Succes 2011: Thomas Reiter, astronaut & Brigadier General in the Luftwaffe. One of the top 25 astronauts in terms of total time in space

Thomas Arthur Reiter (born May 23, 1958 in Frankfurt, Germany) is a retired European astronaut and is a Brigadier General in the Luftwaffe currently working as Director of Human Spaceflight at the European Space Agency (ESA).

As of 2008[update], he was one of the top 25 astronauts in terms of total time in space. With his wife and two sons he lives in Wahnbek (near Oldenburg) in Lower Saxony.

In 1982, Reiter received his diploma in aerospace engineering from the Bundeswehr University of Munich. In 2010 the university awarded him a honorary doctoral degree. He completed his training as a pilot in Germany and Texas.

He served as an onboard engineer for the Euromir 95/Soyuz TM-22 mission to the Mir space station. During his 179 days aboard Mir, he carried out two EVAs and became the first German astronaut to perform a spacewalk.

Between 1996 and 1997, he underwent additional training on the Soyuz spacecraft and was awarded a "Soyuz Return Commander" certificate, qualifying him to command a three-person Soyuz crew during its return from space.

He trained for a six-month mission to the International Space Station and was launched on the Discovery STS-121 mission to join Expedition 13. The launch date was set for 1 July 2006, but was moved to 2 July, and finally launched on 4 July 2006 due to weather delays. Discovery departed 15 July, leaving Reiter behind with Expedition 13. He later became part of Expedition 14 before returning to Earth aboard Discovery during the STS-116 mission.

His ISS mission was designated Astrolab by the European Space Agency.

Reiter has logged just over 350 days in space, the most by any non-American or non-Russian.

On August 8, 2007 Thomas Reiter was named a member of DLR's executive board. On March 17, 2011 he was appointed Director, now being responsible for training of astronauts, microgravity research, operations of space-based infrastructure and ESA satellite missions.

Internaționali români de fotbal: Rodion Cămătaru

Rodion Gorun Cămătaru (n. 22 iunie 1958, Strehaia) este un fost fotbalist român, care a jucat în echipa națională de fotbal a României.

Rodion Gorun Cămătaru s-a născut la data de 22 iunie 1958 în orașul Strehaia și a debutat ca jucător de fotbal în Divizia A la echipa Universitatea Craiova la 10 noiembrie 1974 în meciul Universitatea Craiova - CFR Cluj-Napoca 1-1.

A evoluat ca fotbalist timp de 12 sezoane la Universitatea, câștigând două titluri de campion al României (cu echipa) în sezoanele 1979-1980 și 1980-1981 și patru Cupe ale României (1977, 1978, 1981, 1983). În anul 1986 s-a transferat la Dinamo București, devenind golgheter al Diviziei A.

În anul 1987, Rodion Cămătaru a câștigat trofeul Gheata de Aur a Europei, marcând în acel sezon 44 de goluri pentru Dinamo, într-un număr de 33 de meciuri jucate. Această reușită de excepție a provocat multe comentarii și controverse, deoarece Cămătaru marcase 20 goluri în ultimele șase etape de campionat.


Rodion Cămătaru a disputat 422 de meciuri pentru echipele de club, din care 377 în Divizia A, 29 la Charleroi și 16 la Heerenveen, marcând 198 goluri în Divizia A, în 15 sezoane. A jucat 47 de meciuri în cupele europene cu Universitatea Craiova și Dinamo București, marcând de șapte ori. Ultimul meci în Divizia A a avut loc la 14 iunie 1989 Dinamo București - FC Bihor Oradea 5-1.

S-a retras din activitatea de jucător de fotbal în anul 1993, după ce, din 1989, se transferase la echipe din Belgia și Olanda. Cămătaru a înscris la 20 mai 1993 ultimul gol ca fotbalist profesionist în finala Cupei Olandei la fotbal, jucând pentru echipa SC Heerenveen. Acel meci a fost câștigat însă de echipa adversă, Ajax Amsterdam.

Cămătaru a jucat în de 75 meciuri în echipa națională a României, pentru care a înscris 22 de goluri. El a făcut parte din lotul echipei de fotbal a României la turneele finale de la Campionatul European de Fotbal din 1984 și apoi de la Campionatul Mondial de Fotbal din 1990.

