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FROM TERRY THEOBALD:
A
fellow gymnastics person has been lost to the tragedy of September
11. Mari-Rae Sopper was a former Palatine Gym Club gymnast in the
early 1980's coached by Sandy Oldham, Terry Theobald, and Jayne Morava.
She was a Fremd high school gymnast coached by Larry Petrillo and Diane
Kelley and was named Fremd high school Athlete of the Year and Outstanding
Senior Gymnast of the Year. Mari-Rae was also an Illinois State
Scholar & a National Merit finalist.
Mari-Rae went on to Iowa State University coached by Mike
Sharples.
She was a walk on as a freshman and she received an athletic scholarship
for her final three years. Mari-Rae was voted Iowa State's Most
Valuable Gymnast of the Year in her senior year.
Mari-Rae was a practicing lawyer in Washington D.C. She was a
lieutenant on the Navy's IAG Corps focusing on Defense and Appellate
Defense. She was also an assistant coach and choreographer for the
U.S. Naval Academy.
After a year in the corporate law world, Mari-Rae realized her desire
to coach gymnastics was overwhelming. She accepted the head coaching
position at U-C Santa Barbara women's team.
Mari-Rae was on the doomed flight that crashed into the pentagon.
She was on her way to her new job.
Mari-Rae will be remembered for her loyalty, strong values, excellent
work ethic and spirit for life. She touched many lives and will be
deeply missed.
If you would like to make a donation please send to:
Mari-Rae Sopper Memorial Gymnastics Fund
c/o Harris Bank of Palatine
50 Brockway
Palatine, IL 60067
Attention: Eric Eimen
FROM MARI-RAE'S PARENTS:
On September 11, 2001. my daughter, Mari-Rae Sopper, a Washington D.C.
attorney, was following her dream to start a new job as head coach of the
Women’s Gymnastics Team at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB)
. That fateful morning, her flight, American Airlines Flight 77, was hijacked
as part of an attack on America, and the plane was purposefully crashed into
the Pentagon.
"She had this great (law) job, and gave it up to do what she really
loved." , "What is so amazing about Mari-Rae is that she knew the
program would only be in existence for one more year, but she accepted the job
with so much enthusiasm,"
On August 10, Santa Barbara had announced that their gymnastics program was
being terminated. The University announced on August 14 that the program was
reinstated in order to allow incoming student athletes and returning student
athletes an opportunity to transfer and retain the ability to compete this
year. It was made clear that the reprieve would be for one season only.
Jennifer Rudy, UCSB's senior team captain, talks about Mari-Rae Sopper:
" I knew Mari-Rae for many years. She coached some of my best friends
back in Colorado. She was one of the best choreographers I have ever seen. We
reunited this summer in Washington D.C. She was working in a law firm there
and I was working at the Republican National Committee. We got together and
talked for hours. To tell you the truth, she usually did most of the talking.
I couldn't believe what she already knew about us! She had never met most of
the girls on the team, but she knew our statistics and every skill that every
member of the team competed. She was so passionate and so dedicated, I knew
that she had the ability to do great things with our program. She was
convinced that she could get our team fully funded within 2 years, and bring
our team to a top ten team within 5 years. Listening to her, I had no
doubts."
"Our team had already been on an emotional roller coaster. Now one of the
most incredible individuals had been taken away from us, too. I know that
Mari-Rae would be disappointed if we did not pull ourselves together. We have
dedicated this year to Mari-Rae's memory. We are determined to be a team that
Mari-Rae would have been proud to have coached."
Mari-Rae
planned on saving UCSB's program!!.
UCSB has agreed to reinstate the program if we can raise $ 4 million to
provide an endowment by April 2002. The yearly income from this fund would
allow UCSB to continue the program at the current level and allow gymnastics
through further fundraising over the next couple of years to provide for new
equipment, 10 fully funded scholarships and misc. costs. The
purpose of the memorial fund is to continue Mari-Rae’s mission to save the University
of California Santa Barbara women’s gymnastics program. If this is not
possible, the funds will go to young gymnasts in the Chicagoland and
Washington D.C. areas whose families who are unable to pay for lessons.
Donations should be
made payable to:
Mari-Rae Sopper Gymnastics Memorial Fund
Harris Bank of Palatine
50 N Brockway
Palatine, Il 60067
Attn: Eric Eimen
visit
Mari-Rae and learn about her at: www.Mari-Rae.net
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