good morning. where will she go? tropical storm debby churning and strengthening in the gulf of mexico, but this morning her path remains a bit of a disturbing mystery. rocky mountain haze. the worst wildfire in colorado's history forces thousands of residents to flee from their homes, and with triple digit temperatures and high winds, big fears the worst is yet to come. and calm under pressure. >> are the cops here yet? >> be quiet, okay? talk very softly, okay? >> an 11-year-old keeps his cool when intruders enter his home and he's being hailed as a hero. "today," sunday, june 24th, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a sunday. i'm lester holt. >> and i'm jenna wolfe. a few days into summer and we're talking about the weather already. the tropical storm season only just begun and we are on our fourth named storm. this one is debby. >> debby is a bit of concern because no one knows where she's going. the national hurricane center says this is the first time we've had four tropical storms recorded before july 1st since record keeping began in 1851. right now debby is packing top sustained winds of 50 miles per hour. as i noted, it's a difficult storm to track so people essentially living all along the gulf coast from texas to florida should be on alert this morning as this continues to develop. at least one tornado linked to the storm touched down saturday

in southwest florida. luckily no one was hurt. we'll go live to florida in just a moment. then jerry sandusky, reportedly on a suicide watch this morning, two days after he was convicted on 45 counts of molesting young boys. we'll have more on that. why his legal team offered to quit, and why this case is far from over. and the london olympics is only a month away and janet evans is trying for a comeback. now the 40-year-old mom of two is competing against athletes half her age for a shot at going to the olympics. we'll talk to her about making her olympic dreams come true once again. and speaking of water sports, we're sometimes asked to take part of some pretty thrill-seeking activities on this show. who, us? no, never, of course. for my latest adventure i hit the rapids in a kayak, a very small kayak and a raft, rather small raft, with a former olympian. if you fear speed, cap sizing or a few bruises, this is not for

you but i had a very good time. you'll be surprised where i did this. >> aren't you supposed to do that in a boat? >> in the boat is what i was told. plus the world's ugliest dog. the latest ugliest dog, his name is muggily and he just won the dubious distinction. he is in our studio and we brought the tweezers. we're going to clean him up a little bit. we're happy to have him and his owner in the studio. we'll chat with them a bit later on. we want to begin with tropical storm debby. it's gaining strength as it churns in the gulf of mexico. mike seidel is in north reddington beach, florida. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, lester. so far overnight and this morning we've been hit by several heavy rain swells with wind gusts 30 to 35 miles an hour. i can see another one coming at us right now. we're expecting 3 to 5 inches of rain today and tomorrow. meanwhile dangerous surf, rip currents, coastal flooding.

tides running up with to 2 feet. this is the tide going out. yesterday a young lady and man were supposed to get married right here but they didn't have enough beach. only ten feet of sand. locals telling me they haven't seen the beach this thin in a long time. let's go down the beach to naples, florida, where a brief tornado touched down. it was an ef-0, winds about 70 miles an hour, minor damage. we could get a few more spin-ups today. meanwhile in the gulf of mexico, they have already evacuated nine platforms and one oil rig. that effectively shuts down about 2% of u.s. gas and oil production. not expected to have an impact on the price you pay at the pump but that could change if more evacuations are needed. this morning, plaquemines parish, the southeast tip of louisiana, a state of emergency. they're sandbagging as the storm surge rolls in from tropical storm debby. again, the question is where does it end up. >> mike seidel, thanks.

so where indeed is debbie headed? chris is upstairs tracking the storm. good morning, crystal. >> good morning to you both. that is what is so frustrating about this storm. calling this one difficult debby. for so many days we have been pulling our hair out as to where the exact track of this storm is going to be and we sit in the same spot this morning, not knowing exactly where this will make landfall. heavy rain still impacting the western coast of florida, op cross the panhandle. we have tropical storm warnings out for southeast louisiana, coastal flood warnings all the way back into florida there, so any is really fair game from florida back to texas as far as landfall. this is going to take its time organizing and slowly move its way toward where we think may be louisiana, but it's not to say this won't move farther to the right or farther to the left. and it could become hurricane debby by the time it does make landfall. and where exactly that happens, only time will tell.

