THE SUNKIST INVITATIONAL : Calamity Rose Rides Again : After 4 Surgeries, 2 Broken Bones, Monday Still Running Strong

Rose Monday’s road toward winning Olympic gold has been filled with numerous detours, including four surgeries, two broken bones and chronic asthma. But those problems seem behind her now as she enters tonight’s Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena.

Monday, 27, is a former Northridge resident and is ranked 13th in the United States by the Track and Field News at 800 meters. She was The Athletics Congress champion in the 800-meter run in 1984, and was a semifinalist in the 1984 Olympic Trials at the Coliseum where she ran a personal best of 2:03.02, more than six seconds off Mary Decker-Slaney’s American record.

“People didn’t even think I would reach the Olympic Trials let alone be a semifinalist,” Monday said. “It was a major breakthrough.”

That breakthrough nearly vanished after she developed a calcium growth in her right knee in the early part of 1985 and underwent arthroscopic surgery, her second knee operation in two years. Remarkably, Monday competed four days after the arthroscopic surgery, running in the U.S. Nationals.

She ran the 1985 Indoor European Circuit but contracted a viral infection that kept her out of action for the rest of the summer. In December of that year, Monday fell on a set of stairs and broke her leg and her tailbone.

“There is nothing worse than a broken tailbone,” Monday said. “Except a broken leg to a runner.”

She also underwent surgery twice on her shins and later developed asthma. Despite those setbacks, Monday is fit and will be a contender not only for the Sunkist but eventually for the 1988 Olympic pre-trials, according to Monday’s Coach Skip Stolley.

“Rose has good leg speed and is completely healthy. She is in position to win this meet. This is an important meet because it opens up a lot of possibilities to compete in other meets,” Stolley said.

Along with her training sessions with Stolley at Santa Monica City College, she runs 30 minutes each morning in a swimming pool to strengthen her body, then stretches, lift weights, practices visualization techniques and rides a stationary bicycle.

“I have got every specialist known to man on the Rose Monday team for the 1988 Olympic gold medal,” Monday said. “I have my husband, my personal track coach, a sports psychologist, a pulmonary specialist for my asthma, a sports nutritionist, deep tissue muscle massage therapist and some of the world’s best orthopedic surgeons.”

Monday set her goal of being on the Olympic team while watching the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal.

“I had tears in my eyes watching those athletes,” Monday said. “I had shivers and from that point on I wanted to be in the Olympics. I’ve loved running since I was 13 and I still love everything about it.

“I love the workouts, the meets, the smell of the track, the energy and the camaraderie with my friends. I love getting to the starting line, getting the adrenaline going and wanting to see how fast I can go after all the work. My whole life is put into it.”

In addition to her running career, Monday, who lives in Santa Monica, studies German and French at Santa Monica City College and she owns a jewelry business, designs corporate jewelry.

“In the past, I have had too many things going and then everything suffers,” Monday said. “So now, I have my family, my training, my jewelry and my German. But definitely my Olympic goal comes first.

“I can visualize standing on the stand, I can hear the crowd, the sound of the Olympic bugles playing the Star Spangled Banner and I cry. I have already reserved a spot on the wall for that medal.”