Tuesday, August 26, 2008 12:53:17 PM
So, the Olympic Games are officially over and I am sitting here back in America in an airport waiting for my connecting flight to bring me back into reality... It seems that most of us were in this moment of numbness, thinking about going back to school, back to work, back to training, back to reality. And here we are. Almost an entire month in China living as an Olympian and now back home, just a regular person doing regular things, taking in a deep breath of that good ol' fashion American air!
This time here in the airport (cause I have five hours until my flight) has given time to look back and think about my experience, the highs and the lows, the feelings both in and out of the stadium.
CLOSING CEREMONIES... GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN:
Unfortunately, I did not compete in the opening ceremonies. I chose instead to stay in Dalian and train and focus on the meet, but having done so poorly, I wish that I had walked. However, I did choose to walk in the closing ceremonies. Closing ceremonies is a little different from opening, in that it is a celebration of the time here spent together; it is relaxed with a party type feel. Some march in celebration of successes, choosing to wear medals earned, while others march just happy to be a part of the brotherhood of being an Olympian.
Standing as a team in the staging area, the true feeling of belonging to a team really hit me. Some faces I recognized from before, some are my friends, some are friends I’ve made along the way, some are faces I only know from television, while there are some I only recognize as American by the name on the uniform. We gather around, joking, sharing stories of our time here, and sharing stories of where we will go next. For some, this is just the beginning while for others this is the end of their journey.
We see glimpses of other teams, but it is the bright white of the US team that over powers in numbers and energy.
As we walk down the long corridor leading to the track we are met by thousands of people standing outside the stadium, beyond the barriers, just to get a few photos, a souvenir, a smile from us as we walk by. I’ve never really looked as myself as someone worthy of such attention and I’m still not sure that I am, but was humbled nonetheless.
Finally, we come to the opening of the stadium; there is a hum among our delegation as we prepare to walk out onto the track. Suddenly someone starts the chant, “USA, USA” and every one of us, maybe a hundred or so at least began chanting. You can almost feel the vibration of it as we walk out onto the track chanting and then blown away by 90,000 people in the packed stadium cheering us on. Flashes going off, handing shoved from stands into our group, volunteers trying to hold back the masses. Wow!
We are met by the blinding lights of the stadium, decorated for the closing ceremonies, all the other countries lined up waiting for the celebration to begin. We are dazzled with fireworks, unbelievable human stunts combining athleticism with art, lights shows, and finally the formal ceremonies signifying the end of the Beijing Olympics and passing it on to London for 2012.
I’m glad that I walked. It is an amazing feeling and experience to carry with me. This Olympics has been like a big fancy three course meal, but not getting what I wanted for the main dish. However, closing is like a good dessert, a great finish to the meal leaving a pleasant taste in your mouth. (See a metaphor a result of getting my 4-year degree in 5 little years!)
LESSONS LEARNED, REFLECTIONS OF SORTS:
This Olympic Games was my first real taste of internal competition, and my first major US Team I made. I learned a lot from this trip about competing, preparing for competition, dealing with the results of competition, and the dirty stuff behind it all.
LESSON #1: BEING THE BEST
The end result is not a definite reflection of desire, hard work, heart, or even athletic ability. While all these factors can contribute to a more desirable finish, they do not guarantee success. Sometimes you can want something more than anything, you can give me than you thought you could give, you can prepare your body to its absolute limits and still not come out on top.
Competing at this level was very humbling. I remember when I was young, just starting off in sports while at Julesburg (yeah, Julesburg) and I decided I wanted to be number one. Now I decided this without really comprehending how big this could be and how far I would go to get there. You start off by being number one on the team, then onto regional’s, and finally state in high school. Then once in college, I still wanted to be the best, it took more but I gave more. So, at Colorado State, I started off by becoming number one on the team, then in the conference, and finally in NCAA Champions.
Now that I am out college, I still want to be number one and realizing it takes more than wanting to be. However, number one on this level is number one. Being number one means that you are literally the best in the world! Imagine a population of over 6 billions, and I want to be the first. Well, I didn’t make it that far. But looking back ending up top 40ish or so to 6 billion is not too shabby for my first big shot…
So, number one is still the goal and I didn’t move all over the country pursuing this goal to just get good enough. I still want to be number one and I still think I can. As long as my body and my bank account hold out, the possibility is still there.