jenna. >> all right, crystal, thank you very much. we're going to get the rest of your national forecast in just a moment. out west the problem isn't stormy weather, it's raging wildfires. firefighters in colorado and utah have their hands full this morning. here's nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: in saratoga springs, south of salt lake city, thick smoke swept over a town where 18,000 live and where firefighters are battling the so-called dump fire that ignited thursday and are not in full control yet. more than 2,000 people were evacuated at least for a day. in colorado's high park fire near ft. collins, the flames have consumed more than 200 homes and scorched more than 100 miles of forest land. dozens of evacuees who had returned home have been forced to leave again. >> i don't know what the fire behavior is right now. >> reporter: firefighters lost ground friday to shifting winds. in 2-week-old disaster,

colorado's worst ever, less than half contained. >> it's like putting a big log in your fireplace. it's going to burn for a long time. >> reporter: and even smaller fires pose real threats. one near the air force academy outside colorado springs and the estes park fire north of boulder damaged 16 homes. and it's not just current conditions. sustained gusting winds and temperatures approaching triple digits that are driving these western fires. it's the warm, dry winter just passed, following two extremely wet snow-filled winters. >> all of the vegetation that sprouted up thanks to all of that extra moisture is now dry and sitting there and, unfortunately, fueling those fires. >> reporter: the national fire center says this year more than 25,000 fires have been burned nearly 1.2 million acres and it's only june. the ten-year average for a full fire season, around 35,000 fires scorching some 1.76 million acres. yes, the monsoon season is coming in mid-summer. >> but also bring with it

lightning, which could spark even more wildfires. >> reporter: leading to fears that the worst is yet to come. for "today," mike taibbi, nbc news, los angeles. it's time now for a look at the rest of this morning's top stories. >> courtney reagan is standing by at the news desk for us. good morning. >> good morning to you both and good morning, everyone. egyptians are waiting for a president, the first that they have chosen themselves. the results from last weekend's presidential runoff are expected in about an hour. nbc's chief foreign correspondent, richard engel, is live in cairo. good morning, richard. >> reporter: good morning. security is on high alert and the mood in cairo is quite tense right now. here in tahrir square, members of the muslim brotherhood are gathering. the crowds are building. we're watching people assemble here. you can probably hear the music below this balcony very loud. people are totally convinced that their candidate will be confirmed the president of this country in about an hour's time.

if that happens, there will be an enormous celebration here in tahrir square. if it doesn't happen, the mood could turn much worse and there is a possibility of quite extreme violence. but just across town, there is a rival demonstration. supporters of the military candidate are also growing in number. they also claim that he has won. there is a possibility that these two crowds just separated by about a mile across this city could even clash. that's why tensions are very high and we will see what the result is in an hour, if it's announced on time, perhaps a few hours. >> richard engel, thank you. the cleanup is under way in duluth, minnesota, after up to 10 inches of rain fell causing widespread flooding. some homes are completely cut off from their neighbors. most people were evacuated as the level of the st. louis river rose. many residents returned saturday, but officials say it could take several more days

until the water recedes from these homes. officials say the damage might top $100 million. at least four people were hurt when a roof partially collapsed at a busy shopping mall in canada. the roof, which serves as a parking area, crumbled saturday afternoon sending some cars crashing to a concourse below. the injuries, luckily, are not believed to be life-threatening. and finally, a new world record has been set in the decathlon at the u.s. olympic trials. a 24-year-old from bend, oregon, broke an 11-year-old world record in the decathlon saturday by running his personal best in the 1500 meters. he is one of the favorites to take a gold medal in the upcoming olympic games. coverage starts on july 27th on nbc. it was a very inspiring run, i have to admit. i'm very excited for him and all our u.s. athletes. >> courtney, thanks very much. crystal egger is back with the rest of the national forecast. >> the first weekend of summer,

