Story written by Pranav Iyer
Additional reporting by Aditya Pimplaskar
WHO: Freshman football player Anish Iyer
MET: Pro Bowl San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis
WHEN: Iyer was with his family on just another shopping trip to Valley Fair Shopping Center when he spotted his favorite player, Davis, out of the corner of his eye. He raced over to him and started to break into tears as his favorite player was standing right in front of his eyes. Hurriedly, he took a picture and got an autograph, all before he was dragged away by his mother who had no idea what was happening.
SAYS: “I tried not to shower that day, but my mom didn’t let me,” Iyer said.
WHO: Senior tennis player Uma Kirloskar
MET: 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal
WHEN: Kirloskar was eight years old and her family was living in India when they were invited to attend the Chennai Open tennis tournament where many notable players competed, including Nadal. She comes from generations of tennis players and her whole family has become die-hard Nadal fans over the years. After seeing him practice, they were given the opportunity to talk to speak to Nadal personally.
SAYS: “Meeting someone who is so well-known and who is also so down-to-earth and genuine, inspires you,” Kirloskar said. “He hasn’t let fame get to his head at all.”
WHO: Junior swimmer Flora Dong
MET: Several professional swimmers, including Michael Phelps
WHEN: For 42 years, many of the world’s best swimmers have competed at the Santa Clara International Grand Prix. Junior Flora Dong has attended the Santa Clara International Grand Prix for the past two years. Here, she had the oppurtunity to meet many well known faces including Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin, Nathan Adrian, Dana Vollmer, Rebecca Soni and Natalie Coughlin. All are Olympic medalists that have inspired Dong with their dedication and drive to succeed.
SAYS: “It was just nice to see that if you work really hard and you love what you do, you can go this far and achieve your dreams of being an Olympic medalist and winning 18 gold medals,” Dong said.
