FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 14, 1996

BADMINTON'S VON HEILAND SELECTED FOR PROJECT GOLD WORKSHOP 

(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo)  -- The United States Olympic Committee
recently named 1992 Olympic badminton athlete Erika Von Heiland
(Anaheim, Calif.) as one of 100 women and minorities to
participate in the Project GOLD Workshops at the U.S. Olympic
Complex in Colorado Springs (March 21-24 and May 30-June 2).  The
Project GOLD Workshops are part of a new USOC Program aimed at
enhancing the involvement of qualified women and minorities in
leadership roles within the U.S. Olympic Movement.  Von Heiland,
who trains full-time at the OTC in Colorado Springs, is also a
1996 U.S. Olympic Hopeful in badminton.

"Badminton is such a low profile sport and I've had to work hard
for everything I've gotten," said Von Heiland.  "Thus, I
appreciate everything all the more.  I don't take anything for
granted."

Von Heiland will join 49 other women and minorities at the second
workshop May 2-June 1.  Topics at the workshop will include
structure and function of the USOC, roles of USOC member
organizations, team building, mentoring, and consensus building. 
The project leader for the sessions is Roberta Vasko Kraus,
Ph.D., of Colorado Springs.  

The workshop is part of the $200,000 Project GOLD (funded equally
by the USOC and the Lilly Endowment, Inc. grants), which stands
for Guaranteed Olympic Leadership Development.  Participants were
selected after nominations were screened by the Women in Sports
Task Force.  Qualifications for Project GOLD female participants
were that they be recognized women of achievement and purpose, as
demonstrated by their professional and/or volunteer
contributions.   

(FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT PAUL PAWLACZYK, USBA
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR AT 719-578-4808)