LESSON #2: YOU’RE EITHER SOME BODY OR YOU’RE NO BODY
Once you reach the status of Olympian, more doors are opened up to you. People want to start helping you, you get more attention, people want to get to know you and want you to know them, etc. And believe me, all this is very much appreciated and gladly accepted, but what about before this?
I remember times (and not in the distant past) looking at my bank account and wondering how I was going to pay rent, or if I had enough money left on my almost maxed out credit card to put a pair of training shoes or throwing shoes on. I literally at one time had enough money to pay for gas to drive back home to Colorado or pay one months rent and then pray that something else will come up and let me go another month… Hell, I worked for minimum wage at Dominos most of this year!
This year I was dropped by USATF development even. They have a program that is supposed to encourage and strengthen the throws program so we can produce more medals and higher finishes at Olympics. The only draw back is it is completely based on success. So, someone like myself who is struggling not only with training, but also just trying to scrape by, if I mess up the tender balance by spending too much time working and have an off year because I blew out my body or couldn’t spend enough time training or training properly, I get cut from the program.
In fact, I did get cut from the program this past year. Not that I’m trying to talk bad about the program, I think there are some very good things about it and I knew the rules of being helped, but how can you develop a sport that waits until you’re developed to help out?
What else… Well, there is also the thing of sponsorship. Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Oakley, whatever… I don’t know if the common person knows, but each company sets up a “hospitality” location at major meets for its sponsored athletes to give them care packages, etc. It’s not too shabby a deal unless you are on the outside looking in, then it feels like a slap in the face.
Not that I’m saying that the sponsored athletes don’t deserve what they get, they do. It’s just there seems to be so much given and out there and to know I’m struggling to pay bills and there are people who are getting so much stuff they leave it behind and abandon it because they have too much stuff to take home. They places are crawling with agents and people just trying to get in on the success of the successful athletes and if you are not one of them, you are invisible. If you can’t make them money, you don’t exist.
That’s really all I have to say about that. Just stating the facts. I went to a few of those things and felt like such an idiot just standing around, not even important enough to make eye contact with when one of my friends introduced me… yep.
LESSON #3: WE'RE ALL JUST PEOPLE
It was great experience to meet the athlete from the different sports and different countries. I hope to keep in contact with many of the friends I made. I learned so much that I'm not alone in the way I feel. You see someone compete and don't realize that they are a real person. I know that sounds funny, but it's true. This Olympics didn't yield the best results. We start to think of the athletes as machines, but they are not. People's bodies break down, they get nervous, they go out to hard, they make mistakes... Even the athletes we think of as the most solid are still just people. This helped me respect them even more realizing they are human...hmm. Just like me they have good days and bad days. We just all want good days at the Olympics.
LESSON #4: STUFF HAPPENS, I GUESS THIS IS THE PART I MOVE ON…
To be a part of the Olympics is to be a part of history. No matter what happens, from this moment until the end of time, you are never a former Olympian, you will always be an Olympian. I was a part of this 29 Olympiad; I am and will always be an Olympian.
I hope I am able to learn from my mistakes this year and move on. I want to improve upon my weaknesses, I want to get better, I want to come out better for it in the end. I have my sites on 2012 but this time, instead of just being happy to be there, I want to win a frickin medal! It was nice to cheer on my teammates that had success, but I would like success on my own.
I’ve learned to stop waiting for someone else to make it happen. I know I’m not a big time athlete that’s going to land a shoe deal so I don’t have to work. I know I’m not the most gifted genetically being I’m actually not that strong and not that tall. I know when things get so hard that I want to quite the only real person telling me to go on will be myself. I realize that, and I will deal with it the only way I can, by putting back on my dirty old tennis shoes and dragging my sorry but out in that circle and doing it again and again every day until one day its right.
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(Chinese child made this)
(greatwall)
(village)
So this is the end of my journey for the Olympics. I’m about to board my plane and then return back to the real work. I think I will even go back to work in the next few days to make up for all the money I did not make this last month! Thanks you all who have left me comments, my family and friends, those who have supported me in every way, and who have believed in me even when I questioned myself. Thank you to my club, NYAC, and the USATF Foundation, and all my other financial supporters whom without your support it would be really hard to eat!
If anyone would like to keep in contact with me I can be reached by my email address loreesmith08@yahoo.com (yeah, I signed up after I didn’t make the 2005 world team determined to make the 08 olympics…maybe I should change the year to 12?)
See you in London!
Saturday, August 23, 2008 12:35:23 AM
Hello, (yes I’m still alive!)
