Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/14049
LONGBEACHMAGAZINE.COM 43 T he night before the women's beach volleyball final at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, Misty May- Treanor quietly reflected on the journey, which brought her thousands of miles from home. Her thoughts were not of AVP tournaments or international competitions, but of the people who had touched her life over the years. She thought about her father and her late mother, her husband Matt, and partner Kerri Walsh. She also thought about her coaches, fellow players, and trainers – people who directly influenced her life and career over the years. Hours later, May-Treanor and Walsh would find themselves locked in a battle with a tough Chinese team, winning their second Olympic gold medal in front of thousands of courtside fans and millions more around the world. From that moment, the two-time Olympic Champion, stand-out Cal State Long Beach player, Dancing with the Stars contestant, teammate, wife, and new author would secure her place as one of the top beach volleyball players of all time and one of the most recognized athletes in the world. Her autobiography, Misty: Digging Deep in Volleyball and Life written with Jill Lieber Steeg, was released last month. Writing the book was a chance for May-Treanor to share her story with her fans, from those who had followed her career since her CSULB days to those who found themselves glued to their televisions during the last Olympic games. "My mom taught me to live every day so when this opportunity [to write a book] came up I said, 'Why not.' I can tell my story and people can know me a little more than just a ball, a bathing suit and an athlete," said May-Treanor, 33, in a recent interview before an East coast tournament stop. Her new book includes some surprisingly candid moments – the pain of living with alcoholic parents and their subsequent road to sobriety, humbly learning discipline -on and off the court, and losing her mother to cancer and the impact her death had on her life. It is also an inspiring story of a dedicated athlete who lists her two biggest assets as passion and commitment. She takes her profession and its responsibilities seriously but always with a good dose of humor. May-Treanor's story begins with her Hawaii- born father, Butch, a member of the 1968 U.S Men's Indoor Olympic Volleyball team and her Southern California-born mother, Barbara, a ranked junior tennis player. Both were accomplished beach volleyball players and from them sprang a gifted, driven champion. "Misty is a magical player," said Troy Tanner, who coached May-Treanor and Walsh for the Beijing Olympics. "She is blessed with all of these physical gifts like hand-eye quickness and her jump. And even through she is blessed, she also has worked so hard. Her work ethic makes it double special how good, fast, and strong she is." Young Misty was raised on Santa Monica's Muscle Beach, soaking up beach volleyball from watching her parents in countless tournaments and learning the basics from her father. She was constantly surrounded by her "beach family" which included legendary player Kathy Gregory and a young Karch Kiraly. Her parents later moved to Costa Mesa where May-Treanor played indoor volleyball for "Misty is a magical player. She is blessed with all of these physical gifts like hand-eye quickness and her jump." —Troy Tanner, coach.