In full Olympic gear and with his gold medal in hand, gymnast Trent Dimas visited children at Carrie Tingley Hospital on Wednesday.
Dimas, an Albuquerque native, encouraged a small group of kids in the hospital's recreation room to follow their dreams and keep their spirits high during misfortune.
"It'll never be perfect again, but that's OK," he said of back injuries that have prevented him from serious physical activities. "It's just a matter of figuring out how to have fun."
Dimas won a gold medal in the individual high bar gymnastics event during the 1992 summer Olympics in Barcelona. He was 21 years old at the time. He retired at 26.
The kids were in awe as Dimas passed around his gold medal.
"This centerpiece is complete gold," he said. "So if I ever get down and out, I can trade it in for something really good."
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Dimas donated a painted U.S. flag to the hospital as part of a community service agreement he made with an Albuquerque judge to clear up a speeding ticket. The flag is signed by famous athletes, movie stars and political figures. The hospital brought it out for the event.
"We keep (it) under lock and key in an undisclosed location," said Charles Mascarenas, secretary of the medical affairs department.
Dimas showed footage of his 1992 performance that won him the gold. He said his success was simply due to dedicated practice.
"I probably did that routine three to six times every day for four years," he said.
Dimas said he deteriorated physically as a result of the continual impact to his joints and spine from gymnastics. He said he decided to reassess his life and return to school.
After finishing his bachelor of arts in political science at Columbia's School of General Studies in New York, Dimas is attending law school at UNM.
"When I started researching the school, it offered so much to me in terms of the student to faculty ratio," he said, adding it emphasized the need to balance curricula with time for life and family.
"Very crucial to my decision was that I can have a life and I can go to law school," he said. "I don't have to sacrifice my family to get where I want to be."
Dimas said he's pursuing a law degree that focuses on constitutional law, but that's not really why he's going.
"I wanted to be able to think analytically," he said. "I don't know at this point if I'll practice, but I wanted to be able to apply it to whatever it is that my future may hold for me."
