Return of 2x World Champion Chris O’Cleary
Return of 2x World Champion Chris O’Cleary
An Interview with the Former FPO Champ and Ultimate Hall of Famer
Chris O'Cleary at the 2023 PDGA Disc Golf World Championships in Jeffersonville, VT. Photo: Kevin Huver/DGPT
If you sorted the registered player list for Worlds by PDGA number, you would have seen that the lowest number was PDGA #3024, which belongs to two-time PDGA FPO World Champion Chris O’Cleary. Most of her competitors at Worlds did not know they were playing against one of the top disc sports athletes in history. O’Cleary is more well-known in the ultimate community as the founder and long-time leader of Atlanta’s top women’s team, Ozone. She was inducted into the Ultimate Hall of Fame in 2013. At 59 years old, she decided to play PDGA Worlds in FPO for the first time in 30 years. I caught up with Chris mid-way through the event to learn about why she came and what the experience has been like.
The last time you played at Worlds in FPO was when you finished second in 1993. What convinced you to play again after a 30-year absence?
Chris O'Cleary: A friend of mine asked me if I was interested in going to Worlds to watch and I was like, absolutely it's in a beautiful place and I love watching talented throwers. I was immediately IN! When I looked into spectator tickets for 5 days, I realized that playing was about the same price AND it gives me access to everything! I thought to myself, I haven't played in a really long time, but your rating might actually be high enough to get in. I rarely compete in tournaments, but how amazing would it be to go to Worlds, meet the people that you've been watching on YouTube, and maybe even get to play a round or two with them? I decided I should just go for it! And so I registered as a player. My expectation was to go and just enjoy the experience and try not to put too much pressure on my performance. I was nervous leading up to the event, but it's been one of the best decisions I've made. It’s been such a welcoming environment. It's been challenging emotionally, mentally, and physically, but I've had an absolute blast.
You won the FPO division of the PDGA World Championship in 1988 and 1989 and didn't return to defend your title until 1993. What caused that pause?
CO: I graduated college in 1988 and accepted a job teaching elementary physical education. At that time, PDGA Worlds was held in August and my school system started in late July. I was still playing competitive ultimate and Nationals was held over Thanksgiving, so I had to make a choice between playing disc golf or ultimate. I couldn’t take that much time off, especially as a new teacher. I chose ultimate because, I thought, “I'm young and we have a great team in Atlanta, so I'm gonna play ultimate as long as I can, never realizing that I would play until I was almost 50! I always wondered, that maybe when I stopped playing ultimate, I would jump back on the disc golf course.” And here I am!
With some great shooting on day 1 of Worlds you played your way onto the same card as Catrina Allen #44184, Ella Hanson #144112, and Sai Ananda #58303. What was it like playing Fox Run Meadows with three current top-level disc golfers?
CO: It was outstanding. It was inspirational. It was fun. There was great camaraderie. It was everything that I hoped it would be. I was telling my caddie even though my play wasn't going exactly the way I'd hoped, I’m playing a round of disc golf with these amazing players. And this is exactly why I chose to come play. I soaked up every moment of it!
Catrina Allen is also a two-time world champion winner. Did she happen to know that you were a fellow world champion?
CO: Initially, she didn't. I had a friend who was playing in Worlds in Peoria in 2019 and I went with him to spectate as I had just retired from teaching. I also went to USDGC and Throw Pink last year. I've been a fan of Catrina’s and I'd always wanted to introduce myself, but she was always playing, so I didn't feel like it was an appropriate time. But I saw her the day before we played together after round one and I introduced myself. I broke the ice by saying, “Hey, I think we have something in common.” We had a really nice conversation.
Both you and Ella were top-level ultimate players and the furthest-throwing women in the sport. Did you have a chance to speak with Ella about your commonalities?
CO: She is another player that I introduced myself to when I got here. We talked a little bit about ultimate and we did on the course as well. We have some of the same friends. I'm very familiar with the team Schwa that she used to play for, as they were a rival of my team Ozone when we met at Nationals. Watching Ella on 18, she threw with so much confidence off of that elevated tee pad with out of bounds on both sides, and probably threw 500 feet down the hill, right in the middle of the fairway. The control and power is amazing at this level.
You broke a few distance and accuracy records over the years and you still hold the FPO record for indoor distance. Can you tell me about those records? What kind of discs were you using to set those records?
CO: I believe I held the FPO outdoor distance record for over a decade. I set it in the late 80s at the WFDF overall championships in San Francisco. I think I set it with a Stingray and threw something like 115 meters (377 feet). I set the indoor distance record in 1991 in Toronto at the Skydome, where the Blue Jays play. I was in Toronto competing at the Ultimate World Championships, and this was a promotional event put on by WFDF. I think I must have borrowed a disc from someone as I didn’t have my golf discs with me. I was motivated to also set the accuracy record as many people thought that I was just a distance thrower and I wanted to prove that I could do both well.
