In terms of star power, Tim Dwight is the most notable person I’ve ever had the opportunity to speak with on the podcast and it almost didn’t even happen.
It seemed so lackadaisical when my friend, and fellow cheer parent, Renae Zoucha-Hockemeyer had mentioned it, that it didn’t seem likely; consequently, I brushed it off as another improbable scenario. Renae and I had been speaking about how I go about finding guests for the podcast episodes. Seemingly out of the blue she said, “Would you ever want to chat with Tim Dwight?” I was dumbfounded. Then, I asked her if she meant the Tim Dwight, former Iowa Hawkeye football star, who’d gone on to have a stellar decade-long career as a wide receiver and return specialist for numerous teams in the National Football League (NFL).
Having grown up in Iowa during the height of Tim’s college and professional careers, it instantly felt unobtainable for me to be able to speak with such a legend of our state; moreover, someone whom I had admired since childhood. But, Renae seemed confident that she could deliver on her end with the promise of a conversation with the legendary athlete.
How I Met Tim Dwight
It was a random weekday, and I was shuttling kids around, when I missed Tim’s first call. I didn’t recognize the cellphone number, and it had gone straight to my voicemail during transit. I thought I’d just blown my chance with a guest of this caliber. A text message followed, stating it was from Tim Dwight and that I’d missed his call. I eagerly called him back, worried that I’d forfeited my opportunity. The call back had gone straight to his voicemail. Frantically, I messaged Tim explaining my situation and profusely apologizing for wasting his time, not knowing what step to take next. Then, I waited.
Two days later, with bated breath, I answered the phone call from my larger-than-life icon. This time, refusing to miss the call I explained my circumstances and apologized for any inconvenience. Then we got to the business of scheduling Tim Dwight’s podcast episode.
My Podcast with Tim Dwight
Meeting Tim in person was such a surreal moment of growth for me. I’ve respected what Tim was able to do in the athletic arena for a long time; furthermore, after hearing about his latest passion it was easy to understand why he is so loved by so many all over our state.
Despite his hectic schedule and prior engagements, Tim took the time to interact and converse with every member of our team; additionally, his keen interest, as evidenced by his questions, showed he was present in our moment. Tim ultimately made us feel like we were the celebrities and his humility is something I’ll never forget. When they say, “Don’t meet your heroes,” they’ve obviouslynever met a guy like Tim Dwight.
𝙀𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙚!