I know it's been a while since my last post. I tried a few times, but the Internet is not consistent and when it went off line I lost a lot of my work! I've been pretty busy and plus, I'm lazy. So, I will try to catch you up. I will talk a little about the athletes, the village, the city and finally preparing for my performance and how I felt after the competition. I will walk in closing and so I will try to talk about that in the next post!
Finally, thank you again to all my supporters and friends! It may not have been the outcome that we wanted, but just getting the chance to be here is one of the greatest accomplishments one can achieve...(or that's what I keep trying to tell myself)
VILLAGE LIFE:
The village has been like a little city, each country has its own tower. It's been nice, we play games where we try to guess what sport everyone comes from and seeing all the different countries, some in which I've never even heard of until now. Most every country has uniforms, shirts, and jackets each representing what country each person is from. This is helpful for me when I go to the huge lunch room when looking for someone who speaks English. It can be a little intimidating surrounded by people you don't even know and who don't even speak English!
While talking about the lunchroom there are several choices to choose from: International (more American style cuisine), Asian (specializing in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian), and also a Mediterranean (pastas, meat dishes, and of course PIZZA), not only that but our 24hr totally free McDonalds. My first meal in the Olympic village, in China, was chicken nuggets and some fries… I’ve eaten more McDonalds in the last week than I have in almost 2 years! When I get home, I’m getting on a tread mill and a diet…
The village is completely self-contained; we have our food, our apartments, and things for entertainment. Sometimes we hang out in the cafeteria chatting with each other or friends from other countries, sometimes we go to game lounge and play, but mostly we hang around the t.v. watching the games and just chilling with each other. The feeling around is very relaxed despite it being the Olympic Games!
BUILDING A TEAM:
Once you leave college, you lose a lot. One of the big things you lose is the feeling of belonging to a team. Once you leave, it’s all on your own. If you don’t want to go to practice, there is no one making you go but yourself and your will to be better. If you have a bad meet, the only person you let down is yourself. The only thing that keeps you coming back the next day and doing your best is yourself.
However, once you make the Olympic team, you again belong to a team. And to steal a slogan from the trails, “The hardest team to make.” You not only are competing for yourself, but also your country. All of a sudden there is 301 million people, and thousands of athletes representing the US behind you. It’s actually a really amazing feeling to have to know you are now a part of something bigger than yourself, bigger than anything you will ever belong to again.
There is also a bonding with the other members of the US track and field team. To keep ourselves busy we mostly sit in the coaches’ room and gather round watching each person compete, sharing in the triumphs and also the disappointments. Athletes, who I’ve never met before wondering how I did, wishing me luck, making friends with people you never thought you would ever meet. Sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, runners, walkers, throwers, everyone focused on one goal! That’s what it should be to belong to a team.
TAKING IN THE SITES:
There are a few things you should do while in Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall, and the Silk Market!!!
My friends, Jessica another hammer thrower and Michelle a shot putter, and I got to visit Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City and it was absolutely breath taking. I just kept thinking the entire time I was walking through Forbidden City about all the people hundreds of years ago who walked on those steps, about life would be like. Even though it is a tourist trap a little bit with so many people crowding around trying to sell things, little knick-knacks and “tour guides” it is still pretty amazing.
One thing we noticed and thought was a little funny were the Chinese children. Instead of wearing diapers, which I could see another culture finding gross, they have little slits in their pants and no underwear. When they need to use the bathroom, they just go and the mom will hold a little toilet paper to catch it. Sorry, I just had to add that part because there were little kids in slits everywhere!
However, looking at palace after palace, buildings combining art and function, all the history is just amazing and I’m really glad I went. I’ve seen a lot great things thanks to track, seeing things I would never have the opportunity to see and maybe never again.
I still haven’t made it out to the Great Wall, but I think I’m just going to go get on a taxi tomorrow and visit by myself… I can’t just leave China and not see the Great Wall, so I will go, walk to the top, look out around the land, take a picture, and come back because you have to go see it, you just have to go.
One of the sites you must see for sure before leaving is the Silk Market. If you want something designer (fake of course), you want pearls, makeup, whatever. If you want it all and want it at a good price, then come to the Silk Market. It is packed with vendors and people, so much motion and yelling, bartering, just to get something for 2 or 3 dollars cheaper.
