In The News: Former NHS Student: Family following Cyrus Hostetler to the Olympics in Rio

Written by: Seth Gordon, Newberg Graphic

Three family members will cheer on athlete later this month

Some members of the Hostetler family weren’t able to follow javelin thrower Cyrus Hostetler to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, but the Newberg native’s win at last month’s Olympic Trials gave them a second chance at what for many is at best a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

That’s the case for Hostetler’s mother, Karina, who will join elder brother David and his wife, Casey, in following Hostetler to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, later this month.

However, after traveling to London four years ago with their father, Glenn, and step-mother, Heather, cheering on a sibling in the Olympics will be old hat for David.

“Casey had said to me, even before Cyrus had hit the standard, that we had to go if he makes it because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” David joked. “I said, ‘I’ve already gone.’”

At first, traveling abroad to support an Olympic athlete may sound like the ultimate family trip, but David knows that it’s practically a separate experience for the family, as the athlete is housed separately and is singularly focused on their competition.

David said that the family got to spend time with Cyrus just four times in London and one of those came about completely by chance as Cyrus wandered into their section after being eliminated in the preliminary round.

“He said he just picked a random door and walked up and figured he’d find a place to sit,” David said. “So he sat with us the rest of our session. That was also the day of his birthday, so that was pretty cool.”

While David is putting his previous Olympic experience to good use, he did credit the USATF, which provides free tickets for family members of athletes, for providing a wealth of information prior to the Games.

“They want to make it as smooth as possible so you don’t have to bother the athlete,” David said. “He’s got his own problems he’s dealing with and logistics that he needs to set up.”

Without the complimentary tickets, David said he would not have been able to make the London trip, not only because track and field tickets were $800 a pop, but because they had sold out a year before the games.

Even without the cost of tickets, the trip ran the family $2,600 per person and David has budgeted for $5,500 to $6,000 for he and his wife this time. He feels he was able to purchase airline tickets and to find an apartment near Copa Cabana Beach to rent for the six-day, five-night trip because he booked those just a week after Cyrus hit the Olympic ‘A’ standard in late May, a month before he officially qualified at the trials.

The family spent most of its time in London visiting the big historical sites and tourist attractions, but the traveling contingent expects to spend more time on the beach and simply taking in the culture on this trip.

Although David expects it to be harder to get around Rio because its subway is limited in comparison to London’s Underground, he hopes to once again take advantage of the Proctor & Gamble House, which serves as a free gathering space for athletes and their families.

It is open 24 hours, provides free meals and is a popular destination to watch events on television or bump into American athletes wearing their medals.

The family will fly in Aug. 16, watch Cyrus in the preliminaries Aug. 17 and have two days off before hopefully cheering him on in the finals Aug. 20 and departing Aug. 21. Cyrus believes clearing 80 meters, which he has done several times in the past three months, will give him a good shot at making the 12-man finals.

“We’re super excited about it,” David said. “That would be a great end to our trip because we leave the next morning.”