By now many of you know about the the culmination of the USBC with Chicago native Mike Phillips taking the crown this year. You, however, might not be privy to the story that makes this victory all the sweeter and highlights a truly epic story of challenge and determination; sacrifice and perseverance.

I had the privilege of competing with Mike at the GLRBC just a few weeks ago at Navy Pier in Chicago. Mike was last year's regional champion, and many looked with expectation to see what Mike had in store for the regional competition (myself included). He, however, seemed concerned in weeks leading up to the competition that, with numerous changes in his work load and numerous physical changes happening to the Broadway store at Intelligentsia, he had inadequate time to prepare. I found myself on that Sunday standing in the ranks of Mike, Jesse Crouse, Scott Lucey, Les Stoneham, and Trevor Corlett for the final announcement of the top three positions regionally. To many people's shock, mine included, Mike had neither retained his title nor finished in the top three. I could see the hurt and disappointment on his face as he congratulated me on my first finish as a finalist, placing a few meager points higher than him.

I believe his dismay might have been heightened by the fact that Intelligentsia's new policy for competitors only allows competitors placing in the top three at regionals to advance, with sponsorship from the company, to the national competition. It had seemed as if the road to another year at USBC had ended for Mike, but something happened in him that caused a shift not only in his life, but in the course of the USBC as we now know it. Mike made the sacrifice of paying his own way to Portland in order to rectify his chances at bettering himself in competition.

I know all of this because I was blessed to room with him this year in Portland. Both Mike and I bummed a spare bed off of a fellow competitor, Jesse Crouse, in order to save some money and make the chance of going to Portland more viable. While staying in Portland together, I saw Mike's generosity and general light heartedness emerge as we drank, we danced, and we made coffee. He was cheery, he was willing to help me better my performance, and he was showing his capabilities to be what he set out to be.

One night stood out in particular as we were walking back to our hotel. He began to ask me about my coffee and my investment in it; why I was passionate about it and why I stood behind it. When the question was back on him, he began to articulate, in much the same manner as in competition, the desire to explore within the flexible parameters of acceptable brewing what would make the coffee shine based on what the coffee was being brewed for. His ideas are and were groundbreaking; change the preparation in competition to completely exemplify the best characteristics for each drink.

I watched him practice, perform, and speak with that same concept in mind as he rose to the top and emerged as this year's USBC National Champion. He, therefore, is a man of story: a man who met conflict both within himself and within his circumstances; a man who made a decision to sacrifice time, money and energy to see a goal completed; a man who showed dedication and passion to his craft; a man who emerged victorious.