How the game works is the vendor tells you a price that is too ridiculous and then you counter with your own price that is ridiculously lower and then you go back and forth, the lady saying, “You crazy lady. You cut my head off. You kill me.” And you replying, “Final offer, this is a good deal.” And finally you set on a price you both agree to. It took us a few times there until we were really getting some deals.
We would compare our bags we got at the end of the day seeing who got the better deals. Like I said, we had a slow start. My roommate got a Coach (fake) carry on bag for 150 US dollars, one of our suite mates got the same bag for 75 US dollars, and a few days later I got a Burberry (fake) carry on bag same style and Coach (fake) hand bag for about 30 US dollars total together… See it is a learning curve.
Half the fun of the market is making a deal, feeling like you won the bargaining fight. We went several times and now I got everyone in my family a gift for when I come home!
WORLDS APART:
While here, I’ve spent most of my time in the village and only leaving to see the historical sites or shopping. So, I met one of the Chinese workers at the village who is very friendly. She took me out to a restaurant to eat real Chinese food and talk about our cultures. She had lots of questions for me and I had lots of questions for her.
To start off, we’ll talk about the food. When you eat here, there is so much food! So many courses to eat from that you cannot possibly finish. In fact, in formal Chinese culture, it is not good for a female to eat all the food brought to the table, not even try everything. There are also other little traditions to follow such as not sticking your chop sticks into food or standing it up in the rice, all the food is plated in the middle of the table and you take little bits and put it on your small plate. One of the big things I thought was the most interesting is in Chinese culture when you have dinner with someone you must be able to drink a lot!
Gou (my new Chinese friend) told me drinking a lot is a way to show you can be trusted. She told me stories how much her dad could drink and how that raised his lot in life and so he had taught her how to throw them back as well. We drank Chinese white wine, which is closer to vodka than wine. She said that it was only 55% alcohol and it normally it is around 75%. Yikes!
So we sat down to an amazing dinner, things I’ve never tried and didn’t even recognize on the food chain, and the girl started to throw back the drinks. About half way through, I started to throw them back as well so I could show her she could trust me. Ha ha. I only drank four glasses and I couldn’t even count how many she did. But again, in Chinese culture it is a sign of respect and trust to drink heavily during dinner, no joke!
She was very friendly and we shared some of our likenesses in our cultures as well as some of the differences. In their culture, they are not allowed to speak out against the government or talk about the negatives. Even in her family, she will let her father choose her husband. She is in love with a boy right now, but his father works for her father and is lower so they are not allowed to be together. But the strange thing is where I would go against my parents, to her she would never do such a thing or even think it.
Another thing she told me that I found shocking is the one child rule. I heard it before, but I didn’t really think about it. Here, they are only allowed to have one child. However, she has a small brother that they kept a secret. Her mother had to hide her pregnancy the entire time and the birth and once her brother was old enough, they had to lie and say it belonged to her uncle. If anyone ever found out, her father would lose his job and their family would be punished… She said no one must ever know, but she beams with pride when she tells me how much she loves him and how beautiful her brother is.
As we were calling it a night, she took my hand and we walked hand and hand back to the village. I felt a little silly and when I asked her about it, she said holding hands is a sign of true friendship and is a great honor. Even though I felt a little silly, I thought it was very nice and so we walked hand and hand back to the village.
We have decided to stay pin pals when I go back to America and I hope that one day she would be able to come visit. She imagines American is this great place with so much freedom and opportunity. After speaking with her and learning about her, it really helps me to appreciate what I have.
OKAY… MY FEELINGS ON THE COMPETITION…:
To be honest, I’m still trying to figure out what happened… I felt good, my technique and training has been going well and I thought I was mentally prepared. I wanted to do well, after so many years of hard world and finally making it, I just wanted to show that I belonged.
Right after I competed, there was talk about if I belonged on the team (me getting 4th and going because of the A standard). The people who said things know who they are. I just wanted to show that not only did I deserve to make the team, that having me on it was worth it, that I could do something.
So many people cheering me on, telling me to go for gold… even though that wasn’t necessarily a realistic goal, I still wanted to go and do the best I could do. I wanted to show that my three years of sacrifice and hard work since graduating would pay off. I threw farther in college than I have in 3 YEARS!!!! Do you know how hard it is to tell myself that I’m making the right decision when sometimes I feel like I haven’t made any progress since making any of these stupid choices?!?...
There were other things about the games besides just proving something to my self and others… I was banking on the thought that if I did well, I could possible get some sort of sponsorship. There are three people on the track and field team without a shoe contract and some sort of sponsorship to help them continue competing (and yes they are throwers).
