DECATUR - Nicole Saunches heads for the Beijing Olympics on Tuesday with a big job. The Decatur native is manager of marketing communications for the U.S. Olympic Committee.

"My primary job is to get stories about the U.S. athletes published by the media, TV or in print," she said, mentioning television shows such as "Good Morning America" and "Today," as well as People Magazine.

"I'll coordinate TV shows, interviews and work with corporate sponsors," she said from U.S. Olympic headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colo.

She will be plugging Dara Torres, the 41-year-old swimmer making an unprecedented fifth Olympics appearance for the United States, plus sprinters Walter Dix, Tyson Gay and Muna Lee, track coach Bubba Thornton and superstar swimmer Michael Phelps.

Most of the biographical material was gathered in advance, including interviews with 130 Olympic hopefuls in April in Chicago. The XXIX Olympiad in China runs from Aug. 8 to 24.

"I've been very lucky when it comes to finding a job," she said.

A 1993 graduate of St. Teresa High School, she graduated from the University of Illinois in 1998 and received a master's degree in sports administration at the University of North Carolina in 2000.

She had a one-year internship with the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball's National League and worked for the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team while in North Carolina.

For six years, Saunches worked in the publicity department of the Milwaukee Brewers, another major league team in the National League.

Hearing about the Olympics job from a friend, she applied and was hired. "I was ready for a career change," she said. "I worked in the Pan American Games in Brazil last year, my introduction to international athletics."

Saunches is hopeful about U.S. medal prospects. She is a gymnastics fan and knows the U.S. team is highly regarded.

Her mother, Renee Saunches, a teacher at South Shores School, is obviously proud of her daughter.

"We're very fortunate to have such a daughter. She's very blessed to be part of the Olympics with the eyes of the world centered on China. She'll be there and experience the Olympics in person."

Her father, Tom Saunches, said, "She's my inspiration."

Bob Fallstrom can be reached at bfallstrom@herald-review.com or 421-7981.