Hunter Kemper and Valerie Kemper

00:02 Hi, my name is Val temper and I'm 44 years old. It is December 3 2020 and I'm here in Colorado Springs at my home with my husband Hunter Hunter Kemper. I'm 44 years old as well. And we are here in Colorado Springs and we're excited to be doing this story or not to be no Library of Congress to be part of this oral. History project is really neat. So my question to you is how did you get started in sports? Where did you grow up? And what did you love about participating in sports?

00:49 So I actually grew up in a small town called Byron Center Michigan is just south of Grand Rapids on the west side of Michigan and I grew up having an older sister and younger sister solid the middle kid. And as far as Sports, I just remember getting involved when I was in probably an elementary school playing some different sports, but my family was kind of drawn more towards basketball my sisters and myself were all very tall. So when coaches, you know, saw the tall kid, they always thought we should play basketball or eventually I actually started to get into volleyball. So I older sister was kind of a star when it came to basketball she was

01:37 Miss basketball in Michigan and she went on and played in college and when I was in Middle School, I loved basketball, but at the same time I thought you know what maybe I kind of want to try something different how to make my own path and I started playing volleyball when I was in 8th grade, so I continue to play basketball and I also ran track in high school, but I just fell in love with volleyball and maybe it was because it wasn't such a physical sport like basketball and I would say probably I was little bit more of a passive athlete growing up where it say, my sisters were a little bit more aggressive and I guess I was quietly competitive. So I started playing piano not until 8th grade and then I played in high school and I wouldn't say that I was that great, but it was the athletic and I was taught.

02:37 So that definitely came as described as I was probably about eight grade when I was in high school, but I grew up growing up in West Michigan. There's a large Dutch population there so my high school actually had a lot of very tall girl. So it wasn't that I stood out as extremely tall. I had my sister also played with me my younger sister and she was about six 1 and then I had a couple other girls that were about 66 one that I played played volleyball with so high school.

03:20 I did I played volleyball and basketball and ran track for high school. Actually thought that maybe I wanted to go and go to a small school in Grand Rapids. I was thinking I would go to Calvin College is where both my parents graduated from and it seemed very comfortable for me to just go and maybe play volleyball and play basketball and who knows maybe even run hurdles in the in the springtime, but it was during my senior year in high school that I started getting recruited to play volleyball at at a higher level. So it's kind of last minute that I decided Well, I could go to Calvin College and pay $100 for tuition or I could go on a full-ride scholarship in college. So what's that and play there it was it was definitely out of my comfort zone.

04:20 I grew up in a small town and I was probably just more of a small-town kind of girl and going to a large University like that was kind of a stretch for me. But an awesome experience and the coach at the time Chuck Irby. He was a new coach at Michigan State and was just hired on to kind of turn the program around there. So it was a pretty amazing opportunity because when I came in as a freshman at Michigan State or Michigan State was always at the very bottom of the Big Ten the team the team just never never did anything in the Big Ten let alone not nationally at all. So when I came in our freshman year, we still weren't very good, but we had a lot of young player.

05:20 And my coach was very who's legendary and had really successful teams back at USC and he had a very well-known name in the sport of volleyball and really took our team from the bottom and within just a couple years turn the program around so by my sophomore year it was first time ever that mission statement of into the NCAA tournament, which was a big deal and then by my junior year, we were actually we actually won the Big Ten championship and made it to the final four. So it was like a super amazing turn around and you know, my love for the game continues just grow because as I said in high school, I would say that I was athletic but I was very raw Athleta didn't have a ton of volleyball experience, but

06:14 Yeah, it was it was my coach Chuck that really believed in me and in really believe that I could go to the next level. So for me if you would have asked me as a kid if you ever had dreams of going to be on I don't know if I would have said yes because I did I never would have thought that I had the abilities to be able to do something like that. But but it was my coach at Michigan State RB that really believed in me and thought you know what you can you can go on and play and go to the next level and he encouraged me to try out for the national team and then my senior year at Michigan State. So so it was an amazing experience in the sport of volleyball just really opened up so many doors for me.