I have been fortunately enough to have had some help through grants from the Track and Field Foundation and my club NYAC helps with a few expenses, but I spend more money on meets, training gear, coaching, basic health up keep every year than I make and I that’s just with me doing the minimum. I get tired of asking my mom for money, working long hours at jobs that high school kids do when I should be resting, recovering, or doing another workout!
So when I felt like I had everything riding on me to do well and not only do I not throw far enough to get into finals, I threw one of the lowest marks I’ve done in a meet in years… My friend and fellow thrower, Suzy Powell, said it best when she told me that dealing with a disappointment of this magnitude, a loss like this, is like dealing with a death. I know it sounds a little extreme to some who says this is just a game, just a sport, but its not. To get to this level, it becomes your life and when you let yourself down, your friends and your family, all your supporters down, it hurts and it’s a pain that you don’t just shake off easily.
The stages of dealing with a grief are:
Denial/Isolation
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
So which stage am I?... The lack of post for some time may have been a clue… Yes, I cried. I cried when I got home and went into my room. I thought about every moment leading up to the games, every choice, anything that I could have done that was different. I thought about the competition everything from the time I started warm-up, the thoughts going through my mind during competition, the feel of each throw I made, and then the feeling at the last throw when everything goes silent and numb and realize it is over…. I thought about it and cried again and was mad at myself for crying, angry with myself for not being about to pull one throw together, for not finding something else inside myself to give, for sitting in a room crying when I should be planning for the finals in two days…
Then I thought about the future. Four more years? I know that I need to take some time and think about things. Some time to let this heal (I know it sounds silly). But I don’t think I can pick up a hammer right now and I need time to think about if I want to again… Maybe a few months, I will. I will believe again that all the sacrifices, pain, hurts will be worth the joys of the hammer, will be worth it.
No body tries for the Olympics because it’s easy, but many don’t because it’s hard.
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008 5:21:36 AM
Again thank you all for the best wishes! It feels great to know that I have so many supporters back home! I've been told to add some captions and more info next to my photos, so I wll. Let me know if you want to know more about anything. (And if you have questions about the weird baby statue I'm posing with, I don't know)
So, the Olympic games have begun. As many of you know, the track team has set up a training camp here at the International Convention Center and Resort in Golden Pebble Beach, Dalian (the was a mouth full) located about an hour flight from Beijing. We are out here to stay away from the husle and busle (is that the real saying?) of the Olympic village so we can just completely focus on training. Train in complete comfort with everything and anything we need.
From our personal American chef Adam Sacks, to our trainers (massage therapist, chiropractors, medical Dr's etc.), to our very own training facilities, everything is for us to be as comfortable as possible. So, that has been what I've been doing since arriving on the 4th, training, eating, getting massages, reading, and sleeping! Oh the hard life of an Olympian.
The training camp has been great though. There was so much buzz and energy coming into the Olympics. We're treated like celebrities and heroes, and for some that can go to our heads and get in the way of what we're really trying to do: compete in the biggest meet, event, match, game of most of our lives. No big deal. So with that much pressure on us, USATF set up this nice training camp so we didn't have to worry about anything else but doing our best.
GETTING TO KNOW THE OTHER ATHLETES:
It's been really great getting to know many of the other Olympians, some are here to defend and/or win gold medals and some are here just happy for the chance to represent their country to the best of their abilites. I know for me, getting to know my fellow teammates has been a great experience. Some are already old friends, and some are you people I've seen from a far and never got the chance to say hello.
Amber Campbell, one of the other US women's hammer throwers, is my roommate on this little adventure. We're been rooming together the entire time in Dalian and also we will room together in Beijing. We have a lot of fun together and have recently discovered we both love reading vampirical romance literature (vampires that fall in love with each other!). She tries to be the more serious of our group sometimes, but I find ways of making her laugh. Most days, I wait until she is dressed and we are almost out the door to train or go eat and then I run and change into the exact same outfit because I think it's funny. That's not too hard because we have to wear only USA issused items. Yeah, I know I'm 25 but I don't care.
Sometimes you see these dominant athletes on tv and they become almost larger than life, but then you get to know them and the person they are, you see them first thing in the morning stumbling to breakfast, and you realize that we're all the same. We're all just athletes with the same concerns and fears, hopes and dreams, trying to do our best with our talent and abilities...