Rodion Gorun Cămătaru (born 22 June 1958) is a retired Romanian footballer, who played as a striker.

He was born in Strehaia and debuted in Divizia A with Universitatea Craiova in 1974. He spent twelve seasons with Universitatea, winning the league titles in 1980 and 1981. In 1986, he was transferred to Dinamo Bucureşti, where he became the Divizia A top goalscorer the first season with 44 goals in 33 games. He retired in 1993, having played in Belgium and the Netherlands since 1989. Cămătaru scored his last ever goal as a professional in the Dutch cup final, playing for Heerenveen, on 20 May 1993. The match was won by Ajax.

He controversially won the European Golden Boot as Europe's best goal scorer in 1987, after scoring 20 of his 44 goals in the last 6 games of the season. It is widely believed that this was due to manipulation, and so 20 years later, the second placed Toni Polster was also granted a Golden Boot.

Cămătaru got 75 caps and scored 22 goals for the Romanian national team, and represented his country at Euro 1984 and the 1990 World Cup.

Internaționali români de fotbal: Miodrag Belodedici

Miodrag Belodedici este un fost fotbalist român, actualmente director al centrelor de juniori ale Federației Române de Fotbal. Mai este poreclit și "Belo". S-a remarcat ca fotbalist la Steaua București, între 1983 și 1989, și la Steaua Roșie Belgrad, între 1989-1992. A câștigat 2 Cupe ale Campionilor cu Steaua Roșie Belgrad și Steaua București.

Miodrag Belodedici și-a început cariera de fotbalist la echipa Minerul Moldova Nouă, din liga județeană Caraș-Severin. Format de antrenorul Olimp Mateescu, Belodedici a fost transferat în anul 1982 la Luceafărul București. De aici, a fost recrutat la Steaua de către Ion Alecsandrescu, președintele clubului la acea dată. Miodrag Belodedici a evoluat la Steaua până în 1988, cucerind cu acest club patru ediții consecutive ale Campionatului României, Cupa României în 1985, 1987 și 1988, și Cupa Campionilor Europeni, în 1986, după ce a evoluat ca fundaș toate cele 120 de minute ale finalei decise în urma penalty-urilor de departajare. În vara următoare, Belodedici a câștigat cu Steaua și Supercupa Europei, în 1987.

În 1988, Miodrag Belodedici a fugit în Iugoslavia, acest fapt atrăgându-i o condamnare de 10 ani de închisoare în absență pentru trădare din partea regimului comunist. În Iugoslavia, Belodedici a jucat la Steaua Roșie Belgrad. Odată cu căderea regimului comunist din țara sa natală, Belodedici a fost grațiat. În scurt timp, a devenit unul din oamenii de bază ai echipei iugoslave, iar în anul 1991 a câștigat din nou Cupa Campionilor Europeni, după o finală cu Olympique de Marseille. Și această finală de Cupa Campionilor a fost decisă tot la penalty-uri. La Steaua Roșie Belgrad a evoluat până în 1992. Din 1992 și până în 1994 Belodedici evoluează sub culorile clubului Valencia CF, evoluând în Primera División. În 1994, imediat după Campionatul Mondial din Statele Unite, Belodedici a plecat la Valladolid, club de la care a trecut la Villareal CF, după care a plecat în Mexic, pentru a evolua pentru Atlante. S-a întors în România în anul 1998, și până în 2001 a evoluat din nou la Steaua, echipa la care s-a consacrat. Belodedici a cucerit cu Steaua al cincilea titilu de campion al României, în 2001, și o Cupă a României în 1999. Și-a încheiat cariera de fotbalist la vârsta de 37 de ani.
Miodrag Belodedici a debutat în echipa națională în 1984, de-a lungul carierei sale adunând 53 de selecții. A jucat pentru naționala României la Campionatul Mondial din 1994, precum și la Campionatul European din 1996. În 2009, cu ocazia Centenarului Federației Române de Fotbal, a primit distincția „Diamant” pentru întreaga sa activitate alături de alți importanți fotbaliști români.

Miodrag Belodedici (the usual Romanian spelling of Serbian Миодраг Белодедић, Miodrag Belodedić; (born 20 May 1964 in Socol) is a former Romanian football central defender.

