Meet Lauryn Williams and Atheena
Published December 15, 2008
Olympic runner Lauryn Williams tells us about her Great Dane Atheena! Lauryn talks about Atheena's favorite things and where she got her four-legged best friend. Read on to learn how her pet has supported and helped Lauryn train for the biggest athletic competition in the world.
Event: Track and Field
Hometown: Rochester, Pennsylvania
2004 Silver Medalist. Second Olympic Games
Pet's Name: Atheena
Breed: Great Dane
Age: 3 (born Nov. 2, 2004)
Where did you get your pet?
I got her from a breeder in Cape Coral, FL. I drove there from Miami on Christmas Eve. She was my present to myself after Olympic Games in Greece, hence her name.
What is your dog's favorite thing to do?
Definitely SLEEP! She is very friendly and loves people and the dog park but she spends the majority of her time asleep.
How did you train Atheena?
Atheena is very docile. Training was simple. She was potty-trained two weeks after I brought her home and has never had an accident. We got a trainer for her at about nine months, which is a little late I hear, but she got the commands quickly. She just does everything really slow.
How does your dog help you train?
Atheena is occasionally allowed to train with me, about 2 times a month. When she does she usually just does the warm up with then goes and lays under a tree- she definitely can't go the distance. She is more of a leisure dog.
What is your favorite thing about Atheena?
I love when she gets in puppy mode. As I said, she isn't very active, but every once in a while she gets wound up and does this thing where she sprints full force one direction then turns around and does it the other way. She is so uncoordinated she almost wipes out most of the time and she isn't very fast, but she seems so happy and free and it makes me feel good.
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