Closing Ceremony
Well, that's a wrap. Congratulations to France on hosting an incredible Olympics. I thought they did a great job of reminding us, during some challenging times globally, what the Olympic spirit is all about, peace and these three core values.
Striving for excellence and encouraging people to be the best they can be.
Demonstrating respect in many different manners: respect towards yourself, the rules, your opponents, the environment, the public, etc.
Celebrating friendship, which is quite unique to the Olympic Games – an event that brings people together every few years.
What a wild and unexpected ride this adventure has been. I planned to be in South America all year but life definitely had other plans for me and I’m happy it did.
I was so excited and proud to be part of the Olympics and to support my home country.
To say I had a great time volunteering at Team USA House is an understatement. Thank you to the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, specifically Gwyn, for hiring me and giving me such an incredible opportunity.
The USOPC staff did an amazing job creating a one-of-a-kind atmosphere for fans to enjoy the games and meet the athletes. I loved watching the guests enjoy and meet some of their idols.
A huge shout out to my fellow volunteers for making my experience so special. Unfortunately, we didn’t take photos with everyone until the last night so I miss snapping pics with many people but everyone was fantastic to work with.
This special group of ladies and I worked a ton of hours together and became close buddies. They were all in the same hotel and although we weren’t at the same stop, they would ride the metro “home” with me at midnight every night after our shift. Thank you, Jess, Kristen, Emily, and Bailey.
Before I wrap up all things Olympics, I want to share two personal stories from my experience. The first one is inspirational (and funny).
One night I was chatting with Olympian Bobsledder Lauren Gibbs from California. I mentioned that being here at the Olympics and around all these athletes has inspired me to want to be an Olympian. So she told me her story. She said when she was thirty, she was living in Denver and a friend of a friend asked her if she would be interested in being on a bobsled team. She said she had to laugh because she is from L.A. but the invitation included a visit to the US Olympic training facility in Colorado Springs and a free lunch so she agreed to go. She wrapped up the story by saying, “Yeah, so that visit turned into a silver medal four years later in South Korea. You just never know how a free lunch can change your life.”
She also has a bronze medal from the 2016 bobsled world championships.
She asked how old I was and when I told her I was 45 and I thought golf might be a reasonable possibility, she said, “Nah, go for archery, you could master that in four years.” Ha!
The second story taught me an important lesson about the impact we leave on others.
I mentioned in a previous post that I met Billie Jean King. I was working at the VIP elevator when Billie (as she prefers to be called) stepped off the elevator. The security guard and I were the only two people in the room. She walked up to the security guard who was an employee of the building staff and he only spoke French. She shook his hand and introduced herself as Billie. I watched as she interacted with him for a minute or so as if he was the only person that mattered to her in that moment. She took her time and was completely focused on him and their conversation. It was as if she had all the time in the world just for him, someone who regularly gets overlooked by almost everyone who passes through that area, even though she was on her way to an exclusive tennis event in a private room. After spending a few moments with him, she did the same with me. She stopped, looked me in the eyes, shook my hand, and introduced herself. I'm not sure the security guard knew who she was but of course, I was thrilled to meet her. When she said her name, I replied, “You aren't just Billie, you are a legend.” To which she replied, “And thankfully still living.” We both laughed and in that moment I realized not only is she one of the greatest players to play the game of tennis but that she is an incredible human with humility, compassion, and an awesome sense of humor. It made me love her even more.
Thank you for following along and allowing me to share my love of the Olympics and fulfilling one of my lifelong dreams with you.
Don't forget to tune in for the Paralympics that begins on Aug 28th. Here is your official invitation from athlete Chuck Aoki, wheelchair rugby, Team USA.
Let’s get ready for the next ones!
Good Things list
Getting to live my Olympic dream and sharing it with all of you. 🙏 Thank you.
Much love & gratitude from the Olympics in Paris, France! 🇫🇷 Namaste 🙏
To see more photos and videos from my adventures, follow me on social media. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), TikTok, and Pinterest, or connect with me on LinkedIn.
If/when you go to the Olympics, bring some custom pins for trading. I didn’t understand this concept completely and what a big deal it is before arriving but many people gave me pins.
If you saw the athletes ringing a big bell after a win, it’s because it will be one of the bells that will hang in Notre Dame after the renovation. They plan to ring it on December 9, 2024 when the cathedral reopens.
Thank you for sharing all the behind the scenes stories and Olympic magic with us! 🫶🏻
I saw the clip of Tom Cruise flying in. Nice touch. I often think I would like him if I knew him.
I've enjoyed your Olympics posts. It's very nice to have the positive view rather than standard media thing that likes to promote the problems. I'm glad you had such a great time.