Triathlete Brings Bronze Glow to Boulder County Susan Williams' friends, family hold party to welcome Olympian home. September 12, 2004 • Olympian Susan Williams brought her sweet piece of Greece to Boulder County on Saturday, celebrating her new bronze medal with friends and family. "You can't spell Susan without the USA," said Lisa Turner, Williams' older sister, who hosted a party Saturday at her home in Erie. Williams, an aerospace engineer from Littleton, finished third in the Olympic women's triathlon Aug. 25. She had a fan pack of eight family members and three friends cheering her on in Athens. By Saturday, the celebrations had moved home. "I really couldn't have done it without all of their support," Williams said. The Turners proudly hung Olympic and American flags around their home and hosted a barbecue on a red paper tablecloth that was scribbled with messages congratulating Williams. Friends took turns trying on the bronze medal, and the Turners turned their garage into a museum of articles and pictures documenting Williams' Olympic accomplishment. "I just wanted her to do her best," Turner said. "And that's what she did. She's 35. I didn't want her to have any regrets." Scott Stewart, 35, of Arvada, celebrated Williams' win Saturday. He and Williams went to graduate school together at the University of Colorado in the early 1990s. Stewart said he remembers asking Williams to "wait up" when they went hiking and climbed fourteeners together. "Susan has always known how to go after whatever it is that she wants," Stewart said. "When you go with her, you get pushed, too." Although Littleton is home for Williams, Boulder was her Olympic training ground. In December 2003, triathlon coach Siri Lindley took Williams on, telling her she'd better be ready to go hard. "She was so excited and grabbed the challenge by the throat," Lindley said Saturday. "I love her attitude. She knew she had to do whatever it would take to achieve her dream. She didn't just have faith in herself. She had faith in her coach and faith in the plan." The day before the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials, Williams found out she was pregnant. She competed in the trials anyway, finishing sixth, which didn't qualify her to compete in Sydney. After winning the bronze medal in Athens, Williams grabbed her 31/2-year-old daughter, Sydney, whom she named after the Australian city, and paraded with her to the Olympic podium. Sydney wore the traditional Athens wreath over her curly blond hair, looking over the bronze medal with her mother. "I think I was still in shock at that time," Williams said. "I had always watched the Olympics and seen athletes holding medals. It was just amazing to be up there myself." This article originally appeared on the Daily Camera website. By Brittany Anas, Camera, Staff Writer Back to Articles Page

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