On Nov. 25, the finale of ìThe Next Olympic Hopefulî reality television show will announce whether Cassie Routsis, an 11th grader at the Springs Studio for Academic Excellence in El Paso County Colorado School District 49, will be one of eight athletes invited to join Team USA as a future Olympian.The finale will air on NBC from 1:30 ñ 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.Routsis said this is the third year of the reality television show but the first year the competition has been open to teenagers. She was one of the youngest competitors and the only athlete from Colorado.According to the Team USA website, the United States Olympic Committee, in partnership with Milk Life and 24 Hour Fitness, created a talent-identification program to increase and enhance the pipeline of world-class athletes who want to pursue a spot on an Olympic team. That program, called the Scouting Camp, ìinvites elite American athletes of all sporting backgrounds across the country to apply and try out for a chance to become a member of Team USA,î according to the website.Routsis, a gymnast and CrossFitter, said she learned about the Scouting Camp from a family friend and decided to try out. Of the thousands who tried out across the nation, Routsis said she was one of 90 athletes chosen to participate.ìWe stayed five days at the Olympic Training Center (in Colorado Springs) at the end of June and were put through a series of physical tests to see which sports we might be good at,î she said.Donovan Routsis, Cassie Routsisís dad, said the tests were given to identify athletes who could be successful in sports outside the typical Olympic sports like gymnastics or softball. ìThere are already programs to develop those athletes, but there are no programs to train bobsledders or luger,î he said.According to the Team USA website, eight winners of ìThe Next Olympic Hopefulî will be invited to join the national team camps, one for each of the following sports: bobsled, skeleton (similar to bobsled and luge) boxing, canoe/kayak, cycling, rowing, rugby and weightlifting. ìThe four men and four women winners will be eligible to receive financial, medical and training support as they prepare for the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games,î the website states.While Routsis was not able to divulge too much information prior to the showís finale, she said her favorite part of the Scouting Camp was the free food, but also the friendships she made with the other athletes. ìI felt like I made a lot of new friends,î Routsis said. ìThe people around my age kind of stuck together a bit. We still talk and say we want to go back next year if we can. The whole time it was a mixture of emotions, excitement and nerves. It was crazy.îDonovan Routsis said the program also helped the athletes learn the ropes of being exposed to the press. ìBecause the program itself was a reality TV show, they really encouraged the athletes to use social media to share their successes, and they learned how to handle the media aspect of being in the spotlight,î he said.Cassie Routsis said the experience was definitely a good one. ìI was surprised that everyone was cheering each other on, like we were all part of Team USA already.î
