UCLA gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos easily remembers one of her former performers, Lisa Strug, bragging about the talents of her younger sister Kerri, who was only 9 at the time.
"She used to tell me then that she had a little sister that was one day going to be in the Olympics," Kondos said Wednesday.Well, little Kerri did grow up to become an Olympian - twice. And because she did so well in Atlanta, Strug won't be following her big sister and her best friend to UCLA as she's long been planning to do.
Instead, Strug has given up her athletic scholarship for the chance to become a cereal cover girl, an actress, an endorser and even a motivational speaker. Collegians lose NCAA eligibility by making money off their sport.
"She's looking at everything from movie deals to a lot of corporate companies, speaking engagements," said Sheryl Shade, a family adviser who hopes to become Strug's agent.
Strug decided Tuesday to back out of the scholarship after realizing how many opportunities are coming her way, all because her vault on an injured ankle helped the United States win its first women's team gold medal.
She was unavailable for comment Wednesday while poring through the offers. She plans to meet the Dream Team today with her gymnastics teammates and is planning a news conference Friday.
"Her parents are literally taking these things in to her," Shade said. "She's just seeing them in the last 24 or 48 hours. It's a little bit overwhelming. They're trying to get good advice and consider everything. She's not definitely set on doing this or that."
Strug is planning to join her teammates for a nationwide tour that begins in September, although details of the deal were still being finalized.
Amy Chow's decision to give up her scholarship to Stanford means the tour will include all seven members of the U.S. team.
The tour, which pays each gymnast roughly $1,500 per night, was scheduled to make 31 stops but has already been extended because the first show, in West Palm Beach, Fla., sold out in two days. A second stop has been added there.
Strug also is among the U.S. Olympians whom General Mills is considering putting on a Wheaties box. The company will announce its choice Sunday.
With so many possibilities, Strug can afford to be choosy.