[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1211-E1212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   IN HONOR OF BONNIE EDMONDSON, UNITED STATES TRACK AND FIELD COACH

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOE COURTNEY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 7, 2016

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Bonnie 
Edmondson of Coventry, Connecticut, an exceptional athlete and public 
servant, for being chosen as a coach for Team USA's track and field 
team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
  Bonnie has a long and dedicated track and field career. During her 
time at Eastern Connecticut State University in 1987, she threw discus 
and hammer, earning the title of All-American. Thanks to her talent and 
commitment, Bonnie ranked tenth in the world and fifth in the nation in 
hammer throw between 1990 and 1996 and won national championships for 
her skills in both 1990 and 1991. Later, Bonnie dedicated her career to 
coaching at all levels of the sport. Most notably, she held positions 
as an assistant coach in the 1998 World Junior Championship and as a 
coach for the Team USA throwing events in 2012 and 2014 during the IAAF 
World Indoor Championships. Most recently, she served as a mentor to 
the 2015 NESCAC hammer throw champion, Lily Talesnick. Currently, 
Bonnie is a track and field coach at Trinity College, while also 
working at the Connecticut Department of Education, overseeing a 
comprehensive school health education program aimed at motivating 
children to lead healthier lifestyles.
  During her years as a thrower, Bonnie's scores in the 1992 Olympic 
trials would have qualified her for the Games if there had been a 
women's division in her sport. However, it wasn't until 1995 that the 
International Olympic Committee established the Women and Sport 
Advocacy group which works to implement gender equality policies in all 
Olympic competitions. In 2000, women's hammer throw was included in the 
Olympics for the first time. Instead of succumbing to disappointment 
and defeat, Bonnie contributed to the evolution of the sport, and of 
the Games, by helping to introduce women's events in the hammer throw. 
Her talent and passion for the sport makes her an incredible coach, and 
she has served as a wonderful representative of the United States, and 
of Connecticut, this August in Rio de Janeiro. Bonnie is more than 
deserving of this opportunity, and her debut at the games is long 
overdue.

[[Page E1212]]

  Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in congratulating 
Bonnie and the U.S. track and field team for a terrific performance in 
the Summer Games. Bonnie and her team have not only brought pride to 
the State of Connecticut, but to the entire nation.

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