GOING FOR GOLD: Roseville-born former Olympian Summer Sanders Schlopy is still going for gold.
Sanders Schlopy, who won two gold medals, plus silver and bronze ones, in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, has turned her sports celebrity into a career outside of the pool.
She has hosted or appeared on "Skating With Celebrities," "The Sports List" and Nickelodeon's "Figure it Out," among other programs.
More recently, she has shot a series of commercials for Johnson and Johnson. Sanders Schlopy also appears in commercials for Roseville Toyota.
She lives with her husband, Erik Schlopy, and children, Skye, 2, and 7-month-old Charles, whom the family calls by his middle name, Spider. The family splits their time between Los Angeles and Park City, Utah.
How have you have turned your sports celebrity into entrepreneurship?
I have tried to take what I do in my everyday life and build an image that is me. (I've) taken on each stage of my life having a vision of who I am and image of (what) I want and I work toward that.
What aspects of being an athlete do you draw upon as a businesswoman?
Perseverance and dedication come into play. One thing that I have had to learn about that I didn't have to deal with as a swimmer – because it is not a sport where you get judged a lot – is to develop a thicker skin.
Your brother, Trevor Sanders, started all the Jamba Juice franchises in Placer County and you helped out. Why that chain?
My brother is the brains behind that. There is a real story in the Sanders brother-and-sister team. He basically, while still at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) as a business major, thought that Juice Club, which Jamba was called then, was a great concept.
Do people stop you on the street to talk to you about your Roseville Toyota commercials?
They do in Roseville. People will stop and do a double take; it's pretty funny. … But most people stop me when they recognize me from "Sports List" or "Inside Stuff."
What advice would you give to someone looking to transition from one career to another?
The most important thing is for people to realize that it takes time to be successful, it will never be an overnight thing. Don't be scared to make a change and work hard.
– By Rachael Bogert
rbogert@sacbee.com
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