07:14 So

07:15 And then as as I was saying he encouraged me to try out for the national team, which I did and I came out here to Colorado Springs at the time. When was that? It was summer. It was the spring of 97 women's volleyball had just moved here to Colorado Springs to start training at the Olympic Training Center. So

07:48 So that the whole team had moved here and I think a lot of the older players that played in the previous Olympics, they either went overseas and played or they retired. I'm a lot of the girls were maybe Morpher from California and moving to Colorado Springs was not what many people wanted to do. So our team in 1997 was completely fresh. So I made the team on my was invited out here to come move to Colorado Springs volleyball team in at that time. We were completely young and knew there was probably one other player at the time that that was from the previous Squad. So quad mean 4 years 4 years.

08:48 Do you want to hear some of my story for me? Will my score is labret different in volleyball. I'm tall. I'm not six two and a half. So at our wedding when we got married 17 years ago. Would I tell you that you couldn't wear what are these nice like slippers? I felt like I had good hiking six two and a half. I didn't realize I was it was tough for me to have you be taller than me and and you kindly apply to that 2003 June 14th on Flag Day. We got married. Does that bring back great memories? My sport is for the throttle on I grew up in Orlando, Florida just to the north end of town on north of Orlando, Florida called Longwood, Florida and I fell in love with swimming at an early age of the

09:48 Six, I started swimming competitively competitively. I did all kinds of sports soccer and baseball I was that kid that did everything tennis and play it all sports that I possibly could do and eventually got some friends of mine in Clermont Florida, which is just outside of Orlando and I was 10 years old and I was like, yes, I want it. I want to try it out and see what it's about. I no idea what this is back in 1986. So waist back and yeah, so I did it. I was I had it you have to swim a half-mile and that's 100 yards at a bike 3 miles and how to run a half mile and it took me 17 minutes to do and I won my very first race babe. I mean it was the first time I ever could lyrics for drop on and I finished first place and they were two other kids in the am I a citizen so there was only three kids. That's not the point though Val. Okay. The point is is that I won first place. We've never won.

10:48 So I was the best-of-three. We're all the podium. Everyone got a metal. We are really excited about that. I was I saw my name in the paper and people, you know, you know back in the day used to have newspapers that you would read cover-to-cover any results section that you would see your name and it said 10 year old 10 and under or 10 year old ate division Hunter Kemper first place Claremont kids drop on and I thought it was the coolest thing ever and I was hooked. I loved it. I went on to compete at the national championships later on that year and that was like I met my first race is in May of 1986 later on at the end of the summer. I can do the national championships for iron kids. And I also won first place. I was the best in the country at 8:10. I mean, I know you are two-time all-American I Michigan state but I was the best probably in the country of all 10 year old trapped in the country and there were nine try please.

11:46 I love the sport II night. I kept on falling in love with it. I kept on winning national titles. I traveled across the country and speeded into national titles in Arizona to in Texas doing it. And I even got myself into Sports Illustrated faces in the crowd. Okay. Well it in my house. It was a big deal. We always get Sports Illustrated. It would come to our house and we see this little faces in the crowd section in which show like kids up and coming like rising stars in middle school and high school and I got myself in there. I was I was 13 years old and I was interested in the Crock-Pot.

12:26 Will Larry Bird was on the cover? It said what's wrong Larry and come to find out about 10 years ago. My mom actually did tell me that her brother knew someone Sports Illustrated and she said that the news about me to them. So what are you saying? It's not about what I did but who I know is that what you're saying? It sounds like it's alright. Well, I dropped the other sports that I wasn't good and I was sliding down the the the bench and basketball. I was moving down a lineup in baseball. I was becoming on ranked in tennis. I just I was gravitating towards sort of a pain that I was really good at. Yeah, and so I went on to college and when I was at school, I wanted to go run cuz I was born out of swimming and you can't do Triathlon while you're in a scholarship and so are you got to run or Swim and I didn't want to do something. So I want to do running. I apply some schools and my dad got the mail one day and told me that hey you got some mail today.