WE'RE IN SAFE HANDS:
I know from the media there has been some concern over our safety here, but I can assure you they are doing everything they can to make sure we are safe. We have 24hr survillence from several types of military and guards. We have these one guys that stand on boxes and don't move or make eye contact for hours and hours on end and I'm not sure what they do, but they must deter the bad guys because there haven't been any here. I actually took a picure as they were changing the guards. I was told later not to... but I snuck this one.
So besides China's verson of England's Buckingham Palace guards, there are other forms of security. I know this is gonna sound funny, but I think they researched Miami Vice on proper wear for undercover detectives... I mean, I know they are suppose to blen into the crowd, but shouldn't they all not wear the exact some vest and khaki pant combo?
But no really, for those who are concerned, especially with the tragedy involving the volleyball coach's mother, father, and tour guide, we are very secure. I mean they shut down the enitre driving route to our practice everyday and give us police and swat escorts! And yes, they look just like our police and swat uniforms.
As a side note, I'm very concerned about one gaurd in particular. We are always smiling and saying hello, he asked for my autograph and a picture and I gave him them. Then one day we were talking for almost five minutes, even though some of the other guards were giving him dirty looks. He told me he would never forget this experience for the rest of his life and said I was his little sister (he is 26 and I'm 25). And then I never saw him again. I saw him every day since I was here and now I haven't seen him in two days. I'm alittle worried, I hope he didn't get fired.
DON'T DRINK THE WATER:
I was warned not to drink the water because we aren't used to certain bacteria that can be found in foreign water that doesn't agree with our bodies. I said I was warned, I didn't say I heeded this advice. I didn't drink the water, but I didn't use bottled water to brush my teeth, nor did I remember not to gargle shower water. So, at one point during my fantastic trip I spent the majority of the time trying to keep dinner from coming out...of either ends. Ha! sucky!
If you are wondering, this is one of the toilets found at the Chinese training center (sort of like a toilet in the ground) and no, I didn't use this one. I have an American style toilet in my hotel and that is where I chose to spend that time rather than hovering over this hole and praying I don't miss. YIKES! But I thought it would be funny none the less to show a picture of one. Enjoy!
DIFFERENT CONTINENT- SAME TRAINING:
We have been very fortunate to be allowed to use the facilities at the Chinese training camp. They have been very accomidating allowing us full use and even letting us use their equipment too. While there, it's training as usual, throwing, lifting, running just as we would do home in the US. The only difference is me melting into puddles because it is so hot and that I'm surrounded by Chinese people which most don't speak English or very much.
We train at the same time as many of the aspiring members to the Chinese national team. Mostly we make polite greetings, we try to say "Ni Hao" (hello) and they manage a "hi" or "good morning", we exchange friendly smiles. In fact, I think I exchanged too many friendly smiles with one Chinese discus thrower because he kept finding excuses to walk by me and smile, and walk by and say hello, and show boat during his practice.
The facilities has everything we need (besides fan and AC). And it's been a great experience trying to communicate without words with people from the other side of the world where our only commonality would seem to be our love for throwing metal objects.
ENJOYING THE FREE TIME WHILE I CAN:
So other than training and getting ready for the games, I've been hanging out trying to relax. Our resort is right on I believe the yellow sea, though that could have just been sarcasm and a joke like yellow snow. I should have really looked that up before putting here... Oh well. But anyway, we have been advised not to go in it (and now I'm taking advice after learning the hard way about brushing my teeth with the local water). I also wouldn't go swimming in it because of all the jelly fish there are just swimming around.
I don't know if you've ever seen a jelly fish, but it's crazy and unreal, creepy. I will share a secret, I only like things with fur. NO FEATHERS, SCALES, OR SLIMY EXTERIORS!
The beach is peaceful and there are many places to walk around. I would love to say I walk around a lot and enjoy the view, but I mostly sit in my room or terrorize my roommate. What can I say? I'm a boring person and being in another country hasn't changed that.
I am looking forward once I am done, getting the chance to walk around and be a tourist. Job one is be ready to compete and until I finish with that, everything else is second.
READY TO GO- LET'S GET BACK TO THE VILLAGE
So tomorrow I head back to the village for just a little tuning up and then I get to compete in front of the world. I'm ready to go though. It's been a great experience here, just what I needed, but now I'm ready to go. Watching the opening ceremonies was fun. I know some people really wanted me to walk, some people included me, but I also knew what standing for seven hours could do to a body and wanted to be here to train. On the plus side, I got to watch the whole parade and not just wait in some crowded room until they called our country.