we've got plenty to talk about, including tropical storm debby plenty to talk about including tropical storm debby, gusty winds, also an elevated risk for rip currents and we'll heat up across the rockies. here's what's happening where you live. >> it's a beautiful sunday morning here in washington. i'm storm 4 meteorologist chuck bell. the sun shining for you. i think we'll get the sunshine for most of the day, but shower chances cooking up late this afternoon and evening. a big range, already near 80 in downtown d.c. 77 in annapolis, but 76 from hagers town to winchester. sunshine this morning, picking up some clouds this afternoon. >> back to you, lester. >> crystal, thanks. now to jerry sandusky who is on suicide watch this morning, according to one of his lawyers. his attorneys are also saying

they offered to resign before the case because they weren't allowed enough time to prepare for trial. even though sandusky will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars, the sordid case is far from over. we get more from michael isikoff. >> reporter: no sooner was jerry sandusky convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse and led from the court in handcuffs than pennsylvania's top law enforcement official made clear there may be more charges against others to come. >> we can help the voices of victims be heard. >> reporter: attorney general linda kelly oversaw the three-year investigation that uncovered sandusky's abuse of young children. >> are you determined to get the full truth and continue this investigation? >> this investigation continues. i think that anyone that's associated with this case can tell you that we've been developing information even after the grand jury presentment. >> reporter: there are now at least three major investigations into the sandusky scandal. by kelly's office, by the u.s.

justice department and by former fbi director, louis freeh hired by penn state itself. they are focused on what penn state officials knew about sandusky's conduct, tim curley and gary schultz have already been charged with perjury relating to what they knew about the now famous 2001 shower incident involving sandusky and a young boy reported to them by former graduate assistant mike mcqueary. sources tell nbc news that kelly's office is closely reviewing e-mails showing that former penn state president graham spanier also had knowledge of that incident and agreed that it would be humane to sandusky not to report the mcqueary allegation to local authorities. curley, schultz and spanier all deny any wrongdoing. a lawyer for one of sandusky's victims says the inaction of penn state officials makes the school a prime target for civil suits. >> if those in power at penn

state had taken action in the early 2000s and stopped at nothing to see that justice was served on jerry sandusky, then my client would not have been molested in 2007 and 2008. >> reporter: for "today," michael isikoff, nbc news, state college pennsylvania. now, 14 minutes past the hour. here's jenna. >> all right, thank you. republican presidential candidate mitt romney is wrapping up a private donor retreat in utah today, padding his impressive cam wayne war chest and getting to know some possible running mates as well. david gregory, moderator of "meet the press." david, good morning. >> good morning, jenna. >> mitt romney and the rnc outraised obama and democrats by $17 million in the month of may. they're looking to outraise them again in the month of june. talk to me a little bit about money and put it into context. how does this cash influx influence the fight for the white house? >> well, look, it's important. it's important for advertising,

it's important for voter mobilization. money matters, we know that. we're not just talking about the outside groups where there's a lot of money as well but governor romney does not directly control. going into this race the fear was that president obama was going to be the billion dollar man and that he was going to raise huge sums and raomney has proven to be an incredible fund-raiser. those in republican circles who remember president bush who himself was just an unbelievable fund-raiser even give a nod to mitt romney here as being even more robust in this area. so these things are going to matter, they're going to matter down the stretch and romney is putting himself in a very good position. >> we mentioned romney's private retreat that he held out in utah to bring in some high-paying donors. it was also to welcome in some potential vice presidential candidates, governor tim pawlenty was there, wisconsin representative paul ryan, louisiana governor bobby jindal. notably absent, marco rubio, he wanted to spend the weekend with his kids.

