Flashback: Lynette Matthews, Shorecrest, 1971
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Sport: Track and field
High-school rewind: Matthews broke some kind of record nearly every time she put the shot, starting in sixth grade. She never actually competed for Shorecrest because of U.S. national team commitments starting at 15. She worked out with Doris Brown Heritage, then her physical-education teacher, and lifted weights at Seattle Pacific University because the boys at Shorecrest were intimidated by her strength. Her high-school shot-put mark of 51 feet, 4 inches is the oldest standing state track record. She has five of the six longest throws in state history.
After high-school: Matthews graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 1975 with a degree in chemistry. She nearly made the 1972 Olympic team, but hurt her throwing hand the year before, requiring surgery.
After athletics: Athletics opened a whole new world for Matthews, sending her to Russia, Germany, China and South America, among other countries and continents.
Matthews moved to Israel in 1997 to work as a Christian missionary. She's lived there ever since and visits her parents in Lake Forest Park about once a year. She doesn't throw anymore, but runs regularly and rode her bike from one end of Israel to the other. She asked to work with throwers there, but track officials declined.
Fast forward: Life is dangerous in Israel, but Matthews believes she's making a difference and has applied for permanent residency. She credits sports with giving her "a heart for the people of the world" and says her job involves mainly encouraging and healing those who need it.
"The American dream was never mine. There's a whole other world out there. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. It's a battleground, what can I say? You just try to make a difference."
— Greg Bishop