Life’s still golden for Shoop

In rowing, jumping out of the boat and into the water to celebrate winning a race is considered bad form.

But when Lindsay Shoop crossed the finish line in Beijing last month to win Olympic gold, the thought crossed her mind.

“I looked around and was like, ‘You just won the Olympics!’” Shoop said. “I wanted to get out and do cartwheels.”

Nearly a month after earning gold in China, Shoop still seems incredulous when she talks about her experience. Shoop was part of the United States women’s eight squad that beat the Netherlands and Romania.

“It’s definitely one of those things that’s unbelievable,” she said, “and one of those things I don’t know if I’ll ever firmly grasp.”

On Saturday, Shoop’s family and friends welcomed her back to Charlottesville with a large gala. The Covenant School and University of Virginia grad had a permanent smile on her face as she sported her new bling — an Olympic gold medal.

“I like wearing it everywhere because I like to let people see it, and I like putting it on,” Shoop said. “It’s kind of funny. It’s like, ‘That’s an Olympic gold medal — and it’s yours!’”

Since winning gold, Shoop has appeared on “Oprah,” been invited to a Glamour magazine photo shoot, and is scheduled to visit the White House and meet the President on Oct. 7.

Shoop says it’s all been a little surreal.

“It’s been really great to meet people who you don’t know and they’re like, ‘I watched you and this is how it made me feel,’” she said.

“It makes it worth even more to know what other people experienced as a result of what I did. It makes it seem so much bigger.”

Shoop, whose parents, Paul and Vali, were on hand to witness her feat in Beijing, is taking a well-deserved break from training. She is scheduled to give an upcoming talk at Johnson & Johnson, then plans to help promote “Right to Play,” an organization which uses sport and play to enhance child development in areas of disadvantage.

In December, Shoop expects to return to U.S. training headquarters in Princeton, N.J. There, she will begin to take aim at her next goal: the 2012 Olympics in London.

“I love what I’m doing,” Shoop said. “Right now I’m completely exhilarated and energized. Rowing has done some really great things for me, and it’s not done with me. I always say I want to row until either the coaches kick me out or my body says no.”

Or until she jumps from her boat and gets blackballed for life.