An Olympic trip for maintenance man
John Duran’s daughter wins silver at 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

Kingsburg High School maintenance technician John Duran took the trip of a lifetime in August, traveling to Beijing to see his daughter compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Duran, a member of Kingsburg Chapter 226, watched his daughter, Andrea, win a silver medal with the U.S. Women’s Softball Team. Duran said watching his daughter participate in the Olympics was unreal.

“I can’t even describe what it’s like to be the father of an Olympian,” he said. “I just feel so proud and so blessed. It’s an overwhelming experience.”

Duran and his family spent nine days in Beijing, visiting not only Olympic attractions like the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, but also national landmarks, including the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City. He said the people in China were incredibly welcoming, noting he can’t wait to go back and visit again.

“China was an amazing experience,” he said.

Hailing from Selma, Calif., Andrea Duran has excelled in athletics since a young age. John Duran said his daughter started playing softball at the age of 10, following in the footsteps of her sister, who was playing for a travel-ball team. Andrea Duran, now 24, quickly made an impact, joining prestigious travel-ball teams before accepting a full scholarship to UCLA. As a Bruin, she was named an All-American and earned Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year honors.

John Duran said it was an amazing feeling to see the young girl he played catch with be selected for the U.S. Olympic Team.

“My wife (Janie) and I were so excited,” he said. “You can’t describe the feeling.”

While the Beijing Olympics were a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the trip had a bittersweet ending. The United States team lost the championship game to Japan 3-1. The game was the last ever in the Olympics, as there will no longer be a softball competition at the games.

“It was disappointing because the team was overwhelmingly favored to win the gold medal, but it was a great experience and our daughter got a silver medal,” John Duran said. “I think if we had a best-of-five series, the U.S. team would have come out on top.”