By Pat Curtis
Olympian Lolo Jones talks with kids in Des Moines.Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones, who grew up in Des Moines, made her first public appearances in Iowa Wednesday since her agonizing exit from the summer games.
Jones paid a visit to a Des Moines inner-city shelter for women and children. She posed for pictures, handed out plastic gold medals to the kids and even participated in a sack race...which she won.
"Yeah, ya know, I finally pulled off a victory, so I'm excited about that," Jones joked after crossing the finish line. "Can I please have my medal?" In Beijing this summer, Jones had a commanding lead in the finals of the 100-meter hurdles, before she clipped one of the last hurdles and stumbled to a 7th place finish.
It was a painful moment, but Jones says it's made her a stronger person. The mistake likely cost Jones from landing millions of dollars worth of endorsements. "(Winning the Olympics) would have been life-changing for me, but instead of life-changing in bank deposits, it's life-changing in character lessons. I'll take that," Jones said. The 26-year-old Jones is planning another Olympic run in 2012.
Lolo Jones competes in sack race."Hurdlers normally peak between the ages of 28 to 33. I'll turn 30 that summer, so I'll be in my prime," Jones said. A public ceremony to honor Jones is scheduled for Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines.
Listen to a short interview here.
Source: Radio Iowa
Taken at a kid charity event in Des Moines on October 8, 2008
'As far as all of us are concerned, she's a winner,' fan says
A gold medal may have eluded Lolo Jones in Beijing, but she garnered a golden moment in her homecoming to Des Moines on Friday.
An overflow crowd of about 400 people came out to the Jordan Creek Amphitheater in West Des Moines to welcome the Olympic hurdler home. After a brief ceremony, she went inside to sign autographs for a line of people that stretched at least 200 feet long.
It seemed like all 400 people had a Lolo story to tell. Janet Bannister of Des Moines remembered Jones from 10 years ago. Bannister's son, Chris, and Jones both were track runners at Roosevelt High School, and Jones had dinner at the Bannisters' home once.
"She was the first and only girl my son brought home for dinner," Bannister said. "She was just very beautiful, a warm, friendly person, and shy. Very polite. A great sense of humor."
Bannister said she admired Jones.
"I just love this woman. She didn't have an easy life. She makes you proud to be from Iowa," Bannister said. "It was a wonderful feeling (watching the Olympics) just to know that I had met her. As far as all of us are concerned, she's a winner."
Mykal Sadler, 10, had a Drake Relays champions flag to be autographed on Friday. Mykal was reaching out from the front row to high-five Jones during her victory lap at the 2006 Relays when Jones handed her the flag.
And Mykal and a friend, Nadine Phanfil, ran on the Des Moines Youth track team. It's not only the same team that Jones ran on, but Phanfil's mother, Kendra, was a teammate of Jones.
"We have all of her clippings," said Mykal's mother, Eleena. "Then, when we found out this summer that Lolo ran for Des Moines Youth, that made the connection even more so."
Nadine said that she'd like to follow in Jones' speedy footsteps.
"I really want to be fast and have all the records," she said.
Twins Brianna and Lauren Kline, 11, waited in line with their mother and two toddler sisters. Brianna had a photo of Jones that she wanted to get autographed.
"I want something to show my sisters when they grow up," Brianna said.
Patti Cale-Finnegan and daughter Alice, 7, wanted an Olympic souvenir hat autographed.
"My daughter was born in China and we visited in 2007," Cale-Finnegan said. "It was kind of cool that it was in China, so we paid attention with everything that was going on with the Olympics. And Lolo Jones is such a wonderful role model; she's amazing."
The welcome-back ceremony lasted about a half-hour. Jim Hallihan of the Iowa Games presented Jones with the Games' sportsmanship gold medal that read "Pursuing victory with honor."
An unscripted moment during the ceremony came courtesy of Jay Triplett, 74, of Winterset.
Dressed as Uncle Sam - complete with a white beard, a stars-and-stripes hat, a blue coat, and red and white striped pants - Triplett grabbed the microphone and sang "God Bless Lolo" to Jones.
Jones, who earlier attended an assembly at Roosevelt High School, said she was wowed by the good wishes she has received since returning to Des Moines.
