Q&A by Sarah Tomlinson Name: Bob Beamon Sport: Athletics Games: Mexico City, 1968

Monster: How did you get started competing in the long jump?

Bob Beamon: I started at age 8 or 9. I was playing all sports, but track and field was probably the most inexpensive. All you had to do was borrow somebody's sneakers and run. I started as a runner but lost more than I won. It was pretty disappointing. As a youngster, peer pressure can make a big difference in whether you continue with the sport or get turned off. I was probably right in the middle, being turned off but also very motivated. Because I could taste it, I was just a second away from winning. Plus, it kept me out of trouble.

I was excited about running, but I wanted to try the long jump. One day somebody got sick, and I said, "Let me try this." I won first place; I jumped 19 feet. I was pretty darned excited about that. At the Junior Olympics when I was 15 or 16, I borrowed somebody's track shoes and jumped 24 feet. I set a new Junior Olympic record. That's when I became dedicated to doing something special; I wanted to make the Olympic team.

It can be hard for athletes to survive in the business world. Athletes start learning about business etiquette later than most. Students in college prepare for the work world while most athletes are preparing for the next competition, and some think they may make pro. Some fall short and have very difficult transitions into the world of business.

Athletes should at some point, particularly in college, think very seriously about their opportunities in case they don't make it. Business and sports are related in terms of how we go after goals and objectives. How do we get there? We get there by hard work, dedication and motivation. Basically, you can be successful in the business world if you apply the same kind of principals.

Mc: Is it difficult to leave Olympic recognition behind for professional life?

BB: It's very important for athletes to say, "Well, I got a gold medal in the Olympics, and that was an incredible peak experience for me." But there are many more peak experiences. You can set up a company or become employee of the year at your company, which is similar to a gold medal. Once you understand the goals and objectives of that company and where you fit in, you will basically be on the road to success. As an athlete, you did the same thing. You just have to apply it differently.

Mc: How did you make the transition from athlete to professional?

BB: It wasn't that I had many choices because I didn't. Most importantly, I had to finish college and seek out some job opportunities. I looked at opportunities in banking and from a nonprofit point of view, and I did a little bit of everything, including coaching. Early on, I had a good feel for the direction I might take in terms of business. So it made the transition a lot easier.

Athletes are special and sometimes find themselves in difficult situations because they haven't spent time thinking about job opportunities for later in life. That could come from the thought, "I missed the Olympic Games in 1988, so I'll wait until 1992." Then they're 25, and they say, "I've got to do something. Where do I go from here?" When they start sensing a need to go out and find an opportunity, they have to do crash courses in business etiquette.