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<b>A champion's heart receives a second chance<br><br></b>Alberto Salazar says his brush with death has brought new clarity<br>
Tuesday, July 10, 2007<br>
KEN GOE<br>
The Oregonian<br><br>
The day Alberto Salazar nearly died, he arrived at the Nike world headquarters with athletes Galen Rupp, Josh Rohatinsky and Jared Rohatinsky in tow.<br><br>
It was a Saturday, the last day in June, at first unremarkable.<br><br>
Salazar, seemingly as lean and fit as when he won three consecutive New York City Marathons in the early '80s, planned to put Rupp and the Rohatinskys through a brisk series of calisthenics and plyometric drills for an hour and then, perhaps, go for a run.<br><br>
The four were talking about the best places to eat lunch as they walked from the parking lot to soccer fields near the center of campus.<br><br>
As they reached the northwest corner of the fields, Salazar felt a sharp pain in his neck and dizziness. He went down to one knee, so if he passed out he wouldn't fall and hit his head.<br><br>
The athletes moved a few feet away to give Salazar room. Then, they saw him slump to the ground.<br><br>
"You could tell, when he fell he was out," Rupp said. "His face was super blue. We were scared. We knew we needed to get help."<br><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/118403790855070.xml&coll=7" target="_blank">http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/ore...070.xml&coll=7</a>
Tuesday, July 10, 2007<br>
KEN GOE<br>
The Oregonian<br><br>
The day Alberto Salazar nearly died, he arrived at the Nike world headquarters with athletes Galen Rupp, Josh Rohatinsky and Jared Rohatinsky in tow.<br><br>
It was a Saturday, the last day in June, at first unremarkable.<br><br>
Salazar, seemingly as lean and fit as when he won three consecutive New York City Marathons in the early '80s, planned to put Rupp and the Rohatinskys through a brisk series of calisthenics and plyometric drills for an hour and then, perhaps, go for a run.<br><br>
The four were talking about the best places to eat lunch as they walked from the parking lot to soccer fields near the center of campus.<br><br>
As they reached the northwest corner of the fields, Salazar felt a sharp pain in his neck and dizziness. He went down to one knee, so if he passed out he wouldn't fall and hit his head.<br><br>
The athletes moved a few feet away to give Salazar room. Then, they saw him slump to the ground.<br><br>
"You could tell, when he fell he was out," Rupp said. "His face was super blue. We were scared. We knew we needed to get help."<br><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/118403790855070.xml&coll=7" target="_blank">http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/ore...070.xml&coll=7</a>