Just An Average Jo —With A Gold MedalDon’t let the adorable smile, cute little giggle and killer body foolyou. When Misty May Treanor stands in the sand across the net fromher opponent, she’s at the top of her game and there’s little chanceyou’ll beat her. Last year’s AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour’s MostValuable Player has made almost a million dollars in winnings. Sheholds the record with her partner, Kerri Walsh, with an 89-matchwinning streak along with an impressive long list ofother accomplishments. Do these facts go to herhead? Not a bit.For example, the Taravella High Schoolbaseball team was holding a car wash at theMobil station near her home in Coral Springs.Misty just had to stop by to support the cause.When she handed the players a sizabledonation, they didn’t recognize her and weresurprised at her generosity.“My husband loves baseball,” was all she said.<strong>The</strong>n she smiled her trademark smile and left. When theplayers were told who she was they could hardly believe they had justwashed the car of a Gold Medalist.“She’s so hot!” said second baseman Michael Carbo. “And she wasawesome at the Olympics!”“I consider myself just an average Jo,” Misty says with a laugh.“Everybody else treats me like a superstar.” <strong>The</strong> adorable schoolgirlgiggle is a giveaway that star treatment embarrasses her. “I justhappen to excel at something. Everybody has a knack. It just comesdown to how hard you work at it and how dedicatedyou are; and pretty much, if you put your heart into itand you have a solid goal, it will happen. You canmake it happen.”One of her goals was to win a gold medal at the2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens. She cancross that one off her list. We ask what themedal did for her. She laughs again and says,“Brought the sponsors around. That, and itgave me proof for Matt that I was in Athensand not running around with some guy!”Misty’s husband, Matt Treanor,also happens to be a worldclassathlete and a catcherfor the FloridaMarlins. <strong>The</strong> twoWhen Misty May Treanor stands in the sand acrossthe net from her opponent, she’s at the top of hergame and there’s little chance you’ll beat her.met while rehabbing injuries in California where Misty grew up as abeach rat.“Both of us had bad luck in past relationships,” she confides. “Wewere kinda down on dating. We just happened to go out once and itfelt like we’d known each other for years.”<strong>The</strong>y got married November 13, 2004 and bought their house inCoral Springs last August. “Last year was crazy,” Misty says. “We gotmarried and then Matt was called up to the big leagues. He didn’tneed any more stress—he’s a big stress ball as it is!”When both husband and wife are professional athletes, life can getstressful but according to this young wife, you have to make sacrifices,especially since their careers frequently take them in differentdirections.“We have something special,” Misty declares. “I don’t know if this isfor everybody. We just can’t seem to find ourselves in the same city atthe same time. We know that for a couple more years we have to roughit but we have the rest of our lives together. Our relationship is so strongwe can do that. You know when you have this time (as a pro athlete) itisn’t going to last forever and you need to do what you need to do.”She and Matt intend to enjoy their careers while they can.Eventually she wants to get her masters degree and become a coach.<strong>The</strong>n they plan to start a familyWill that family remain in Coral Springs?“We’ll see,” Misty answers. “We love it here and we love ourneighbors. Right now it’s up to our careers. I’d be happy sitting in thestands with the kids cheering Matt on. We love the weather here andI can blend in.”Her shyness competes with her stardom on a daily basis and shelikes it when no one recognizes her. “It’s flattering,” she says. “But it’sembarrassing, too. It’s not the kind of person I am. I mean, if I gotsocked in the nose, I’ll bleed red, just like everyone else.”Yes Misty—that’s true; but after winning a gold medal for yourcountry your fans will always see it as red, white and blue.Text & Photos: Jim DonnellyImagemastersphotography.netMisty May Treanorand her hubby, Matt,hard at work!
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