Join us for an inspiring conversation with Tom Lough and Craig Gilbert, two Olympians and West Point graduates, who share their journeys of athletic and military excellence.

In this episode, we explore the unique bonds formed among West Point Olympians and their ongoing contributions to the Academy and the nation. Our guests discuss the influence of West Point, the Olympic display in Arvin Gym, and their involvement with the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association. These efforts help maintain a strong support network for current cadets, ensuring the legacy of excellence and service continues.

We also touch on the challenges West Point cadets and graduates face balancing military commitments with Olympic dreams, showcasing their remarkable resilience and dedication. Through personal anecdotes, including the story of CPT Sammy Sullivan ’20, we highlight the support needed from the Academy and donors and the inspiration these cadets provide to the West Point community. We wrap up with a celebration of team spirit, expressing our hopes for future victories, particularly against Navy, as we look forward to the Paris 2024 and LA 2028 Olympics.

Tom Lough graduated from West Point in 1964 and competed in the modern pentathlon in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Less than a year after the 1968 Olympics, he was shot down in a Huey over Hamburger Hill on May 12, 1969. CPT Lough was leading a team of combat engineers, yet still managed to clear a landing zone for the infantry unit of “Iron Rakkasans” below, for which he received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. During his ten years of military service as a combat engineer, he was stationed in Korea, Vietnam, and Germany. After twenty years of science and technology teaching, he and his wife, Posy, retired to Round Rock, Texas, where he is active as a music composer and feature film screenwriter. He is active in the United States Olympian and Paralympian Association and campaigns for ways to promote the West Point Olympic/Paralympic Legacy as a means for inspiring cadets.

Craig Gilbert, Class of 1978, attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. Gilbert played football and basketball before picking up handball at West Point. He played on the U.S. national handball team from 1978-84 and was an emmener of the 1984 Olympic team. After West Point, Gilbert served on active duty for 6½ years, and then joined the U.S. Army Reserve. He completed advanced training at the Airborne School, Ranger School, and the United States Army Command and General Staff College, and later earned two master’s degrees. For 17 years, Gilbert was a reserve liaison officer, recruiting candidates for West Point. He was called up as a lieutenant colonel during Operation Enduring Freedom and served in Afghanistan in 2004-05, helping the Afghanis prepare for their first democratic vote. Gilbert’s career as a civilian includes roles with BNY, Bell Atlantic, and as an independent consultant in the technology industry.

**This episode does not imply Federal endorsement.