Nicknamed The deer due to his elegant tackles, he won the European Cup twice, in 1986 with Steaua Bucureşti and 1991 with Red Star Belgrade, thus becoming the first player to win the trophy with two different clubs. Both of those clubs are from Eastern Europe, and the only Eastern European clubs that ever managed to capture the European Champions Cup.
Belodedici was born in a family of Serbian ethnicity in the village of Socol, near the border with Serbia. He joined the youth squad of Minerul Moldova Nouă in 1978, where his first coach was Olimp Mateescu. Three years later, he was selected to play for Luceafărul Bucureşti, a team formed by the Romanian Football Federation for the purpose of gathering all talented young players in the country in one squad.

From Luceafărul, Belodedici was signed by Steaua Bucureşti, being selected by the club's chairman Ion Alecsandrescu, after a search for an adequate sweeper. Between 1982 and 1988, Belodedici had a rewarding career with Steaua, winning the Romanian championship in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988, the Romanian Cup in 1985, 1987 and 1988, as well as the European Cup in 1986, the European Supercup in 1987, also reaching the Champions' Cup last four in 1987-88.

During this period, Belodedici made his debut for the Romanian national team on July 31, 1984, a friendly 1-0 win over China, playing in 19 games with four goals until 1992. Additionally, he became frustrated in his ambitions to play for Red Star Belgrade, the team he supported in childhood, as the communist regime did not allow players to transfer abroad.

In 1988, when the Nicolae Ceauşescu regime was still in power, Belodedici defected from his home country to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He later gave an account of his escape to Belgrade: once he had seen himself in the city, Belodedici contacted the president of Red Star, but could not get through due to widespread commotion in the team over the team's defeat in the derby with Partizan Belgrade. A Serbian friend attempted to have Belodedici agree to sign for Partizan instead, but Belodedici insisted that he would only play for Red Star. The president interrupted their conversation, and, when he realized that he was in fact the 1986 European Cup winner, he immediately signed him on the team as they were in need of a sweeper.

However, during his first year he had to play without a legal contract, and only in friendly matches, as the Romanian authorities forged his professional player contract, and UEFA suspended him for one year on the basis of data furnished. The Ceauşescu regime found him guilty of treason and sentenced him to ten years of prison in absentia. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, all charges were dropped, and Belodedici returned to Bucharest.

In 1989, Belodedici was given the green light to play for Red Star and, soon after, became a permanent fixture on the squad. In 1991, he won the European Cup for the second time, scoring in the final against Olympique de Marseille, during the penalty shoot-out. He became only the second player to win the European Cup with two different clubs, but the first to do so by playing in both finals; as the first player to do so, Jimmy Rimmer, never played in the 1968 European Cup Final.

After a second European conquest, important European football clubs showed a keen interest to sign Belodedici, and he was sought after by U.C. Sampdoria, but signed with Valencia CF instead, in July 1992. During the period, Belodedici was called to play for the national football team for the first time in four years.

After only two years at Valencia, Belodedici spent one season each with Real Valladolid and Villarreal CF (the latter then in the second division), leaving for Mexico in 1996 to play for Atlante FC. In 1998, he returned to Steaua, and won another Romanian championship in 2001, adding a domestic cup in 1999.

Retiring in 2001, Belodedici worked with the Romanian Football Federation, coordinating national youth teams. As a player, he totalled 53 appearances for the country, and appeared in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, helping the nation reach the quarterfinals, also being selected for two UEFA European Championships: 1996 and 2000.

Ronnie Coleman, de opt ori Mr. Olympia. Sportivul cu cele mai multe victorii în culturismul profesionist

Ronald Dean Coleman este un culturist profesionist american, căștigător al titlului Mr. Olympia de opt ori consecutiv, între anii 1998 - 2005. Este cunoscut sub diminutivul "Ronnie Coleman". La înălțimea de 1,80m el cântărește în jur de 135 kg în formă de concurs, iar în extrasezon urcă până la aproximativ 150 kg.
Pe lângă cele opt titluri de Mr. Olympia, prin care l-a egalat pe alt american de culoare, Lee Haney (campion între anii 1984 - 1991), Coleman deține recordul pentru cele mai multe victorii în culturismul profesionist, câștigând 26 de concursuri. Coleman a absolvit Grambling State University în 1989 cu specialitatea contabilitate. În acea perioadă el a jucat fotbal american în echipa universității. După absolvire, Coleman a lucrat ca ofițer de poliție în paralel cu activitatea de culturist profesionist.

