Their Families:
William & Nancy Weare Share Their Experience.
"From the time he was a little boy, Neil has been very competitive, adventuresome, and a risk taker." William & Nancy Weare
Were often asked what it is like being the parents of an Olympic athlete. In most ways we face the same issues of everyday life with our kids as everyone does but they have both excelled in ways that are beyond most peoples experience. When our sons were little, we always encouraged them to participate in a variety of things so they could find out what they loved to do. Consequently, they both grew up loving to do lots of unrelated things from sports to academics to music and art. They were strongly supported by us and by several important mentors in their lives, which is crucial in helping kids to reach their potential and to fulfill their dreams. While we are very proud of our sons athletic prowess, we are even more proud of their development as scholars and as upright individuals with firm principles and moral values.
From the time he was a little boy, Neil has been very competitive, adventuresome, and a risk taker. He was always the top in his 
class and wanted to participate in all of the sports from Little League, wrestling, swimming, to leisure activities such as fishing, cross country skiing, hiking, and camping.
We moved to Guam when Neil was 9 years old and entering the 4th grade at Harry S. Truman Elementary School. From there he went to Piti Middle School in the first year of interscholastic sports at the Middle School level. There he met Carl Cruz, his 7th grade PE teacher who later became his coach and mentor. Neil joined the cross-country team and was just an average runner. According to Mr. Cruz, while Neil was never the best, he always gave his best no matter what the circumstances, a trait that would lead him to his many later accomplishments, both academically and athletically.
In high school Neil developed into a talented runner with a passion and commitment to running, both in Cross Country and Track. Nicanor Licanto of the GWHS Cross Country Team beat him handily at the All Island meet his junior year, which proved to be the stimulus he needed to become both physically and mentally prepared to race. Richard Taitaque became a mentor to Neil as he ran with him every week, preparing him mentally and giving him the confidence he needed to be a successful athlete. He went on to be undefeated in the Track and Field season for two years.
One of the most exciting races for us as parents was his 800M gold medal performance in the1998 Micronesian Games in Palau. Despite running a fever and having the flu, Neil ran an intelligent race on sheer guts to edge the heavily favored runner at the tape, his first Gold medal for Guam. The joy of overcoming so many obstacles to win this big race made us so proud of his courage.
Neil then went on to Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon where he was excited about the prospects of running against a more competitive field. Over his four year college career, he went from being an inexperienced freshman runner to being the first runner in 33 years to win the conference championship while setting a new school record in cross country along the way. What impressed us the most was his dedication to setting goals and working hard to meet them. I was happy to be there with a lot of our family when he broke the two minute mark in the 800M for the first time in competition. Our family was amazed at how excited Neil and I were as he was 4th in the race, but we knew he had met yet another of his goals. He went on that year to an unexpected bronze medal in the 1500M in the SPG Games held at Southern HS where he had graduated the year before.
After graduation from Lewis and Clark in 2002, Neil moved back to Guam and prepared for the Micronesian Games in Pohnpei. He was glad to be back in the tropics and competing for Guam in this regional event. He came back to Guam with an unprecedented five gold medals in the 800M, 1500M, 5000M, 10000M, and the half-marathon.
The next big moment for us was Neil's performance in Fiji at the South Pacific Games in 2003. He had trained hard on Guam with Coach Cruz for a year leading up to these Games so he felt physically and mentally prepared to bring home some medals for Guam. His first race, the 5000M, proved to be one of his best ever. The tension in the stadium was high as he ran on the heals of the heavily favored Tahitian
runner until the last 300M when he exploded past him and never looked back. He won by a wide margin to become the first male Guam Track & Field athlete to ever win a gold medal at SPGs. Again, I was fortunate to be there to see this great race and to experience the pride and joy of seeing Neil run with intelligence, courage and strength. He also won a silver medal in the 1500M race. Our last great experience was Neils participation in the Athens Olympics.
Most of you are aware of the challenges Neil had to go through to represent Guam. His determination during this time was a testament to his courage and strength as an individual. After some difficulty, we arrived in Athens and were able to visit Neil at the Olympic village, something we never expected to be able to do, as security was so tight. Seeing all of the worlds flags, being with world-class athletes, and just being a part of it was an unforgettable experience.
On the day of Neils race we arrived at the Olympic Stadium two and a half hours early. Oceania Athletic Association provided both of Guams Olympic Track and Field athletes families with tickets to the track events and we are forever grateful to them for this. The excitement grew for us as we watched the heats before Neils. We were so proud when he entered the Olympic stadium with the other athletes in heat #3. Seeing Neil introduced and on the big screen was a thrill for us. We were nervous throughout his race, as he immediately fell to the rear, but he ran a very intelligent race against a strong field. He knew what his race strategy had to be in order to finish at his best and he followed it. He passed another runner with 500M to go and finished strong, with pride at being able to represent Guam so well. One of the happiest moments of our lives was when he came to our seats in the stadium. Seeing the joy on his face after running with strength and pride will probably never be matched for us.
From his early years, Neil always dreamed big dreams, worked hard to realize them, and believed in himself in order to succeed. This is true in his academic career, his professional life, and in his athletic endeavors. We are proud to be his parents.
Submit Your Family Experience Here.