13:26 Any and you had a big grin on his face? Did you see my did you see your father all the big grin on his face and he's got the mail and he and he shows it to me and he says he hundred you got a phone call and I hate Wake Forest sent you the women's media guide. They think you're a female Runner. That's how good or not-so-good your times are and I was like, are you serious? Sure. Nothing with the winnings me to God and he has this expression where he's got his head. He's holding up his head. He's got his hands out and he just kind of shrinking my head back down the sides as if I had to add that I thought I was the man and it was getting struck down the sides. Can you see him doing that? I can see he's laughing track program instead. Listen Hunter. I know the name actually am i x apparently don't signify that I am running male X or like the men so Hunter doesn't give it away to be a female name.

14:26 And so I guess I'm not going to get a scholarship at University and he's like yes, but go head coaches like that's right I go but will it can I walk on and they allow me to walk on it. So I did and I went to Wake Forest for four years. I ran for all four years from 1994 to 1998. I was a year behind you and I with all conference. I was not all American American. I was all Conference of the ACC in a 10,000 meters in outdoor track and I was really really proud of that Iran 3016 for 10,000 and we do and outdoor track. It's 25 laps around the track in case you guys don't know exactly how far 10,000 meters is 25 laps made. Could you did you do that? Well, I did a second at the ACC. I was all conference and while I was at school, I continue get better and Roth lawn during the summer time and I won the amateur national championships while I was in school. I was the best amateur.

15:26 Moved out to Colorado Springs Free Housing and free food at the Olympic Training Center. Did you get that you got free housing free food. I did. I got Free Housing and free thought that was only for me for the Olympic Games because while I was in school, I don't know if you knew this while I was in school my freshman the spring of my freshman year in the spring of 1995. They announced that she would be an Olympic sport at the Sydney games in 2000 for the first time ever. Try pain would be an Olympic sport. And what do you think I saw when I saw that headline come across?

16:14 Sports Center or whatever it is that I'm going to go right on in my sport at the Olympic Games. I swim 1.5 km or a mile approximately a mile across a hundred short of a mile or .93 switch is a hundred-yard sort of a mile swim 24.8 miles of cycling 40 km in a 10k run 6.2 miles of running so I had to run down now. I just need to kind of woke up on my swimming by so we could Colorado Springs.

17:04 You know it you know it what is it Polo Ralph Lauren Polo Ralph Lauren extra. I can have sponsors and I don't have sponsors on my jersey like a little mini nut NASCAR, It was many my uniform was very many to let them know what it really was that I was wearing and with my very first I wanted to look good. You would have been stressing High School. How do you get a storycorps doesn't know the people Library of Congress does not know that I was going to best rest, but now they do until I wanted to go to and from the races looking good on the New York City. I signed my first contract. We also sponsor mountain biking Lycra and the biking outfits for you.

18:03 And I was like it is is let's open up your portfolio Sports and they did it. I just thought I'd share. So I got a question for you, Colorado Springs. You are going to the Olympic Games in in Sydney in 2003 years for that sole purpose of making those games over the highs and lows along the way and did you make that 2015? Yes, so when I moved out here and as I said that our team was very young. We didn't have many veterans from the previous Olympics and we were probably on the international stage. We were not we struggle. We just took us some time to start getting better and start reading really reaching that International on competitive competitive last level, but for me as a player ice cream

19:03 So I do a lot of walking to the left into the right and most of the attacks or my spiking that I did was off of Quick stats or maybe a slide behind the Sutter so indoor volleyball beach volleyball team in the 1996 games beach volleyball was what but yeah. It's a bit during those first really the entire time that I was part of the national team. I was you know, I was a starter and I continue to get better and I was probably one of the core players on that team.

20:00 Team in in 1997 that our coach met with and he proved he sat us down. Remember he brought us to

20:08 Chicken place and we hung out for dinner and he told us he said this this is the quote my for 4 and I want to build this team around you and I was part of that core for so, you know, overtime the team continue to change a little bit some players would leave or get caught or released but I continue to play and travel internationally with the team. There was not one trip. I did not travel on so, you know my role as a player did change as time kind of went on I started as a probably the score for and was a a starter but then it really wasn't until early 2000s that we had a couple veterans returned and then some girls that came fresh out of college that graduated and join the national team and then all the sudden my role start.