should we read anything into that? you'll find out this morning, right? >> god bless him, he's actually here this morning, which is one of the reachsons why he's not o there because senator rubio is going to be on the program. he made that commitment and stuck to it so we appreciate that. all of this proximity to romney is going to raise questions about who's up and who's down. of course he's being vetted. he's a fast-rising star in the party. it would be crazy for the campaign not to take a serious look at him. but this is so difficult for those of us who cover politics to try to get in the middle of. mitt romney wants to make a statement with his running mate. all candidates do. we're just not sure which statement he wants to make. just remember one thing, that in the past, in the recent past, you don't see candidates making purely political choices just to get a particular state. in the last couple of cycles that has not been the case. i think there's going to be other factors at work here. >> who else do you have coming up on the program this morning, david? >> we'll talk to darrell issa who's leading the charge against

attorney general holder and the white house over executive privilege. also new mexico governor bill richardson, former governor, to talk about this executive privilege fight and to talk about the politicsi of immigration as well. >> david, thank you very much. >> thanks. coming up next, how would you like to have the queen of england as your boss? why buckingham palace is hiring, right after this. wing] we're here because we wanted to come as much as they did. (girl) it's really hogwarts! because i can fly with harry! because i love seeing him like this! (screaming) ahhhhh! (narrator) from unforgettable adventures to the wizarding world of harry potter, only at universal orlando resort. i knew it'd be tough on our retirement savings, especially in this economy. but with three kids, being home more really helped.

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something a bit more majestic or royal, well, listen to what duncan is going to tell us. if you don't mind moving across the pond, there's a pretty good job available. >> reporter: there's a "help wanted" sign hanging at buckingham palace. the queen of england is looking for a new household manager, and what a house it is. the grandest address in london, the headquarters of the british monarchy. from state banquets to garden parties, this job is all about hospitality. >> we're very fortunate at buckingham palace to do a range of the most extraordinary events. that's very exhilarating. >> reporter: not for mention stressful. every glass needs polishing, the silverware takes three weeks. and make sure you get those distances right, because the boss has an eye for detail. >> always, always check the dining room table, always check the seating. >> reporter: whoever gets the job will be working here at

buckingham palace and windsor castle. they'll have a budget of $3 million because this is one of the most important jobs in the royal household. like having company around the house? you'd better. you'll be in charge of organizing state dinners with guests, including the obamas. >> the united states remains our most important ally. >> reporter: and royalty from around the world. not to mention the other 50,000 visitors a year. >> i think the most important skill for a royal servant to have is to be able to keep a cool head. you can't be intimidated by some of the people you're serving. >> reporter: but while the queen's standards are high, she is kind and caring. >> quite honestly, i can safely say she's one of the best employers i've ever had. >> reporter: and if that doesn't tempt applicants, there's always the paycheck, a cool $80,000 a year. for "today," duncan, nbc news,

london. still to come on "today," a quick-thinking 11-year-old boy springs into action and calls 911 from under his bed when intruders come into his house. >> are the cops here yet? >> be quiet, okay? talk very softly, okay? >> hear how he turned the tables on some would be thieves. but first this. with the capital one cash rewards card you get a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more cash -- well, except her. no! but, i'm about to change that. ♪ every little baby wants 50% more cash... ♪ phhht! fine, you try. [ strings breaking, wood splintering ] ha ha. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. the card for people who want 50% more cash. ♪ what's in your wallet? ♪ what's in your...your... and micro-climate controls powered by twinchill™ technology, the new ge french door refrigerator is engineered

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♪ good morning. i'm richard jordan. sunday, june 24, 2012. in the news today one firefighter is in the hospital with minor injuries after battling a huge house fire in

prince georges county. this fire started around 3:00 this morning in the 4500 block of 32nd block in mount rainier. crews are working to find out how that fire started. seven people are recovering after a fight in gaithersburg. one person was shot, six others were stabbed. the shooting victim was taken to the hospital with life threatening injuries. three of the stabbing victims also went to the hospital. but three other victims refused treatment. construction on the wilson bridge traffic is causing some delays. the through waits in alexandria are shut down. ♪ our machines help identify early stages of cancer and it's something that we're extremely proud of. you see someone who is saved because of this technology, you know that the things that you do in your life, matter.

