Grads made their impact on Olympic Games

Alonzo Babers, U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1983, won two gold medals for U.S. Track and Field in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Here, Babers poses at an overlook above the Academy during a photo shoot after his Olympic performance. (Photo courtesy of Airman magazine, January 1985)

By Randy Roughton
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – Every four years when the Olympic Games are held, graduates Alonzo Babers and Kathy (Callaghan) Rex reflect on their Olympic experience. Both represented the United States at the Olympics after they graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Babers, Class of 1983, won two gold medals in the 400-meter and 4×400-meter relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Rex, Class of 1984, competed on the U.S. Handball Team in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

“For the most part, I can go for years and not be recognized,” Babers said. “From time to time, someone will recognize my name. It has always been a huge part of my life, but I’ve tried to keep it low profile.”

Alonzo Babers, U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1983, won two gold medals for the U.S. Track and Field Team in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In this photo, he grabs the baton from a teammate in the 4×400 relay. (Courtesy photo)

Alonzo Babers, track and field

Babers earned a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Sciences at the Academy, where he competed in track after playing one year of football. After graduation in 1983, a special assignment allowed Babers to work in the Academy sports information office and train for the Olympics the rest of the day. By the summer of 1984, Babers had plenty of experience running against elite track and field in national and international competitions. In the 400-meter final in the Olympic trials, Babers ran in the lead before another runner passed him in the last 5 meters.

“I trained for three months with the thought that I was not going to let that happen again,” Babers said. “This time, I was 5 meters from the finish line, and I thought, ‘I’m going to win.’”

He ran a personal-best time in the preliminary 400-meter heats at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1984 and eclipsed that feat in the final to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. In the 1984 Summer Olympics, Babers, yet again, beat his personal record in the quarterfinal with a 44.27 time in the final. He also ran the third leg in the U.S. team’s 4×400 meter relay to win a second gold medal.

Active duty career after winning gold

After his double-gold medal performance in the Olympics, Babers completed flight training and served as an active-duty officer until 1991. He flew during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and during Operation Southern Watch in Iraq in 1994 as an Air Force reservist. He retired from the military in 2002.

Today, Babers lives in Potomac, Maryland, and continues to fly for United Airlines. Through the years, Babers continued to be his alma mater’s supporter, often visiting high schools in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area to stress academics to give students their best shot at Academy appointments. He hopes to reunite with some of his fellow 1984 U.S. team members when the Games return to Los Angeles in 2028.

Goalie Kathy (Callaghan) Rex, U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1984, competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, as a member of the U.S. Handball Team. She graduated with a bachelor’s in management degree. (Photo courtesy of Kathy (Callaghan) Rex)

Kathy (Callaghan) Rex, handball

During her Academy career, Rex played for the volleyball team, water polo team and was on the same track team as Babers. She maintained her position on the national handball team by participating in the National Sports Festival during her summer leave. Rex graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Management in 1984.

As a second lieutenant and finance officer in the U.S. Air Force, Rex continued to chase her Olympic dreams. After a successful year that included a national championship, Rex was named the 1986 Military Athlete of the Year. At the 1987 Pan American Games, the U.S. Women’s and Men’s Handball teams won the gold medals and qualified for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. As co-captain of the 1988 Olympic Handball squad, she helped the team finish seventh.

“When the Olympics come around every four years, I remember all the people who believed in me and helped my dreams come true,” Rex said. “I love all sports. I especially love to hear the stories of people who overcame their obstacles to achieve something great.”

Rex is now a loan officer in Colorado Springs and is looking forward to retirement at the end of the year. The non-profit running club she founded with her husband in 1999 continues today and has served more than 75,000 youth in the past quarter-century.

“When I was in fourth grade, I participated in a kid’s running program and realized I was a strong runner,” Rex said. “Because of this experience, when I picked up a ball in junior high and high school, I didn’t have to think about running and breathing. That made it easy to pick up sports. I wanted to create a similar program for Colorado kids so they could have the same success.”

Then-Cadet 1st Class Kathy (Callaghan) Rex is pictured as a member of the U.S. Air Force Academy Volleyball Team in 1984. Callaghan competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, as a member of the U.S. Handball Team. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force Academy Athletic Department)

Teaching character through athletics

Participation in athletics fosters initiative, teamwork and the will to win – attributes critical to the development of cadets into leaders of character. All cadets are required to participate in the athletic program. In addition to physical education courses and the required fitness tests, every cadet participates in competitive sports on an intercollegiate or intramural team. Indeed, the Academy is home to 27 men’s and women’s Division I NCAA teams.