21:08 Change a bit. I wasn't per se us starter but making all the international trips because we practice with I don't know maybe 15 to 20 girls at different times, but we always would travel with 12 and I was always making at 12 and this is the thing 2009 even remember going to Sydney. It was a year out probably about a year out from the Olympic Games and we travel there to play some friendly competition and plate have some friendly tournaments with the Australian team and and really primarily to go there and see the

21:53 The venue where volleyball was going to be taking place in Sydney and to really get excited about about the Olympic but then things that starts change a bit in in mm. I was 20 years ago. Wow, but but it was in June. We actually had a team meeting was going to be on a Saturday. It was a Saturday and our coaches was going to announce he was going on the next travel trip, which essentially was going to be the team that we travel to the Olympics and we sat in there in the meeting and he had the names actually on a dry erase board and it was covered at the time and then he said, you know, if you don't see your name on this list, you can come and talk to me at some point. So here until the last Christmas.

22:49 And so he had the list of 12 up on the dry erase board and he released he revealed the list and you walked out of the room and I looked and my name is not on the list and my heart dropped and I'm not to say that I didn't have any doubt because as I said my role head really changed over time, but at the same time it was the first trip that I never made and you know for those three years. I was putting everything into making that Olympic team and it was crushing. I just felt like really to come this far and it was June at the time to come this far to you know, get so close and then to not make that final team so I actually had the time.

23:38 We had good friends here in town Peggy was with kind of a mentor to me and she was great. She would have have Gatherings at her house and she kind of adopted her whole volleyball team, you know and would fix dinners for us every once in a while and she was she really became close to me and I thought I heard you talk to somebody cuz I was crushed. So I after that meeting I pick up the phone and immediately wanted to talk to Peggy and just cry cuz I was disappointed and she didn't know what was happening and didn't know that what had happened that morning and it just ironically you are there at your house. I was I was at her house. I was going for a bike ride with Mark her husband all the time. I think, you know everybody it was this everybody was kind of talking.

24:38 Behind our backs little bit wanted to set us up or maybe you had your interested in me. And the first thing she did was Lie, Walt somebody's here was like socks you and was Hunter and not really the person I wanted to talk to you at the moment after getting cut from the Olympic team, but in a roundabout way I had asked you out on her first day. I don't know if that's true. I don't know if you did. I was a little slow on that phone call wasn't I I like you a lot.

25:25 And I even I ended up asking you out. So did you want to go out for dinner? And absolutely, okay, but that I never had before and I haven't beforehand and ever going to get warm with them and I never had gone on one since the only time I've ever known in the backyard. We're just hanging out after our bike ride. Just kind of just a fun little ride around town and I got into the phone. So I feel like it was such a God thing that you were kept in Colorado Springs because you were going to leave town right? I mean, was there any reason for you being not on that list of 12 or it is an alternate to actually loved before I found out that I mean I would have I would have continued to stick it out until

26:25 Right. I wasn't I really believed that I was.

26:31 You know could possibly going to make that Olympic team, but I do truly believe that God kept me here in Colorado Springs just long enough to meet you. Obviously, I had met you a little bit and passing so we had seen each other a few different times and and there was definitely a little bit of an interest there by my teammates always would talk about Hunter because they would hang out in the dorms with him. I actually lived off-campus complex at the time. So I did not live in the dorms. I lived in a house with a few other volleyball girls. So I would just kind of come in and practice and maybe eat my meals and just go back and forth to my house, but I would always here Hunter the girls talk about Hunter Hunter Hunter money was iFunny. Was it the fact that I was just kind of fun to be around.