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it was a great day yesterday. let's find out how today is shaping up. here is chuck bell. >> good morning, richard. good morning, everybody. sunday off to the bright and beautiful start. temperatures closing in on 80 degrees downtown. 79 officially at national airport. still a lot of 60s in the western and northern suburbs. plenty of sunshine. we'll see an increase in cloud cover this afternoon. a chance for scattered showers around. don't be completely shocked if you don't get hit by a rain drop. rain is expected tonight and

tomorrow. richard, back to you. >> stick around for a full hour of news4 today at 9:00. we're back on a sunday morning, june 24th already, 2012. our thanks to a wonderful crowd spending part of their morning with us here on the plaza and those of you at home watching from the confines of bed, we appreciate that. i'm jenna wolfe along with lester holt. i don't know why i got into all that detail. >> i found it interesting. did you guys find it interesting? >> they just want to see themselves on tv. we've got a lot coming up in this next half hour. an 11-year-old's 911 call that we've been talking about all morning. the brave florida boy was home alone recently when he heard intruders come inside his house. we'll have that story for you in just a few minutes. and olympics now just a little over a month away, and at

40, janet evans has already got five olympic medals. she got her gold as a teenager. she's back in the water and going to take her shot this week to see if she can make team usa and compete in london, so we'll catch up with her and find out what's motivating her. >> yeah, we saw some trials yesterday on nbc. swimming trials are next week so it will be interesting to see who does what. and i had a little swimming trial myself, although mine was the actual event i'm pretty sure. i checked in at the u.s. national whitewater center in charlotte, north carolina, not out west where you think it was. it was literally anything but smooth sailing, but i had a good time. it's literally like, jenna, can you do this? no. okay, so go do it anyway. >> that's one of those artificial courses, right? >> it's the largest man made course in the country. >> have you seen muggily yet? he has been crowned as the world's ugliest dog. >> but muggily is okay with that. >> yeah, he's okay.

we'll meet him and his owner and talk about the big honor, if you will. >> it is an honor. >> it's an honor, sure. >> his owner was very happy about that. >> any time you're the best anything, it's an honor, i suppose. we want to get a check of the weather again with crystal egger. hey, crystal. >> good morning. speaking of best, if you live across the northeast, you are not going to be the best, you won't be complaining about the weather this weekend. perhaps some of the best weather we have had so far this year. can't say the same about the coast of florida. we have tropical storm debby spinning with heavy rain. we could see some coastal flooding across the panhandle. look at the heat building across the rockies. record highs. it will threaten some of the records once again. it's going to be sweltering. i've got to talk to this cute kid real quick. i have happened to notice the sign and tell us about why your

city smells like cheerios. >> well, we're from buffalo and every day they made cheerios at the factory and it spreads out over the city. it smells like cheerios everywhere. >> do you like cheerios? >> yeah. a lot. >> surprisingly you're not tired of them. all right. that's a look at your weather across the country. >> good morning, i'm chuck bell. if you're sitting at home eating your bowl of cheerios this morning, a good day today. temperatures in the 60s and 70s now. looking for highs, upper 80s to around 90 degrees. most of us will wait until after the sun goes down for showers. cooler weather returns by the middle of the week. and for the latest on weather across the country and tropical storm debby, you can go to weather.com 24/7. jenna. crystal, thanks. it's a parents' worst nightmare. your child is home alone when

someone breaks into the house. it happened to an 11-year-old boy in florida, but armed with just a cell phone and his dog, he calmly maged to turn the tables on his intruders. the amazing story now from nbc's thanh truong. >> reporter: luis gutierrez had just left his 11-year-old son home alone to pick up dinner. within three minutes three burglars broke into their home in southeast florida. the boy's parents don't want his face shown. >> i was watching tv. i went to get something to drink when i saw somebody through a hammer through a window. >> reporter: not knowing what to do, he grabbed his dog, a cell phone and called his dad, who told him to hide. >> i was shocked, scared. >> reporter: he ran to his room, squeezed himself between a desk and his bed and quietly called 911. >> how old are you? >> 11. >> reporter: the dispatcher tries to get more information. >> what does he look like?

