Apolo Ohno: Interview with Olympian as he gets ready for IRONMAN Triathlon

Apolo Ohno has hung up his speed skates and is making a comeback by competing in this years Ironman Triathlon.

Ohno was born in Seattle, Washington in May 1982. After watching the 1994 Winter Olympics, he decided that he wanted to become a speedskater. He started training with U.S. national speedskating coach Pat Wentland in Lake Placid, New York at the age of 14. While he was 14, he won the U.S. Nationals championships, making him the youngest U.S. national champion. In 2008 he became the first and only American to win the overall World Short-track Championship title. He’s the first American to win the overall World Cup title.

Ohno is best known for competing in the Olympics. At the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, he made history by passing Bonnie Blair’s record of six medals won by an American winter athlete. Ohno has won a record eight medals in the Olympics, two gold, two silver, four bronze. He was a commentator for NBC at the Sochi Games this February.

In 2007 Ohno competed on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. His partner was Julianne Hough and they won. He returned to Dancing with the Stars in 2012 for the show’s all-star season. Recently he hosted Minute to Win It on GSN.

Apolo spoke with TheCelebrityCafe.com about competing in the Ironman Triathlon in October.

TheCelebrityCafe.com: Right now you're training to compete in the Ironman Triathlon, but you're known as someone who has competed in the Olympics. What made u decide to compete in the Ironman Triathlon?

Apolo Ohno: That's a good question. I have always looked for new challeges after my career as a short-track Olympic athlete. The Ironman is considered the hardest competition of all. For me its going to be a huge challenge and its the ultimate challenge. I'm looking foreward to it.It going to take alot of hard work.

TCC: What's the training beeen like?

Ohno: Training day is always different.Hours on bike, lots of swimming and running. typical day, 3,00 meter swim, four hour bike, and 70 minute run, so it can be a five, six-hour day.

TCC: You've been trainging with NFL player Hines Ward? WHat's that been like?

Ohno: Hines competed the Ironman last year. He did in just over 13 hours. He's passed the torch to me. Now its my turn to complete it and see if I can be an Ironman myself. He was telling me about his process and what it took to get to that point and the trainging involved.

TCC: Is there a specifec diet or nutrition plan that your on to prepare for this?

Ohno: Its a huge part of it. Chocolate milk is the campaign we're pushing.Built with Chocolatemilk Mission Apolo is the name of the campaign. We got a website set up. Gotchocolate milk.com is the website. We're filming eight different episodes from start to finish so people can see whats going on and how chocolate milk plays a part in my training.

TCC: U mentioned the documentary. Can u tell me more about that?

Ohno: We're filming different aspects of my training all across the country. showcase different parts, seeing how this is all new to me and seeing if I have what it takes

TCC: What was Dancing with the Star like?

Ohno: Dancing with the Star was awesome.I don't know if it prepared my for the Iron man but it was alot of fun.

TCC: What's it been like hosting Minute to Win It?

Ohno: Minute to Win It was fun. It was difficult to film, doing three to four shows a day. I got to give away money to people and it was fun watching people win a lot of money.

TCC: Is there anything that you want to do that you haven't done yet?

Ohno: I did the gameshow and was successful in my Olympic careers. Now my focus is on the Ironman.

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