27:31 So anyhow, but then so I really believe that God just you know, she automatically had a greater plan for me and it obviously wasn't play in the Olympic Games, but he kept me there long enough just to meet you and to start a relationship and we hit it off and Hammer you were at the Olympic. I made the Olympic Games in 2000. I was training for the to be part of the first Olympic Games or the first price on team at the Olympic Games for Teen USA. And I made that team and you want to start dating about 3-4 months later. You met my parents for the first time in Hawaii on the way over to Australia, which is kind of crazy and then you stayed with them on a kind of like an Airbnb before they were big and Poplar and across the big bridge over there and watch me compete.

28:30 The real cuz I remember you also watch the other an alternate when I met with my coach after finding out that I was essentially cut from the Olympic team. I remember him kind of saying, you know, I want you to keep in shape and kind of Stay Stay playing and stop in case in case somebody gets hurt or we need you. But at that time they did not travel they didn't travel. I think they may be due now, but they don't take alternates to the Olympic Games game. I actually went to to watch the team play because I was really high in the stands and to be looking down and to see my team playing in the bench interact.

29:30 Being in to be competing. It just felt like a really surreal experience because just you know weeks prior to that. I was one of the you know, I was one of them. So yeah, so it was it was hard but then you know what I got over it pretty fast cuz you're you're early fix and after that you and I we went to a ton of events and we saw some volleyball what we saw all these other games and I remember seeing some of my good friends and my teammates actually at the house.

30:09 What are the hospitality and they were getting ready to go to an a practice or something and I was off going to you know, watching other events or we were going to Sports Illustrated parties at night and it was right yes, or my experience. I would say probably was a whole lot more enjoyable. Obviously. I would have loved to compete in the Olympic Games and would have been a great honor to represent. You never represent our country there. But the same time I guess. I think God just it was best and to be there to support you was was huge. So I think I fell in love with you there.

30:56 I thought it was the coolest thing. I was the top American at those games and we were we were kind of the future sport because we were new to those Olympic Games and when I got interviewed by NBC, they asked me hey, what do you think about the sharks in the harbor and I was on TV live about four or five days. I think you probably were onset then and you heard that question being asked and I was like sharks in the harbor. I was thinking nutrition questions or help is training going and I was thinking well, there's fifty five guys in my race. I'm 155. I'll take my chances that I get eaten alive by a shark. I'm not the fastest swimmer on the road a little bit better than that. So sure enough, you know, I'm still here today and I go down there race morning an hour and a half before the event. Imagine the Opera House pictures of the famous Sydney Opera House.

31:56 Barber in the background. We're on the steps of the Opera Houses. Where are transition? Is it happening? So we swim first and we transition to the bike. We get our bikes we gone for the 40K bike riding to go to a 10k run with Swim Bike Run always in that order and we were there and sure enough for the race. There's guys in full on wetsuits and scuba gear with guns and I have to race referee. What's the guys with white suits in the scuba gear in the guns? Are there really sharks in the harbor? Are you crazy? And you believe that total Vapor TV, right? It was it was well and the race was kind of all time in the Olympic. Yeah. Exactly. Australia was going to do really really well. Those were fun. Those Olympic games were really because I've gotten so

32:56 I would say those were definitely one of my favorites because you know, eat fish and chips and watch the all the events on the big screens in the Parks and it was running after Sydney.

33:25 We got it. We we we don't have a whole lot of times.

33:28 What do you love most about your sport? Would you say that you love most about Sports Rock on I figured that doesn't have a ball it's not so I actually after the 2000 games. I didn't I continue to play a little bit more. I spent a little time in Italy. I came back to the national team for a little bit. But but I would say you but then really since then since 2001 I haven't played like at all teams sorted as cuz I've had so many people ask toe valves come and play backyard volleyball with me or her and my team but I don't think people really realize like how much of a team.

34:28 Volleyball is because if you can't get a good path and you can't you can't I mean even as good as you are you might have might be Kerri Walsh, but if everybody around you is manometry Walsh say that volleyball is probably the ultimate team sport and they always come together after every play and I would say that that was what I love the most about just the idea of trying to pursue and be your own personal best each and every day and trying to get better at so data-driven. So X ribbon. It's such an individual sport opposite of volleyball. It's really a lot relying on me and end the work that I put in and I think that I love the fact that I found my passion in this world.