>> i don't know -- [ inaudible ] can you please come? >> you don't know if he's a white male or a black male? >> no, please just come. >> reporter: he tells the dispatcher that he hears voices near him. she consults another person. >> he says he hears him. that's what he said. i don't know if it's real or not. >> it's real, it's real! >> reporter: waiting for police, the boy's fear intensifies. >> are the cops here yet? >> be quiet, okay? talk very softly, okay? >> okay. >> reporter: minutes later, officers arrive. >> i see them. >> you see them? you see the officers? >> can i come off of my bed, under my desk? >> yes, come out from underneath your bed and go to the officers at your bedroom window. can you see them? >> i'm coming out. >> reporter: soon after, thanks to the help and guidance of an 11-year-old boy, authorities arrest three juvenile burglars. >> i just can't believe what

happened to us. i see it on the news every day and when it happens to you, that's when it gets you. >> reporter: a relieved and proud dad. as for the kid -- >> do you think you're brave? >> yes. >> are you proud of yourself? >> yeah, i'm proud of myself. >> reporter: as he should be. for "today," thanh truong, nbc news. >> now once again, here's lester. >> thanks. when you think of poverty in the u.s., you probably don't conjure up images of families in the suburbs, but these days there are more poor people living in suburbs than there are in cities. take diane and john. a year ago they lived a comfortable middle class life in colorado. then diane lost her job and their savings ran out, and diane was forced to do something she never imagined. go to her local food pantry. >> i tried to park as far away as possible and then i walked around the building to see if there was a back way in and a back way out. i put my hair in a ponytail and

wore sunglasses. >> like you were doing something illicit? >> right. it just felt that uncomfortable. >> diane makes it through that first visit, but she is mortified the day she can't afford a baby-sitter and has to bring her kids. >> i don't want them to remember this time. >> diane? >> hi, how are you? >> and i don't remember them to remember a food pantry in their life. how are they going to process that? what's going on and when is our life going to feel normal again? mom and dad really haven't pulled it together yet. >> in fact, they haven't. and now it's getting serious. diane and john are fighting more and more. their arguments get so bad, they decide to go to a marriage therapist. >> this crisis has really taken a toll on your relationship. >> it has. >> it's a glimpse into a place

rarely visited by tv news cameras. a place where diane and john's fears, anxieties and resentments all come tumbling out. >> just a couple of nights ago we were at each other's throats about things. i think i said there's the door. >> this mess did not happen overnight and it's not going to get cured overnight. but people panic. that's why the situation is so volatile. and when you're stress and you have all this worry and there's all this -- >> kids. >> -- fear, how are you going to pay the bills, how are you going to keep the lights on, how are you going to get food. >> how am i going to get my kids to college. >> yeah. >> things like that. >> retirement, college, all those things are totally on hold right now. and that's got to be very disillusioning. >> for diane and john, the upcoming year is shaping up to be an uphill battle. we hear more of their story and we'll meet other families

struggling in the suburbs. you can watch "dateline's" america now, lost in suburbia tonight right here on nbc. up next, janet evans struck olympic gold at age 17. can she do it again two decades later? right after these messages. today's workout hardcore... and hot! so we use new coppertone sport pro series with duraflex. it's light, but it stays on strong in extreme sweat conditions. and it gives us broad-spectrum uva/uvb protection. new coppertone sport pro series.