What skills did you bring from disc golf to ultimate? And how about from ultimate to disc golf?
CO: Disc golf improved my mental game in ultimate because it's only you and the disc. You can't run around and burn off that nervous energy. You have to perform each and every throw. I felt like that was one of the things that benefited me the most on the ultimate field was just being ready to make the throw when it mattered. In terms of ultimate contributing to my disc golf, I was a puller on my team, which is the long throw at the beginning of a point. It was one of the ways I really stood out as a player. I learned to read and use the wind to get maximum distance and loft. If you could land the pull deep in your opponents endzone, it put your opponent at an immediate disadvantage.
I see you have a mixed bag. What discs are in your bag and which discs have you been using most this weekend?
CO: I have discs that I have been throwing for 20-plus years. I have a couple of katanas that I can trust to hyzer flip. As an ultimate player, my comfort zone is throwing a hyzer. I have a well-seasoned Avenger SS that I can throw with just a little bit of hyzer and it will flatten and hold its line, which I've been throwing in the woods because it tends to land really flat. I’m putting with a JK Aviar. Both of my Aviars are so old that the stamp has basically disappeared, so I hand-drew a peace sign on one and a pretty rainbow design on the other. Each disc throws differently, even if it’s the same mold, weight and plastic, so it’s important to know how your disc will react to wind, elevation, speed, etc…
Speaking of JK, despite both being multi-time world champions from a generation ago, you and Juliana Korver #7438 have never played in an event together until now. Have the two of you spoken about the experience of playing Worlds again?
CO: We spoke briefly in passing, but we haven't sat down and had a conversation about that. I would love to because she is just a great ambassador of disc golf and disc sports in general. She's very friendly, personable, and graceful. This may be the first, but hopefully not the last!
I spoke with Juliana in preparation for this interview and she told me that she went to the 1993 Worlds and watching you and the other players on the final 9 lit a fire underneath her to want to try to become a top player. She also mentioned that she looked up to you as a strong, dominant woman in multiple disc sport disciplines.
CO: Oh, that means a lot to me. I admire and respect her very much. She serves as an inspiration to me as well.
You had a very long ultimate career. Many ultimate players, such as Brodie Smith #128378 make the switch to disc golf after suffering an injury or when they feel their body can't take all the sprinting and cutting anymore. Was that ever a consideration for you?
CO: Well, I don't know why, but for some reason, my body has held up for my whole life. I played ultimate for around 35 years and I can't remember missing a tournament because of injury. I think I've unintentionally had a good lifestyle. I like to play tennis, mountain bike, paddleboard, snorkel, and hike. I've never belonged to a gym. I do things because I enjoy them. That's really my main motivation. And I think it's given my body some sense of balance and preserved my joints. I've been playing disc golf now for almost eight straight days, throwing a lot of practice rounds and my shoulder is not even sore. I don't understand it, but I’m really grateful for it! Perhaps my daily cold soaks in these mountain streams has helped!
How has disc golf changed from the late 80s to now?
CO: In the 80s there were maybe 20-30 women who took it seriously back in those days. Many of the other women were there because their husbands or boyfriends were competing or they just wanted to enjoy playing. But these days, people can make a living playing disc golf and they can focus much of their time and energy into being the best athlete that they can be. It's elevated the game in such an amazing way. It's evident watching them throw. The athleticism has improved. Having a long season like this, where you have competitive tournaments for much of the year, allows a player to grow throughout the season. It's not just hitting a tournament every month or two like it used to be. Additionally, media coverage has exposed the general public to the sport, bringing in more committed athletes, companies, sponsorships and professionalism, elevating disc golf to the point of multi-million dollar contracts for athletes. Amazing and well deserved!
I noticed you haven't played in Masters Worlds yet. Will there be a rematch with Elaine King #3090 in the future? (O’Cleary beat King in 1988 and 1989, whereas King won in 1993.)
CO: I think so. I almost went this year. I actually looked into it kind of last minute, so I missed the window for registration. I think that's definitely going to happen! And age-protected divisions seem appealing right about now! Ha ha!
Do you think you will play Worlds in the open division again?
CO: You know, I do actually. I feel like if I had some more tournament experience coming into this event, I could have played better. I feel good and I can still throw relatively well. If I qualify, and it's in a beautiful location, I can see myself doing this again. Plus, the Disc Golf community has been very welcoming, I’ve met so many cool people and totally enjoyed playing Smugglers Notch, why the heck not!
Comments
Thanks for a great story.
Thanks for a great story.
Look forward to playing
Smugglers Notch one day.
All the best with your Endeavours.
After forty years since playing in Auckland , have found the same "welcoming experience."
Both challenging mentally and physically, but having an absolute blast. "
Playing for fun, and fitness.
Plans afloat to create a new course on The Opunake Loop Trail.
Watch this space.
OBJ
ECT
Opunake FrisB Club
New Zealand.