Opening Ceremonies

Wow. There is really no better way to describe the Olympic Village.  We packed an overnight bag and caught the train across town for the first time the day before the Opening Ceremonies.  We zigzagged our way around fences and through gates to get our passes (credentials) and before we knew it, we were there- looking up at a neighborhood of high-rise apartments.  Dotting the balconies and windows were flags from all countries imaginable.  People wearing athletic gear in every color of the rainbow wandered around gawking with the same expression I knew I wore as I took it all in. Following instructions, I found my room and opened the door to more gifts than I ever found under the Christmas tree! Two duffle bags and two backpacks filled with Ralph Lauren and Nike, hats, shirts, shorts, sweaters, sunglasses, shoes, and undergarments. An Olympic addition comforter covered my bed and Procter and Gamble toiletry items were waiting there for my convenience! Six girls shared my suite- three rooms of two and one single- with two bathrooms.  It was a pretty high powered group- the fastest women in the world this year and the world gold medalist in the 1500m are among them- but then again, everyone around here is something to talk about!

            The dining hall was as amazing as I had been told.  It was a huge building several football field lengths long with food from every region of the world! To clear up any confusion, there IS, in fact, a large McDonalds with almost a full menu of their usual goodies- all free! This situation will be amazing when I am finished competing but before, it takes incredible self-control and a game plan going in! For someone like myself who is VERY indecisive, all these options are a little overwhelming. The amount of people that flow through is what blows your mind…just seeing so many bodies in one place, in lines, constantly moving, pressuring you to hurry up because they are hungry behind you! YIKES!

            The experience of the opening ceremonies is also something I have been told a lot about and was anxious to see what my personal experience would be. There was some concern about our outfits because despite having been custom fitted, many of them were coming back to us VERY wrong.  And those that were complaining, were the people who had actually received theirs….many were being delivered in quite a laid-back fashion and with only hours to spare, some people still hadn’t been given anything to wear!

In the end things worked themselves out and despite the usual gripes and moans, everyone came to the meeting point that night primped and groomed and looking great! With the range of shapes and sizes and people that Team USA is made up of, I was curious to see how we would turn out looking. In my opinion, Ralph Lauren did a fabulous job choosing an outfit that seemed to flatter everyone. Track and Field hung together early, mostly taking pictures with friends among ourselves but as we stood around, people began to get brave and venture to meet other sports.  Basketball won the award for Most Coveted Pictures, as they were practically mobbed!  We officially lined up around 9:00 and we stood around taking pictures and mingling for about an hour before we began moving.  As we paraded toward the stadium, we were greeted by people who had not been able to get tickets to the ceremony.  They lined our path, cheering excitedly and flashing pictures of TEAM USA!!! Aside from random clips of audio we would occasionally pick up indicating what country was being announced, there were no screens or warnings or anything for us to know what was going on ahead of us.  Our long, slow, start-stop walk began to drag on and get old, but the fatigue onset was countered by the growing anticipation as the massive Stadium loomed closer by the second. We entered through a tunnel, backstage and quiet…..suddenly we were walking out to the roar of thousands of people! The stands were in shadows but the flash of a zillion cameras and phones sparkled high up into the sky, reminding us just how tall the seats rose around us.  Huge TV cameras swung out on arms around us and down from wires above. Drummers created a constant pounding that synced up with the beat of our excited hearts. There was so much to look at, so much to feel, so much to try to absorb!

            I had lost my friends in the commotion and was just doing my best to get to the outside, hoping to somehow get onto a broadcast back home.  We did a loop around the floor and ended in a mash of athletes in the center. 

Wow, I am here!

Looking up at the screen, I tried my best to pay attention to the speaker and the program through all the flashes and music.  At one point, I began to feel everyone around me closing in tight and looked up to see Koby Bryant 5 feet away- mingling and being mobbed with people trying to get a picture! High in the stands I could pick out the Queen herself surrounded by the royal family watching the show. I must have looked like a deer in headlights spinning around and around trying to see everything all at once! When it was all over, I walked back to the village by myself, buzzing with disbelief and appreciation for this amazing opportunity!

            By the time I got back to Bushy Park the next day I found myself subconsciously decompressing.  While the ceremony had certainly been a thrill, I misjudged how emotionally draining the whole Village experience was! As I returned to the comfort of this relaxed environment, I noticed the contrast like fire and water. First moving into the Village, I dreaded the crosstown train-trek back and forth but now realized how much I needed the chance to recharge here for a few more days.  I could now collect myself, process things, and return to the chaos with the right perspective. It had been a great way to kick off the experience but now it was back to the real task at hand. As enthralled as I was about the ceremony, I was even more excited to realize how amped up I was for my chance to compete and actually take part in the event, doing what I love.  In the past, at big meets like this, I am so overwhelmed with the overall experience that my race almost fades in importance but this year was going to be different! I could already feel it!