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this morning on "today's" countdown to the olympics, janet evans and her quest for an olympic comeback. she won her first gold medal at age 17. that was back in 1992. she now hopes to earn a spot on team usa and compete in london for the summer games. but at age 40, getting there won't be easy. every morning before the sun is up, janet evans is in the pool, swimming laps right along high school athletes half her age. but she hardly feels like a fish out of water. >> my stroke feels like it did when i was in my teens. >> a considerable statement given that as a teen this three-time olympian, now 40, broke seven world records and

captured five olympic medals. >> she has a silver and is going for the gold. >> and now she wants to go for it again, in london. so what are you doing? how's that for a first question? >> what am i doing? well, i'm swimming again. a couple of summers ago i just was down at the beach actually and thought, gosh, i'd like to get in better shape. i just thought, you know, i think i'm going to jump back in the pool. >> evans didn't jump, she dived right back into the sport that put her on the map. after announcing her comeback one year ago, evans teamed up with her former olympic coach and has been training twice a day, six days a week. >> i've been at swim meets with 18, 19, 20-year-olds. it was a little intimidating. >> evans will compete in the olympic swimming trials this week for a spot on team usa. >> now, so you got back in the pool. was there nicole in mind that

this is going to lead to, you know, an olympic bid? >> there was no goal. i felt like i always wanted to swim again but there were priorities in my life. >> those priorities include a husband and two young children. >> to be able to come back at 40 and even qualify for olympic trials in the 800 meter freestyle, it reminds me that i was given some god-given abilities somewhere and it makes me respect what i accomplished, you know, in the past even more. >> but based on what you're seeing, given enough time, you think your body can take you there? >> you know, i think my body can take me there if i have enough time. one of the things my coach and i have been surprised at is how quickly i recover. so, you know, for me it's just a question of getting better and getting stronger. >> coach mark hubert says what evans lacks in speed, she makes up for in experience. >> the swimming world has gotten faster but it really hasn't gone much past her best time. i think the advantage janet has, because of her age and

experience is, you know, her maturity helps her to keep everything in perspective. >> evans won three gold medals in the 1988 seoul olympics and earned another gold and silver four years later in barcelona. but her most memorable olympic moment came at the '96 atlanta games. >> i'd give up every gold medal for that moment aagain. >> it was shortly thereafter she hung up the gaug els foggles fo she thought, got married and started a family. the question now is does janet evans still have what it takes to make a splash. >> what are your expectations? >> when i was swimming in my teens and 20s, i felt a lot of pressure, especially at the end. my name was janet evans, i was an olympic champion and world record holder and i swam because i was supposed to. and this time it hasn't been a job. at the end of the day if i never swim another stroke, i still have my family, my kids and my

legacy. >> she's got a great attitude. i was going to say it's a bit of an uphill climb but that would make it a water fall. >> yes, it would. >> dara torres is going to be at the trials, 45, competing to be in her sixth olympics. >> she's in phenomenal shape as well. there must be something in that water. >> we witsh them both the best. just ahead we'll introduce you to the world's ugliest dog and jenna goes rolling down the rapids. first these messages. it's time to live wider awake. only the beautyrest recharge sleep system combines the comfort of aircool memory foam layered on top of beautyrest pocketed coils to promote proper sleeping posture all night long. the revolutionary recharge sleep system... from beautyrest. it's you, fully charged.

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things i've ever had to do, whitewater rafting has never crossed my desk, until now. so my surprise when i wasn't sent out to the rockies but instead i had to book a round-trip ticket to north carolina, of all places. what's that saying about being up a creek without a paddle? okay. so i had a paddle, but a simple creek this is not. ♪ this, just a short drive from charlotte, is the u.s. national whitewater center. >> the white water park right here behind us is the largest whitewater channel system in the world. >> reporter: all the excitement of a real river with the convenience of an on/off switch. and then just like that, back come the rapids and gravity takes care of the rest. >> we have 21 feet of drop. all the water feeds down into

itself. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of adventurers visit this vast outdoor complex each year. some bike, others climb, some fly a little, but the main draw here is the water. >> we see a lot of kids come out. parents are really excited to get their son or daughter into something that's kind of different. >> reporter: make no mistake, these rapids aren't just child's play. the u.s. olympic trials for canoe and kayak were held here back in april. so if it meets olympic standards, it most likely meets jenna standards too. >> we're going to do a full-on olympic trial type whitewater course, correct? >> maybe close to it, yes. >> that was in air quotes. >> reporter: steven runs it here and was on the u.s. olympic team for nine years. but today instead of his normal partner, he'll have a different co-paddler. >> are you sure you know what you're getting into? >> i'm thinking so.

