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Profiles in Enrichment tells the stories of USEC employees who have made great contributions to the company or our local communities.
Officers Anglemyer (L) and Chavez practice jujitsu in training for possible Olympic team spots
Two Protective Force Officers at USEC’s Piketon plant are hoping to be a part of the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in London during the summer of 2012. Officers Mark Anglemyer, 25, and Josh Chavez, 26, are both accomplished in the sport of judo/jujitsu and are considered to be two of the best in the state of Ohio. In fact, Anglemyer is ranked number one in the state while Chavez is right behind him ranked at number two.
Anglemyer started in the martial arts about 13 years ago with karate and then later moved into jujitsu. “Karate involves more striking whereas jujitsu is primarily a grappling art, more like wrestling,” he said.
In 2004, Anglemyer introduced long-time friend Chavez to jujitsu. According to Anglemyer, judo is the sport version of jujitsu. “The idea behind judo is we start in a standing position, and if I can successfully throw you off the ground and you land on your back, that is a full point.” Anglemyer said. “That’s the primary objective of judo, to just get your opponent on his back and pin him.”
Both Anglemyer and Chavez train in nearby Chillicothe, Ohio, where instructors recently informed them that they both may have the talent it takes to make the U.S. team. With that goal in mind, they now train harder than ever and compete as much as possible. When asked to describe their training regiment, Chavez said “painful.” It involves a lot time in the gym and on the mat. “The key to judo is getting your opponent off of their feet so we practice our throws literally thousands of times for muscle memory,” said Anglemyer. Their near-term goal is continual improvement and increased exposure to the national and international competitors to help them in their quest to become Olympians.
The first stop in their quest is the Amateur Athletic Union National Qualifier tournament on August 16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A good showing there could go a long way in helping them get a spot on the Olympic team.
Anglemyer and Chavez reside in nearby Waverly and Piketon, respectively. They are both relatively new to the Protective Force at Piketon but they already have plenty of support from co-workers and friends.
Officers Josh Chavez (L) and Mark Anglemyer are both accomplished in the sport of judo/jujitsu. Anglemyer holds the #1 ranking in Ohio and Chavez has the #2 spot.