Coleman a participat la Mr. Olympia 2006, desfășurat la 30 septembrie în Las Vegas, Nevada, cu dorința de a doborî recordul de opt victorii deținut de el și Haney, dar a terminat pe locul doi în urma lui Jay Cutler. În 2007 a încercat din nou să mai obțină un titlu, dar s-a clasat doar pe locul patru. După premiere, Ronnie a anunțat că aceasta a fost ultima lui participare la concursul Mr. Olympia.
Ronnie Dean "Big Ron" Coleman (born May 13, 1964 in Bastrop, Louisiana) is an American professional bodybuilder who holds the record of eight straight wins as Mr. Olympia, a record career total that he shares with Lee Haney.Alongside his eight Mr. Olympia wins as a professional bodybuilder, Coleman holds the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 26. He broke the previous record (held by Vince Taylor at 22 wins) in Moscow on November 5, 2004.

Coleman graduated cum laude from Grambling State University (GSU) in 1986 with a B.S degree in accounting. While attending Grambling State University Coleman also played football as a middle linebacker with the GSU Tigers under famous coach Eddie Robinson. After graduation, Coleman became a police officer.
Being a police officer allowed Coleman the free time he needed to work out. Coleman's fellow officer suggested he attend a gym known as Metroflex. The owner of the gym was Brian Dobson, who happen to also be an amateur bodybuilder, offered Coleman a free lifetime membership to Metroflex if he would allow him to train Coleman for the upcoming Mr. Texas bodybuilding competition that year.
After the training for the upcoming event of Mr. Texas, Coleman won first place in both the heavy weight and overall categories. He also defeated the man that trained him, Dobson. Also in 1990 not only did Coleman take the title of Mr. Texas but he also took titles in that years National Physique Committee (NPC) Texas Championships. In 1991 Coleman also won what is probably considered one of the most prestigious competitions in amateur bodybuilding, Mr. Universe. This victory qualified him to enter the professional contest sponsored by the IFBB, the sport's largest sanctioning body.

Coleman won his first competition as a professional—the Canada Pro Cup in 1995. The following year he won the contest again. Followed by a first place win in 1997, The Russian Grand Prix.

Coleman's success as a professional bodybuilder has led to many product endorsements and other opportunities in his career. Due to his bodybuilding profession Coleman undergoes a lot of travel to places such as China, Brazil, and Australia. Coleman also makes many guest appearances at gym openings all around the U.S.
Coleman has also made some training videos. His first Training Video; The Unbelievable; The cost of Redemption; and On the Road. In these videos Coleman gives tips for more experienced weightlifters, while warning against over exertion and improper form.

When working out, Coleman prefers to use free weights rather than machines in order to maximize his flexibility and range of motion. He lifts weights six days per week.
Coleman supports the Inner City Games, an organization that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger co-founded in 1991. He was the recipient of the 2001 Admiral in the Texas Navy Certificate Award from Texas Governor Rick Perry for outstanding achievements in bodybuilding and for the promotion of physical fitness.
On June 30, 2009 on MuscleSport Radio, Coleman stated that he would compete in the 2010 Mr. Olympia competition.[citation needed] Coleman also indicated that he would not participate in the 2009 Mr. Olympia competition for lack of preparation time. On October 10, 2009 at the Northern Territory Fitness & Bodybuilding Titles in Darwin, Australia, Coleman confirmed that he would compete in the 2010 Mr. Olympia competition, however, he did not appear at the 2010 Mr. Olympia competition.

Harlem Globetrotters: #40 Slick Willie Shaw

Willie Shaw started playing the game at the age of six. In his seventh-year as a Globetrotter after four years as a starter at St. John's University, Slick helped lead St. John’s to the NIT Championship in 2003, and he holds the school record for most career three-pointers. During the Globetrotters’ 2011 tour, he will be setting his sights even higher on the new 4-point shot.

Slick has been to dozens of countries during his years with the Globetrotters and has seen some incredible things, like the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. He’s had the honor of entertaining U.S. troops on the Globetrotters’ annual holiday military tour, and he performed for a national TV audience in Dec. 2010 on a Globetrotters’ special from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World.
Being born in New York, Slick loves the Yankees, Mets, Knicks and Giants. Even though he has close friends that are also sports stars, like NBA sharpshooter Ben Gordon, he was blown away when playing his very first game ever with the Globetrotters. “It was at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, it was sold out, and I will never forget how many celebrities were there. It was really an introduction to how many people love the Globetrotters.”

