From the July 2009 issue of Runner's World
University of Oregon runner Andrew Wheating was just 20 years old in August 2008, when he stepped onto the track at Beijing National Stadium to represent the U.S. Olympic Team in the 800 meters. One year and several NCAA championhips later, Wheating says that there's one thing that will always remind him of his Olympic experience: Captain Jack Sparrow.
"I was really into the Pirates of the Carribean soundtrack while I was over there," Wheating says. "There's a song called 'He's a Pirate' and – I feel like such a loser admitting this – that's what was in my head during the Olympics.
"It's one of those songs that get you really jazzed. You start thinking, 'Maybe I'm a pirate, and maybe I'm about to slay some bad people. (Laughs.)
"It's weird," Wheating adds. "You'd think that memories of the Olympic Games would conjure up a more commanding song than something from a Disney movie, but that's what I remember."
Andrew Wheating's Playlist (Interview continues below)
