Olympic Swimmer Dara Torres' New Challenge

Her Coach And Personal Friend Has Been Diagnosed With A Potentially Fatal Disease

(CBS)  By all appearances, Dara Torres is "living the life." On the cover of Time Magazine, clowning on the Tonight Show, her 41-year-old chiseled physique is the talk at every water cooler as she goes after a tenth Olympic medal.

Torres arrives in Beijing as one of the most popular American Olympians.

But behind the scenes, the tough-as-nails competitor faces a new challenge no amount of training can fix, reports CBS News correspondent Kelly Cobiella.

Two weeks after Torres made the Olympic team, the man who helped her get there, personal coach and friend Michael Lohberg, was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia-a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder.

"I was waiting to go to practice, and I was just crying uncontrollably," she says.

Instead of being poolside in Beijing, he's bedridden in Bethesda, Maryland, after emergency blood transfusions at the National Institutes of Health.

"It's real tough not having Michael here," Torres says. "It's all we've talked about the past almost two years leading up to this, and even though I'm doing this for both of us, I definitely feel like I'm .. a part of me is missing not having him here."

"You want to finish it as a team," Lohberg told Cobiella from his hospital bed.

"So it must be hard for you being here," Cobiella asked.

"Oh yeah, it's very hard ... I want nothing more than to be there, but at the same time, I could be dead, so that's the alternative in plain English."

It's another stroke of bad news for USA Swimming. Eric Shanteau is battling testicular cancer; Jessica Hardy is off the team because of a positive drug test; and now this.

Torres has been meeting with the team psychiatrist, and the team USA head coach says she's trying to stay focused on the water.

"She also knows that Michael wants her to do a very good job, so I think that gives her motivation to get the job done here and not be more of a distraction," USA swimming coach Mark Schubert says. " … She will do whatever it takes-she will. It will be tough, she will follow a few times, but when she is on that block in that relay on the weekend, you'll see."

"I feel like I'm going out there to Beijing and doing this for Michael and making Michael proud," Torres says. "And hopefully putting a smile on his face."

Those interested in donating money to help defray the medical expenses for Coach Michael Lohberg may mail contributions to:

MICHAEL LOHBERG
CHARITABLE DONATION ACCOUNT
BankAtlantic
4695 N University Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33067
Payable to: Michael Lohberg

Click here to access the Lohberg fund's web site.

[feddupp]

Stay STRONG, Dara! You''re a professional and we know you can put your feelings on hold while you compete.

We pray for all good things for your coach''s recovery!

BTW, you''ve ALREADY made us PROUD by just being IN these Olympics!!

Godspeed!

[republic1776]

WOW,
A 41 Year old competing against an average age of 20 something.
Amazing, she''s an inspiration to America!

[juwboy]

OLYMPIC TRIVIA QUESTIONS

Who is the only person who`s won Olympic gold medals for two different countries?

Who could soon be the second person to win Olympic gold medals for two different countries?

[josebcruz]

If it was not for this great Athlete, I would probably not even care for the Olympics this year. Due to it being held in China.

But Dara is an exceptional person. I know what it takes to compete at an International level. I have two sons that have represented the United States in International Karate competitions. The training and discipline required is something to give credit to these athletes. I hope that Dara can maintain focus on her competition. As well I hope all the best to her trainer.

[tuffstuff92]

Although not a famous, Olympic athlete, I found myself in very similar shoes, last year as I trained for a Leukemia/Lymphoma triathalon as a way to "cross the finish line" with my daughter. She had just finished 2 and a half years of chemo and had "made it" as a survivor. The tri was a way for her and I to celebrate the victory together. The celebration was short lived. Two weeks before the triathalon, and less than one month after the chemo schedule had ended, she relapsed and was hospitalized to prepare for a bone marrow transplant in hopes of saving her life. I didn''t know if I had one hour, one day or one week left to spend with her. I had no desire to go participate in a triathalon away from and without her. The happiness and joy of doing it had been taken away. My daughter would not hear of it. She had heard me tell her and others to strengthen their "I will not quit" muscle by doing things that would make them want to quit and then not. Hence making them stronger. She pushed me to go without her and so I did. It was the most difficult thing to do at the time. That difficulty has since been replaced in learning to live without her. She passed away June 9.

To experience the strength and amazing faith of this child and to see how I''m empowered by what she and I learned along the way, as we fought adversity, go to www.tranformation.com/ttv-denise.php. I hope this somehow blesses Dara as she embarks on victory of her own.

[tuffstuff92]

The site I mentioned has a typing error. It is www.transformation.com/ttv-denise.php