Strange Events You’ve Probably Never Heard Of NOT YOUR AVERAGE OLYMPIC SPORT
During the last Summer Olympic Games, Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn’s performance caught the world off guard. After watching the event, many Americans wondered why breaking was added to the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is responsible for choosing the events, and they consider a wide range of criteria when considering adding or removing events. They look at how long the sport has existed, its popularity within the host country, the cost to broadcast the events, and whether an international federation governs the sport. Breaking was a hit at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics and was added to the 2024 Paris Games to drive engagement with a younger audience. The IOC has already announced that breaking will not return for the 2028 games in Los Angeles, joining a list of other sports dropped from the Olympic stage. Think breaking was a little outside the box? Then you won’t believe some of the events from past Olympics. Plunge for Distance (1904): Plunging was a sport in which participants dove into the water from a spring 18 inches above the surface. They floated for 60 seconds without propelling themselves forward, and
whoever went the farthest won. Only five individuals competed in the event, and all were American. Ballooning (1900): Technically an unofficial event at the 1900 games, ballooning consisted of various hot-air balloon-related activities. They held competitions for the farthest distance traveled, longest time traveled, greatest height achieved, and landing closest to a target. Motor Boat Racing (1908): Competitors got in their boats to travel five laps around an 8-nautical-mile course in the Southampton waters of England. This event was a complete disaster. Multiple boats would start each race, but in almost every instance, only one would cross the finish line, as strong winds heavily affected the others. Ski Ballet (1988 and 1992): While never an official Olympic event, ski ballet was demonstrated at two Olympic Games, anticipating its potential as a real event. Imagine figure skating on skis instead of skates. Competitions required participants to complete a choreographed routine in 90 seconds on a smooth slope.
Meet Melody Fitzgerel
STANDING STRONG FOR THE INJURED
Melody Fitzgerel has fought for compensation for victims of a wide range of accidents and injuries, from police officers wounded on the job to a young woman with a brain injury from a fall. In every case, she is passionate about helping her clients. Since joining our firm in March 2025 as an injury and disability attorney, Melody has shown a strong commitment to her clients. She
has fought for victims of slip-and-fall injuries, ranging from broken legs to traumatic brain injuries. Brain-injured patients need special support, she says. They often have a hard time communicating, and their injuries are not as visible as, say, a broken arm. As their advocate in the courtroom, Melody says, “you are working hard to make sure the injury is seen clearly by defense counsel and the jury.” Melody’s first brush with the legal profession was seeing her mother’s experience as a plaintiff in an employment discrimination lawsuit. Participating in mock trial competitions in college motivated her to enter the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. There, she flexed her writing talent as a staff member at the UMKC Law Review. After graduating, Melody gained a thorough understanding of insurers’ viewpoint in personal-injury cases by working at a defense firm for three years. “I got great experience and met some great people,” she says, “(but) I felt like I was hurting the people I wanted to help. I would come up with an interesting legal theory to help the insurance company save money, and I would wonder, what am I doing here?
“When talking with plaintiffs’ attorneys, I felt as if we were speaking the same language,” she says. She moved to the plaintiffs’ side and spent three years with a Kansas City personal injury firm. In one case, she helped win compensation for police officers who had been injured and traumatized as the result of others’ negligence. The case was complicated, but “it ended up really well,” resulting in fair compensation for the victims and the bereaved family. Away from work, Melody enjoys time with her husband, Zach, their 1-year-old son Teddie, and their two dogs, a blue heeler named Eddie and a whippet named Stevie. While she does plenty of writing on the job, Melody also enjoys writing screenplays in her time off, focusing on both dark and romantic comedies, she says. Creating characters and plots “gets my creativity flowing.”
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