PLYMOUTH, Wisc. — 20 years ago, the USA Olympic men's rowing team broke the 40-year drought streak of first place finishes in the eights category.
Sheboygan County native Beau Hoopman was on that team.
He met me at his alma mater — Plymouth Comprehensive High School — ahead of the upcoming Paris Games.
"You feel nerves at the start, but it wasn't as panic-inducing as you think it might be," Hoopman said, recalling his experience in the 2004 Athens games.
"We knew what we were capable of and you just follow the guy in front of you. So you don't need to be nervous about anything, you don't need to worry about anything. You just need to do your job."
Hoopman said he never really watched the Olympics growing up, let alone think he'd compete in them one day.
The majority of the 2,000-meter race was lead by team USA by almost the entire length of the boat once the guys got up to speed.
"The end of the race creep here a lot of us are thinking, ‘Hang on, don’t mess up,’" Hoopman pointed out while re-watching the race clip.
SEE MORE: Rowing 101: Olympic history - NBC Olympics
When the boat crossed the finish line, he said the cheering is what he remembered most.
“From 25 years ago all the way through now, I made the right choices, I guess. It’s all luck.”
Hoopman's life in Plymouth, a city of less than 9,000 people, was simple: a big yard with big trees, perfect for playing with his brother.
He was active through high school, playing random sports for a season or two, including swimming his junior and senior year.
But rowing was the water sport he was destined for. — a walk-on athlete during his first year at the University of Wisconsin.
"[The recruiter] said, 'You’re tall. Have you ever heard of rowing?' And I was like, ‘No, never heard of it,’" Hoopman explained. "That one little interaction changed the course of my life.”
He competed at the 2008 Olympic games as well, bringing home a bronze medal that time.
Hoopman has big goals for the future though.
As the head coach for UW Men's Rowing, he hopes to bring his team to the Olympics too. It's the oldest sport at the university, celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
Watch: Former Olympian reflects on accomplishments ahead of Paris Olympics
Despite Hoopman's accomplishments, he's convinced he's not a local celebrity, insisting that his mom and brother (who are very involved in Plymouth schools) are more well-known than him.
But I'm not so sure.
During the interview, a student stopped him in the hall. She said: “You’re like the most famous person from Plymouth...next to the mayor.”
Plymouth High has also formally memorialized Hoopman in its Alumni Hall of Fame. “It’s cool to get recognized by your high school for doing something special,” he said with gold medal in hand.
But Hoopman wants his community to remember him by one key piece of advice.
“If an opportunity arises, and you think it might lead to something, take it. It doesn’t hurt to try.”
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
