Michele Mary Smith
Encyclopedia
Michele Mary Smith went to Oklahoma State University. Michele Smith is a Two-Time Olympic Softball
Gold Medalist with the U.S. National Team, having played in the 1996
and 2000 Summer Olympics
. In 2006, she was inducted into the ASA Softball Hall of Fame. She has also played professionally in the Japanese Professional Softball League since 1992. She is a 7-Time Japanese Pro League Champion & MVP. Presently, she is playing for Toyota Shokki and serves as a Softball Analyst for ESPN. She continues to serve as Ambassador of Softball to bring softball back to the Olympic Games in 2016. Smith will serve as an analyst for NBC Sports
coverage of Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
.
Smith attended Voorhees High School
in Glen Gardner, New Jersey
, where she set school records for wins, strikeouts and no hitters. On July 21, 1986, while Michele's father was driving her home from an oral surgeon's appointment, the sleeping Smith was thrown from the truck when her door opened on a turn. She was thrown into a roadside post, chopping off part of her elbow bone and tearing her triceps from her left arm, which severed the muscle and nerve endings in her golden pitching arm. The accident forced her to not only face the trauma of her injury, but also the end of her life as she had known it. "It was like losing my identity," she says. Her life was far from over, after 9 intensive months of rehab she made her comeback as a pitcher at Oklahoma State University. She returned throwing 3 mph faster than before the accident!
Smith was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
Hall of Fame
in 1998.
Softball is not Michele's only calling. She played Basketball and Field Hockey also. She is a left-handed pitcher and started playing at 5 years old. Michele is often called Smitty, Lefty, and Silky- for her 'silky' arm swing. Michele is an official citizen of Japan, and works for Toyota in Kariya, Japan.
Softball at the Summer Olympics
Softball was introduced as an Olympic sport for women in the 1996 Summer Olympics. On July 11, 2005, the IOC voted to drop baseball and softball from the Olympic program for 2012, a decision that was reaffirmed on February 9, 2006...
Gold Medalist with the U.S. National Team, having played in the 1996
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. In 2006, she was inducted into the ASA Softball Hall of Fame. She has also played professionally in the Japanese Professional Softball League since 1992. She is a 7-Time Japanese Pro League Champion & MVP. Presently, she is playing for Toyota Shokki and serves as a Softball Analyst for ESPN. She continues to serve as Ambassador of Softball to bring softball back to the Olympic Games in 2016. Smith will serve as an analyst for NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
coverage of Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Softball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing took place over a ten day period starting August 12 and culminating in the medal finals on August 21. All games were played at the Fengtai Softball Field...
.
Smith attended Voorhees High School
Voorhees High School
Voorhees High School is a four-year public high school located in Lebanon Township, New Jersey. The school is named after Foster MacGowan Voorhees, the 30th Governor of New Jersey. It is one of two high schools in the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, serving students from six...
in Glen Gardner, New Jersey
Glen Gardner, New Jersey
Glen Gardner is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. At the time of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,704....
, where she set school records for wins, strikeouts and no hitters. On July 21, 1986, while Michele's father was driving her home from an oral surgeon's appointment, the sleeping Smith was thrown from the truck when her door opened on a turn. She was thrown into a roadside post, chopping off part of her elbow bone and tearing her triceps from her left arm, which severed the muscle and nerve endings in her golden pitching arm. The accident forced her to not only face the trauma of her injury, but also the end of her life as she had known it. "It was like losing my identity," she says. Her life was far from over, after 9 intensive months of rehab she made her comeback as a pitcher at Oklahoma State University. She returned throwing 3 mph faster than before the accident!
Smith was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports.-State championships:...
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
in 1998.
Softball is not Michele's only calling. She played Basketball and Field Hockey also. She is a left-handed pitcher and started playing at 5 years old. Michele is often called Smitty, Lefty, and Silky- for her 'silky' arm swing. Michele is an official citizen of Japan, and works for Toyota in Kariya, Japan.
External links
- http://www.michelesmith.com/