Harlem Globetrotters: Big Easy Lofton #52

Big Easy Lofton gets his nickname from growing up in New Orleans and his easy-going nature, which helped him and teammate Flight Time Lang to a top-four finish during Season 15 of “The Amazing Race.”
The popular pair is getting another shot at the top spot, as Big Easy and Flight Time are competing in a special season of the Emmy Award-winning series, “The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business”.

Big Easy has also appeared on other popular TV shows such as “The Price is Right,” “The Bonnie Hunt Show,” and “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?” He and Flight Time also walked the red carpet at, and appeared on, the 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.Despite his nickname, nothing was easy about what Big Easy and 13 family members and friends went through when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Most of the group lived in the uptown projects, and when the levees gave way, everyone was looking to Big Easy and his late father to pull everyone together. With his father at the wheel, Big Easy and two friends pushed the group in a pickup truck from the middle of the projects to near St. John the Baptist Church. From there, they were able to make it out of the city and evacuate to Houston.

As luck would have it, it was in Houston where Big Easy was discovered by the Globetrotters’ scouting department. “One of the most difficult times in my life turned into an unbelievably positive twist of fate,” he says.
Big Easy, who still resides in his hometown, was a two-time All-Southland Conference selection at Southeastern Louisiana, and as a senior, he led the team in blocks, steals, rebounds and assists. During his two seasons, the Lions won consecutive conference titles and made their first ever NCAA tournament appearance in 2005.
His gregarious personality and thunderous dunks entertain Globetrotter fans young and old. He was 13 when he first dunked on an alley-oop…although he admits it was “kind of a baby dunk,” but a dunk nonetheless.

Big Easy took many life lessons from his father. “He worked really hard so we could have a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and clothes on our backs,” says Big Easy. “Sometimes I did not see him for days, because he would leave at four in the morning and come back at eleven at night from work; all because he did not want my little brother and I to have to put in those kinds of hours later in life. Now that I'm a father, it’s the best thing in the world when I walk through the door. My two girls just see daddy; they don't care what I have or don't have, it's just their daddy.
“The day my first daughter was born, my father told me, ‘Work every day to feed your kids, put clothes on their backs and provide them with the finer things in life. Also spend as much time as you can with them. You don’t get an award for any of that; it’s what you do if you want to call yourself a father.’

Harlem Globetrotters: Dizzy Grant, The General #2. The author of the first 4-point shot in basketball history

Dizzy Grant started playing basketball after he attended a Harlem Globetrotters game at the age of 7. The New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Year his senior season in college, Dizzy was also a first team all-conference selection in both his senior and junior seasons.

Dizzy holds the distinction of sinking the first 4-point shot in basketball history, when the Globetrotters unveiled their new game-changing rule during a nationally televised ESPN2 special on Dec. 5, 2010. The basketball and 4-point circle Dizzy utilized on the 35-foot shot will now be preserved for future generations at the mecca of the sport, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.

Dizzy has developed into one of the team’s best ball handlers and has also gained a reputation as one of the biggest Globetrotter cut-ups. “He is funny all the time,” says Big Easy Lofton. “He can do impressions of anybody,” adds Flight Time Lang.

He compares being with his Globetrotter teammates to the sitcom, “The Office.” He says, “There are so many different personalities, but when you put them all together, they complement each other.”

Dizzy has been featured in several local TV, radio and newspaper interviews while promoting the Globetrotters, and his talents were on display for a national audience during two TV specials in 2010 from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World.

Being a Globetrotter has given Dizzy the opportunity to see and do things of which most people can only dream. For example, he has walked on the Great Wall of China, visited the Eiffel Tower and done ball handling atop the Space Needle. He has also experienced the satisfaction of helping build homes for Habitat for Humanity.

He wants to reach youngsters the way his father reached him. “He taught me what hard work is and how it can pay off,” says Dizzy. “I just hope I am doing the same for others out there in the world.”

Dizzy enjoys playing golf – he consistently shoots in the 80s – and bass fishing, which he does three to four times a week on his bass boat when he is at home.

Following his playing career, he aspires to become an airplane pilot.