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Patterson embarks on career as professional athlete
Nov 03, 2009 (The Columbian - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX News Network) -- It's not every day you can find a professional athlete at a Starbucks in downtown Vancouver. But there was Kara Patterson last week, sipping on a cup of tea and reflecting on what lies ahead. "It's about making everything as perfect as you can," the 23-year-old Skyview graduate said of her chosen profession -- throwing the javelin. "It's like a big puzzle, the pursuit of something that seems a little impossible. But you can't think of it that way, or you won't get there. "I really believe I can hold the world record." After competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Championships, Patterson is at a turning point in her career. She completed her college career at Purdue University last spring -- graduating with a degree in nutrition, fitness, and health -- then signed a sponsorship deal with Asics that goes through the 2012 Olympics. Now she has relocated to the San Diego area, setting up residence at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. This week, she begins formal training. In the meantime, Patterson recently spent a couple weeks visiting family and friends in Vancouver. That vacation included a ceremony in which she was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Skyview, where she won three state championships in the javelin. "I was a little nervous about it," Patterson said. "I was really touched they made it such a big deal." Jim Condon, Skyview's athletic director, said: "It was great; the students responded very well. Anytime you're introducing somebody who went to this school and went to the Olympics, it's a big deal." For Patterson, the transition from college athlete to professional is filled with changes. The biggest one? "I think just managing all the time you put into school," she said. "Before, I had to balance training and school and eating and sleeping. Now it's just training and eating and sleeping." At the Olympic Training Center, Patterson will work with a group of about 10 throwers, including shot putters and discus throwers. And she hopes the full-time focus on her event will lead to vast improvements. Patterson won a U.S. championship in 2008 and repeated in 2009, recording the second-best mark in American history. But on the international stage -- the Olympics and World Championships -- she has yet to reach the finals of a major event. Still, she finished the 2009 season ranked eighth in the world, and she won a minor international meet in Korea. "I have a lot to learn as far as technique," she said. "I really want to consistently throw what I threw at USAs." To see more of The Columbian, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbian.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. Copyright (C) 2009, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.

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