Those of us who stayed behind at the training camp, opened some bottles of sparkling Chinese fruit wine. I gues you can't call it champange, but who cares. We toasted the opening of the games and laughed and had a glass. My heart fluttered with the knowledge that soon it would be my turn to walk out in that stadium for the world.
Over the last few days, we have been watching the Olympics unfold on the tv, seeing others' triumphs and dissapointments. I've seen athletes cry on tv before either from extreme happiness or not, but it had never meant that much to me until now. Once you sacrificed so much, really sacrificed and given everything you can, all of you, only then can you be open to that level of happiness, really know that feeling of release.
I'm tired of watching it on television. I don't want to watch. It's my turn now. I'm ready to go compete, I'm ready to throw. I am an Olympian and I'm ready to take the world stage. Let the games begin!
Thursday, August 07, 2008 10:50:57 PM
(First, I would just like to say thank you to all the people who have wished me luck and dropped comments to me the last few days. Yes, I do read them and yes, I appreciate them very much!)
The first few days here were a complete blur. After my 12 hour flight to Beijing and something like 15hr time change, we were rushed through an airport met by so many reporters! Though track and field isn't that big in the US, everywhere else in the world it is. We were met by so many people and camera's I felt like the Patriots or Lakers coming to a Super Bowl or NBA Championship (but a little cooler because this championship happens only every 4 years!)
Once in China it was all first class for us. We were taken through our very own customs and processing, and then taken to a secure part of the airport where no one could get in. Once through we were taken by bus in its very own "Olympic" lane by police escort to the Olympic village.
On our way to the Olympic village the Olympic venues seems to just rise from the earth in the middle of this great city. The city itslef is very large and looks very much like our own cities, but different....hmm. Because most everyone being Chinese, haha, that would be obvious. But there are little hints of their culture in the middle of the modern, American looking things from people pushing those small carts to wearing those hats (forgive my lack of understanding when I refer to them as cone hats), to just some of the architecture.
The Olympic venues, such as the bird's nest (the track and field stadium), and the water cube (the aquatic center) are magnificent and breath taking. They are light giants and seem completely out of place. I felt a chill run down my spine and a flutter in my stomach full of antipation and excitment for when my chance would come to compete in front of the WORLD!
Near the stadiums, is the Olympic village. It is what the names says, a village. Inside the new structure are towers that house the thousands of athletes from all ove the world. Each tower holds a different country and it decorated with each flag and signs. Our unfortunatly is not because they said it will become a target... not a comforting thought. But the security is great! Also, on the site is our very own dinnnig all complete with food stations each having courses from a different area around the world and if that doesn't do, we have our very own 24hr McDonalds for FREE!!! haha
I would say more about the village but I was only there for a night before leaving for Dalian, but I will tell you more when I head back ont eh 13th to prepare for my competition.
On to Dalian. Some of you may wonder why I am here and not Beijing, but the reason is track and field rented out it own beach resort so we could train and prepare for the competition in solitude...or style.
So here I am at Dalian, our very own beach resort. The people here have been AMAZING. Though most do not speak much English, they all say "hello" and want your picture and autograph and will do almost anything to help you. They are so helpful and polite. It is like you make there day by asking for their help. I've picked up a few words like Ni hao and she she which is hello and thank you and that seems like all you really need here... but please don't leave me somewhere in the city becuase I will starve to death and never find my way home.
We are surrounded 24hr a day by armed guards even though we are the only ones here at the resort. There are even secret service in the trees and grasses around the area and i'm not sure if that makes me feel more secure or less... There are even these guards that stand on a box under a shade that don't move or make eye contact for hours... it's neat to watch to see if they move, but they never do... Not my sort of job, but to each his own.
When we go to training facility they shut down the whole driving route and give us 2-4 police car escort to and from practice. They are very serious about our safety here. I look out the window to the city as we drive and it is different from the US not in the style of buildings, but that they all look old and rusted. Some empty, some falling apart, but not really any that are well care for. It's like everything was new and at its peak 20 or 30 years ago and then never kept... There are high tower apartments and the bottom are the shops on the first floor and out front. But the guardens and very well kept. It's like the whole facilities and roads are surrounded by park.
We are training at the Chinese national training facility. it's pretty cool, and completly set off from everything else. There are three throwing areas with three throwing circles in each for the long throws as well as a complete indoor track and outdoor track. We see lots of the Chinese team training but we just smile to one another becuase we don't speak Chinese and they don't speak English, but we are all friendly.
