SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY (Lee & Low 2005) written by Paula Yoo and illustrated by Dom Lee
Today marks the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London! You know what that means… I will disappear into my Olympics batcave for the next two weeks! I’ve always been a HUGE Olympics fanatic (both summer & winter events). Although I’m not athletic and I don’t watch any sports, for some reason, I’m HOOKED on the Olympics. Which makes it fitting that my first children’s picture book, SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY (Lee & Low Books 2005, illustrated by Dom Lee), was about Olympic Gold Medalist diving champion Dr. Sammy Lee. (For more info on my book, go here: http://paulayoo.com/books-sixteen.html)
To celebrate the 2012 Summer Olympics, I am presenting a fun photo album of what it was like to meet Dr. Lee and write about his life for children. He is an amazing man – he’s surprisingly down to earth and funny, too! It was such a pleasure and privilege to meet him. I even got to see his Olympic medals and the torches he carried for later Olympics as well! Dr. Lee won gold medals in diving at the 1948 London Olympics and the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, becoming the first male diver to win back-to-back gold medals. He later coached diver Greg Louganis to the Silver Medal in the 1976 Olympics.
Dr. Sammy Lee, Olympic Gold Medalist!
(Keep reading after the jump for more stories and photos of Dr. Sammy Lee!)
