that was groundbreaking. I
JOHN MOFFET:remember him doing that. 15 years ago. Yeah. So
Jan Palchikoff:and yeah, so that was he had a terrific
JOHN MOFFET:So what are you two going he's retired? Yeah. Now What are you going to do now that you retired?
Jan Palchikoff:Well, if I can rip him away from Hallmark movie trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Again, he wants to do and indulgent interest in astronomy actually be able to go kind of roped us into getting through a cycling friend whose I be able to go in the middle of the week when it's not crowded able to see stuff. And, you know, primarily it's going to be travel and you're going to be doing sports or sports, right. country ski adventures. We want to go see the Northern Lights. track that and we'll find a place to go. But yeah, so it do this sports stuff. Yeah, more hiking.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, looking looking back at your life, how Olympic Olympian and an athlete Transform you to who you are.
Jan Palchikoff:Well, I am not sure sport transformed me sports. And as a very young girl I was, I was able to do it. My I was in every sport you could do in school. I was never, ever up or start acting like a girl at a time. I have very short unusual. Not any real significant bullying, but there school that were not particularly nice about, you muscles.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, I think they called you a tomboy, right?
Jan Palchikoff:They called me, Herc. Yeah. And also Yeah, you'd didn't bother me. But the good thing was that because I was in great equalizer, you know, you grow up in the pool with with together. And you see the effort that everybody's putting into it was like, I didn't really care about what they thought had my swimming my swim team. Right. And you know that and went on to be Olympians. On my team. Yeah. And so that, you anguish, I think, but my parents at no point ever discouraged me highly unusual. And it was even unusual into the 80s. When I was back after their first quarter, first semester at Syracuse, as can't do this anymore. You're getting too many muscles. And continue, of course, as my era and says mid 80s Yeah. And it's keep fighting this these anyway.
JOHN MOFFET:The fight is the fight is needs to continue. In continuing.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, so I viewed it more as now in continuum. And I was able to do sport through the whole thing. everyone had the access that I have had, yeah, I think why it was what motivated my work at Special Olympics, those years, it was, you know, this fundamental belief that sport, period. And that it should be a safe environment, lot to do in sport and maintaining the environment, it's fair, and where people have the chance to feel, have the fun and experience, the camaraderie that you and I both have Olympian side of this, that was like a whole other level national team or going to World Championships, because the whole in what other environment does any human being live with people and go to a dining hall and be able to sit down and have a meal or to be in transit to be living day to day and it's kind of it's course, but it's, you're still exposed in ways that you just closest is travel, if you do travel in a way that allows you you and you enter that world, having so much in common you and I are just meeting the first time when we're in the that you train probably eight hours a day, you're lifting, exactly what you're doing, because there's not that much course not. So I know what you how you spend your days, I know diet, you got to keep your health, it's all the same stuff. mental space. And so we already know a lot about each other. about your family about your friends, or how did you get you cut through all kinds of layers, and have this in common? to experience the humanity of all of these people
JOHN MOFFET:from all walks of life from all Yes, religious it is truly extraordinary. And yeah, the divisions that exist just like when you were swimming, you know, with your yeah, you're all you're all you're all the same. It just Yeah. And the desire to for competition and to play games.
Jan Palchikoff:there's a mutual respect because you know, and experienced with my swim team also. Yes, you know, they're together.
JOHN MOFFET:Well, you you had the work ethic and the grit and so many of the things Things that allowed you to succeed. you've continued, you've continued to fight, you continue the especially the Olympic movement you serve, serve on you've been a lifelong David Cote to sports and making sure sports is accessible to as many people as possible men, or matter your creed color.
Jan Palchikoff:That's right around. It's, it's just it. Yeah, yeah. So it's, it's, I'm, you know, reflecting back with what I've been able to do so far and satisfied to a dissatisfied, because there's always more, but I've given it And actually, my fighting didn't stop. I helped organize women UCI on the lack of age group divisions. After a certain age, years of age groups together, which is not fun for the people that by the end of Age, yeah. So right now that's dangerous. So yeah, it's like, what? So you're competing me in at age 71 So anyway, there was a lot of support every other sport does age bands, there's a reason for it. So reason, there's age for young kids, so that those rules got changed.
JOHN MOFFET:Yeah, well, good. I love it. I'm sure I'm sure. You things to fix that need to be fixed causes to champion That's continue to erode your athletic, I
Jan Palchikoff:can't help myself, well, Jan, I
JOHN MOFFET:hope that the lessons that we take from your especially with the younger women and girls. Because without your generation, to fight for Title IX, etc, the female the access. And I have a daughter who just finished her pursue, you know, their own athletic career
Jan Palchikoff:she wants to do. So thank you. Thank
JOHN MOFFET:you for giving us perspective. And I hope that it appreciation of how far the world of athletics and women's were an Olympic athlete.
Jan Palchikoff:Yeah, thank you. It has come a long way. It's recognize it, and celebrate that and keep fighting because it's IX is up for discussion again. And it's and so I would urge stay informed about this stuff, because your you know, your access if your daughter's generation is not active. So I you have to keep fighting for the rights that you have. They secured. 100%
JOHN MOFFET:Well, thank you for your fight and your willingness congratulations on your retirement.
Jan Palchikoff:Thank you. It's been a pleasure.
JOHN MOFFET:Jan would like to leave you with a quote from Goodall, who's considered the world's foremost expert on what you do makes a difference. And you have to decide what kind Clearly, Jen Palchikoff has dedicated herself to making the Thank you for joining us here on Sports life balance. And if please give us your five star review and do me a favor and Big thanks for joining us here on Sports life balance.