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Graduates have made their mark on the Olympic Games
Alonzo Babers, U.S. Air Force Academy Class of 1983, won two gold medals for U.S. Track and Field at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Here, Babers poses at a lookout above the Academy during a photo shoot following his Olympic achievement. (Photo courtesy of Airman magazine, January 1985)
By Randy Roughton
US Air Force Academy Strategic Communications
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colorado – 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 graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Babers, Class of 1983, won two gold medals in the 400 meters and 4×400 meters relay at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Rex, Class of 1984, competed for the U.S. handball team at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
“I can usually go years without being recognized,” Babers said. “Every once in a while someone recognizes my name. It’s always been a big part of my life, but I’ve tried to keep it on the down low.”
Alonzo Babers, US Air Force Academy Class of 1983, won two gold medals for the US track and field team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In this photo, he grabs the baton from a teammate in the 4×400 relay. (Photo courtesy of)
Alonzo Babers, athletics
Babers earned a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Science from the Academy, where he competed in track and field after playing soccer for a year. After graduating in 1983, Babers was given a special assignment to work in the Academy’s sports information office and spend the rest of the day training for the Olympics. By the summer of 1984, Babers had gained considerable experience running against elite athletes in national and international competitions. In the 400-meter final at the Olympic trials, Babers was leading the way before another runner passed him in the final 5 meters.
“I trained for three months thinking I wasn’t 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 in the preliminary heats of the 400 meters at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials and surpassed that performance in the final to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. At the 1984 Summer Olympics, Babers again improved his personal best in the quarterfinals, running 44.27 in the final. He also ran the third leg of the U.S. team’s 4×400-meter relay to win a second gold medal.
Active duty career after winning gold
Following his double gold medal performance at the Olympics, Babers completed his 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 Army in 2002.
Today, Babers lives in Potomac, Maryland, and continues to fly for United Airlines. Over the years, Babers has remained a supporter of his alma mater, often visiting high schools in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas to emphasize academics to give students the best chance at Academy appointments. He hopes to reunite with some of his fellow players from the 1984 U.S. team when the Games return to Los Angeles in 2028.
Goalkeeper 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 degree in management. (Photo courtesy of Kathy (Callaghan) Rex)
Kathy (Callaghan) Rex, handball
During her Academy career, Rex played for the volleyball team, the water polo team, and was on the same track and field 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 in 1984 with a Bachelor’s degree in Management.
As a Second Lieutenant and Finance Officer in the U.S. Air Force, Rex continued to pursue her Olympic dreams. After a successful year that included a national championship, Rex was named Military Athlete of the Year in 1986. At the 1987 Pan American Games, the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Handball teams won gold medals and qualified for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. As co-captain of the 1988 Olympic handball team, she helped the team finish seventh.
“When the Olympics come around every four years, I think about all the people who believed in me and made my dreams come true,” Rex said. “I love all sports. I especially love hearing the stories of people who overcame their obstacles to achieve something great.”
Rex is now a lender in Colorado Springs and is looking forward to retirement at the end of the year. The nonprofit running club she founded with her husband in 1999 is still going strong and has helped more than 75,000 young people in the past 25 years.
“When I was in fourth grade, I participated in a kids’ running program and realized I was a good runner,” Rex said. “Because of that experience, when I picked up a ball in high school, I didn’t have to think about running and breathing. It made it easy to get into sports. I wanted to create a similar program for kids in Colorado 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)
Building character through athletics
Participation in athletics promotes initiative, teamwork, and a desire to win—qualities that are critical to cadets’ development as leaders of character. All cadets are required to participate in the athletics program. In addition to physical education classes and required fitness testing, each cadet participates in competitive sports on an intercollegiate or intramural team. The Academy is home to 27 Division I NCAA men’s and women’s teams.
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