"I am so glad that people came out to support me," Jones said.
"The Olympics were six weeks ago. For people to come out and tell me that I've inspired them - I love it. There's other people that received medals and didn't receive any kind of welcoming home from their own cities. It's amazing. I'm truly blessed to be from Iowa."
Source: The Des Moines Register
Lolo Jones returned to Iowa and thrilled Roosevelt High School students with a surprise visit to her alma mater and signed autographs for hours at Jordan Creek Town Center.
Lolo greets hundreds of fans at Jordan Creek. She was scheduled to sign autographs until 7 p.m., but stayed later because the line was so long.
Earlier on Friday Lolo made a surprise visit to her alma mater and thrilled fans at a Roosevelt pep assembly.
Crossing her fingers, Lolo Jones laughed as she reacted to question from Channel 13 Sports Director Keith Murphy. Jones was interviewed moments before her homecoming celebration held at the amphitheater at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines on Friday, Oct. 10th.
Lolo Jones smiled as she held out for the crowd to see the medal that was presented to her by Jim Hallihan, executive director of the Iowa Sports Foundation.
Lolo Jones signed a 2008 Beijing Olympics shirt for David Weiss, of Urbandale, at her homecoming celebration held at Jordan Creek Town Center.
Bea Winters, of Adel, held a copy of the Des Moines Register with a photo of Lolo Jones as Winters attended the homecoming celebration.
Lolo Jones acknowledged the applause of the crowd at her homecoming celebration held at the amphitheater at Jordan Creek Town Center.
Jordan Selmer, age 12 of Story City, signed a large card for Lolo Jones at her homecoming celebration.
Lolo Jones addressed the crowd at her homecoming celebration held at the amphitheater at Jordan Creek Town Center.
Lolo Jones smiled as she waved and held out for the crowd to see the medal that was presented to her by Jim Hallihan, executive director of the Iowa Sports Foundation.
Lolo Jones, right, pumped her fist as she was serenaded by Jerry Triplett, of Winterset, who dressed as Uncle Sam sang as song with his own lyrics about Jones.
Lolo Jones, center right, talked with Keith Murphy, Channel 13 Sport Director, at her homecoming celebration held at the amphitheater at Jordan Creek Town Center.
Holding her Iowa Games medals, Morghan Jackson, age 8 from Urbandale, posed with Lolo Jones at Jones' homecoming celebration.
Lolo Jones, right, autographed her poster for Jennifer Stilwell, age 7 of East Des Moines, at Jones' homecoming celebration.
Lolo Jones smiled as she held up letter with art work given to her by Jessica Stilwell, of Urbandale, at Jones' homecoming celebration.
Lolo Jones reacted to the cheers from the crowd at her homecoming celebration held at the amphitheater at Jordan Creek Town Center.
Source: The Des Moines Register
Olympic Hurdler Brushes Off Beijing Disappointment
Olympic track and field star Lolo Jones visited West Des Moines Friday to thank the fans who supported her as she competed in Beijing.
While she didn't return home with the medal she wanted, fans were proud of the grace she showed following her heartbreaking breakdown in the hurdles.
"She never gave up, even when she fell," said fan Mikayle Zmolek.
"Lolo is just a great role model," said fan Herb Ewing. "Not just for children, but parents, too."
Jones told fans that her Olympic disappointment was just another hurdle in her life's storied struggles.
"I've been through struggles before," she said. "There were so many times I did not win." .
Jones said she's been taking time off since her last race in mid-September. She's been speaking to groups, signing autographs and raising money for charity. She's also been helping Iowa flood victims and basking in the support of the fans.
"I don't have a medal, but I feel like I did receive the medal," she said. "It's crazy. I love it!"
Check out the video here.
What a beautiful young lady and a 1st class athlete. Our very own LoLo Jones a remarkable and beautiful athlete who will forever grace our hearts with her courage, her perservance, and her generous loving heart. At her home coming rally tonight, sports anchor Keith Murphy shared with the audience not just of LoLo's struggles as a young girl growing up and her journey mastering her sport - a hurdles runner- but her generous spirit that led her to give the money she had received to a survivor of the Iowa flood of 2008. 
Source: Boomerang