we'll see how it goes. if there's any danger, i'm getting out, you're on your own. >> believe me, i'm the first to say that's what you should do. >> you're going to be sitting in the front. >> oh, okay. shotgun. i feel like we need water. >> i think so. >> here we go. we're kayaking. >> reporter: a few practice runs to get the hang of it and off we go. ♪ >> we made it! barely. >> it's an escalator for a kayak. >> reporter: so as much fun as the kayak was, those wonderfully bouncy rafts were calling my name. a quick swim lesson in the likely event of a capsize, and

it was back in the boat for the time being. ♪ hoisted from the rapids thoroughly soaked, my tank on empty, i had one last request. hang me out to dry. >> i so easily could have made that a one-trip ticket, just a one-way ticket. i had so much fun. it's the largest man made whitewater rafting facility in the country. >> actually it looked like a lot of fun. >> yeah, and that's where the olympic hopefuls train as well. it was definitely challenging

and we had a really good time. so 2012 is turning out to be a pretty big year for great britain. the queen's jubilee, the olympics and, of course, mugly. >> mugly, a 15-pound chinese crested from the u.k., mugly recently crowned the world's ugliest dog at the 24th annual contest in petaluma, california. joins us this morning along with his owner, bev nicholson. >> good morning and congratulations. >> thank you. >> welcome to the united states and the "today" show. >> should we find out why you named him mugly? >> well, he has an ugly mug so we put the two together and came up with mugly. >> i know there was a lot made about the ugliest dog crowned in the united states and you said i've got an ugly dog. so you called the press and they picked up on mugly. >> ten minutes later the phone is ringing. i could hear everyone laughing in the background and saying we've got to send a photographer up to look at your dog and he was declared britain's ugliest dog. >> what i loved reading about

was your reaction. you reacted as if you had just won a $500 million lottery. >> i felt as though i had. it was amazing. everyone sitting there, all the press looking at me and all of a sudden they said mugly's name. it was like oh, my goodness. it was amazing. >> and what is it that makes mugly so mugly? >> he's got no hair, right? >> he seems to have a lot of hair in this general area. >> he's got no hair. >> he has no harrah part from one eyebrow and some whiskers. >> is this the outfit -- >> this is the outfit that he wore on the day of the contest. >> it's different. >> wow. bev, we thank you so much for making the trip. i assume that will not be shaved or waxed in any way. >> oh, no, no. >> gosh forbid he loses his title. >> congratulations, and thanks for storm watchipping by. we appreciate it. >> we'll take a quick break and are back right after these messages. ic spirit right in our own backyard. so we combined our citi thankyou points to make it happen.

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we end, as always, this sunday morning with today's life illustrated. you know, june is always a pretty big month for weddings, so today we're going to close on a romantic note with photos you sent of blushing brides and grinning grooms. >> and next week, it's a day at the beach. send in your memories of days by the ocean. >> you can submit them to our website, today.com or on facebook or twitter as well. >> that's going to do it for us today. i'll see you back here for nbc "nightly news." until then, so long, everybody. thanks for watching. >> have a good day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

new this morning, flames rip through a maryland home. hurting a firefighter a in -- in the process. >> and a stabbing and the violence that left seven people hurt. one in bad shape. good morning. i'm richard jordan. >> i'm angie goff. welcome to news4 today on this june 24. we want to turn our eyes to the weather. >> anyone who has activities outside wants to know if it's going to be nice. >> yesterday, they started to put things into the slow cookers and toda