Mr. Lovre—Professional Ostrich Racer
On Mark Lovre’s 16th birthday, his father retired from the sport of ostrich racing: it was now his turn to carry on the family name and honor. “I immediately boarded a plane to sub–Saharan Africa,” Lovre rhapsodized, “where I would find my ostrich. It didn’t take me long, it was love at first sight, I knew he was the one” he gushed. And so, Lovre and Barthlomew the ostrich were incredible. The ostrich racing world had never seen any duo so fast, so unbeatable. Many thought that their success was limitless, but in a horrific outbreak, Barthlomew caught Berdgonnadieia virus. With a race the following day, Lovre disregarded Bartholomew’s sickness, driven by his greed for victory. As he mounted Bartholomew’s back for the last time, the gun fired, and off ran the competition. Bartholomew had nothing to give. “I got off his back and petted him as his limp body began to spasm and flop. That was the only time I lost, I wish Bartholomew wasn’t so pathetic, I was completely embarrassed. At least we got free steaks for dinner that night.” said Lovre.
Mr. Johnson—Professional Roller Blader
As a little kid, Meade Johnson loved nothing more than roller blading. With any free time, there he was, zipping around. It didn’t take long until he was known as “rollerboy” throughout his town. “My mom would tell me to do my homework, I would go rollerblading. One time I set up our treadmill so I could rollerblade and do my chemistry lab at the same time!” giggled Johnson. After years of dedication, Johnson went pro as only a 17-year-old. His career, however, was short lived after a generational fumble, proceeding to haunt him ever since. He stubbed his toe in his first competition. “It hurt so bad my toe even throbbed a bit… I realized that if I continued, I could stub my toe again, or maybe even bruise my knee” said Johnson. While fear held him back, he still had a deep love for the sport. Shortly after graduating high school, he decided to open his own rollerblading shop: “Meade to Roll” famous for their state of the art, world renowned, toe guards!
Mr. Kropp—Professional Ballet Dancer
As a child, Geoffry Kropp loved nothing more than prancing around—ballet quickly became his passion. “[Some] of the hardest things… [were]… jumping high and rotating all at the same time… [or]… the lifts, like trying to get a girl over your head with just one hand.” After 11 years as a professional he decided to retire, but his love for intricate shape making, previously expressed through his ballet, stayed strong. So, he pivoted. Today, Kropp can be found teaching geometry and expressing his passion for shapes, educating Bulldogs on triangles, circles, and sometimes even rectangles.