Back at the resort we have our very own American chef who prepares all our own meals (very good!), a medical staff complete with massage and chiropractor as well as a small pharmacy. We really did bring a piece of home with us.
Um, what else can I tell you? It's so hot and humid here. All I do is sweat and shower. We drink so much bottled water and power aid. I'm taking at least 4 bottles at practice and then another 6 during the day! Big giant bottles. Oh, and the toilets are a little different from the ones back home... they are like holes in the ground... You don't sit on them, you squat over them. Ha ha and if you are wondering, yes I have already tried it out! When in China...
Well that's all for now, don't want to bore ya too much. I'll let you know more about training and things in the next few days. Enjoy the states. I'm having a great time here and really excited for the next couple of weeks when I get to represent you (the US) in front of the whole world.
Zai jin (good bye)
Tuesday, August 05, 2008 10:29:51 AM
Hello and welcome to my blog!
Making the Olympic team has been one of the hardest, but most rewarding experiences of my life. I can't even begin to tell you the physical, emotional, and mental sacrifices involved in reaching this ultimate goal. After years, and I do mean years, of hard work, ups and downs, highs and certainly lows, my dream has finally come true. I first and foremost would love to recognize all the influential people in my life along the way who have given me strength, encouragement, and sometimes a shoulder to cry on and thank them for helping me realize my dream.
A little bit about me you may like to know. I am a Colorado State graduate from 2005 majored in English (but please don't check my grammer and spelling!) and obviously a track athlete. While there, I won an NCAA championship and set the NCAA record in the hammer throw. I currently live in Eugene, OR where I train with my coach, but I've remained a loyal Ram. I keep telling these Ducks that green and gold looks way better than green and yellow... anyway.
That being said, I am excited to share with you this wonderful and very precious experience.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008 10:28:32 AM
Day 1
After competing in the trials and making the Olympic team there is a period of a month to prepare for the games. This is a weird time. All my friends are finished with the season, I feel the low after the enormous high of making the team, not to mention just completly broke from taking off so much time and training expenses.
It felt like the Olympics were far off (a whole month away!) and I know this sounds silly, but I kept waiting for something to happen to take it away. It didn't feel real, not solid yet. Something I worked so hard for, for so long was finally mine and instead of enjoying it, I was afraid that I would lose it again. So I tattooed the Olympic rings on my shoulder. But instead of this being like a girl who wants to hold onto a guy so she tattoos his name on her neck and then in two years has it covered in flowers because her new boyfriend doesn't like "David's" on her neck, mine will always be relative. You never are a former Olympian. Once an Olympian you are always an Olympian. I had joined the ranks of the top 1% in the world!
That being said, the month flew by. Before I knew it I got on plain from Eugene headed to San Jose. Once in San Joses we got all our Olympic gear. Nike and Ralph Lauren are our main sponsors, so we got clothes and gear coming out of our ears! They literaly gave us a shopping cart and we went into a room with different stations. Each station had different items for us to take to the games with us, there were t-shirts, polos, pants, shorts, shoes, socks, bra's, we got opening ceremonies clothing that must have costs upwards of $400 for the outfit thanks to Ralph Lauren and believe me, I've never worn anything that classy! There were giggling athletes all over trying on clothing and just enjoying the first fruits of our labor as an Olympian.
Once we left with all our gear neatly packed in a brand-new official USA team roller bag, we headed over to alterations to make sure that all our clothing fit its best. Ralph Lauren didn't spend all that money for us not to look like every penny spent. Because of my build, very few clothes fit me how I would like, I have some pretty big legs and a small waist and pants just don't look right sometimes. Yet, they hooked me up and I'd like to believe I was showing everyone how the outfit should be rocked...maybe.
After that, we were ushered into going over the legistics of the meets, rules, regulations, what to expect, and we were given a video. What some people may not know is the slogan for this Olympic team is Amazing awaits. Well, Maya Angelou wrote a poem for the team called, 'Amazement Awaits' and it was absolutely beautiful. I will try to put it on so you too can enjoy it.
After fitted for out Olympic ring, picture taken, and fitted for our offical team leather jacket it was off to dinner and then off to bed.
I sat in bed that night, surrounded by all my new gear, thinking about my flight in the morning that would take me into Beijing, and I knew it was real. I was a real Olympian and no one could take that away.