35:28 Hudson early age, you know, I think all of us everyone out there that's that would be listening to this would want to say what is your passion in life were all really really good at something. We all really talented and gifted and been giving gifts from God and something and what is that and so for me, I don't like problems that I just really wasn't good at that endurance oriented things and I just love the idea that swim bike and run. Can I put it all together and be the best in the world and I just love the idea of pursuing that I did I did I got to be the best in the world 2005 in 2006. I was in the world and you know, it's because of you know you I think a lot of it I would say it's because of you babe because of your love for me and your ability to put my sports and in our desire to want for me to go out there and compete and be my best first right you let me sleep with you know with

36:28 We got five kids and sometimes have you woken up with the kids and I don't know that you you really helped out. My recovery, you remind nutritionist by cooking all those meals. You're my sport psychologist by picking me up when I had a bad race throughout my entire career. I want to screw you were my ear my my my massage therapist that help me out, you know after these parts sessions I love is worth but I love doing it with you and going through life. And I think that's what made my career last a long time and I competed for 20 years and it's worth rap on a twenty-year career. I went to 4 Olympic Games before before Athens. You said, you know, I'm not the people set. I remember you and I having the conversation.

37:28 I don't think others time to get married. Maybe when I'm done with this whole sport. I mean if I would have waited that long I was only getting free clothes. I was only getting free clothes from Polo Ralph Lauren housing and free food. I didn't know how to take care of you. I really wanted to be a man in your life that can support you and be the best I could for you and beat up her by her. I had that like that inside of me that I wanted to do that and I didn't think I could do it, but then you're exactly right when you said what did you say you said? Well, if we're not going to get married before Athens in 2004, then we might want to maybe take a break. I needed to get married in June 14th 2003 on Flag Day.

38:11 When did you get better after we got married right that you actually if you for kids as well and then 2008 7th place and then 14th and 2012 in Rio and in 2016 with the short because I turned 40 years old and it's a Vibe on the game. That's where the throttle on I think God likes highlights and great achievements throughout your career. But I think what makes all those great achievements and stuff. So sweet was because there were definitely some Lowe's like there were times when you were injured like an entire season and weren't able to race and thankful you at the sport of your sponsors that financially we could fix that you could continue to pursue those goals.

39:11 But you know, it wasn't I mean they were definitely a lot of different valleys during that journey and I think you were just very blessed that that it just turned out that you were healthy and or you were at a high level during those Olympic years you were able to make a big part of that and I think some of my mom, you know being a mother at Mama's Boy and my dad was Sookie my sister and my number one. My number one fan. You were orchids. I mean it in law's your parents. I mean we had really great support. We had a really good support this when I think people need to know that for athletes like us to get to where we we we want to go and to be the best in the world. You have to have people that believe in you and don't squash your dreams and kill your dreams and say you're not good enough that you could be around people that boost you up and encourage you along the way during those difficult times those who

40:10 True friends and they're the ones that take ownership of me being ever won. The world are we need one of them is like metal or something like that date. They are part of that as well. They're not that beneath beneath the water the iceberg that you don't see is why I think people get emotional on the podium when they get really emotional when they hear their flag in your inner being raised to say listen, you know, I'm up here on top of the podium wanting you to be the best in the world, but I've got some people down thinking about me hear that coach

40:47 Yeah, so should we wrap it up ice I said my thank-yous you got yours. You want to take a little kiddos? We have five kids David Hudson case price and little Smith were boys in a girl in bright Baxley. They need the other games. Do we do what we do care about is that they find their passion what they loved and what they are and so for me, that's all I care about whether it's music or whether it's sports music. Okay, it won't be music. Yeah, and they're all going to be very tall cuz you'll have me as her mom just

41:20 They're like four or five and I'm like well, yeah, I am 62 and I'm their mom. So they're all going to be very tall. So maybe keep encouraging Taliban basketball today in our conversation. And yeah, but I really enjoyed this with you. I love you, babe.