Like many of you, we have been watching and enjoying the winter Olympics while cheering on team USA! USA! USA! We have been amazed at the spirit, strength and bravery of these athletes! Seriously! Can any of you picture yourself participating in the Skeleton Bobsled Race? Have you seen this event? They run a few steps, hop onto a teeeeeny tiny sled (with only a helmet for protection) and proceed to fly down the track sometimes at speeds over 90 miles an hour, head first! I can't breathe the entire time I watch them. AMAZING! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Watching the Olympics always takes me back to the summer of 1996 when I got to experience them first hand. Not as a competitor but as an observer and cheerleader from the sidelines inside the Omni in Atlanta.
I took this shot during the introduction of teams Yugoslavia and Russia just before they competed for the Bronze.
As a Side Note: You all might be interested to learn my dad's second job & hobby is working as an International Volleyball referee. As a result, he was invited to be a ref at the 92 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. (Yeah! I'm proud of my daddy!) Unfortunately, he was scheduled to be working in Russia for his engineering job and had to turn that exciting opportunity down. I still recall him getting that phone call and his being so heartbroken about having to say no. What hurt him more was he wouldn't get that opportunity again due to his age.
Don't be sad for him! 4 years later, he was invited back again but instead he got to work behind the scenes at both the volleyball arenas during the 96 Olympics in Atlanta. As an added bonus, my dad helped my then best friend, Doug get us get seats to watch the Bronze and Gold metal matches of men's indoor volleyball. It was an amazing day! We were surrounded by fans from Yugoslavia, Russia, Italy and the Netherlands and man were they having a good time! It was awe inspiring really! At one point, it seemed the entire stadium was wearing Orange and cheering the Netherlands on!
I took these pictures just after the Netherlands scored the winning point against Italy making them the Gold Medalists.
Final Stats
We were also present for the Medal ceremony following the match!
The Netherlands won Gold, Italy won Silver and Yugoslavia won the Bronze Medal.
These are memories and experiences I will NEVER FORGET!
Do you have an Olympic experience or moment you will always remember?
9 comments:
How amazing for you! I am envious. The memory that sticks out most for me is (oddly enough) from the 1996 Olympics also! I remember watching Kerri Strug do her last vault routine with that injured ankle. How determined she was to stick that landing! What a great story.
That is so exciting! Great memories to share!!
SHUT UP! How cool are you???
Wow! Learn something new everyday!
That must have been so exciting.
oh you are so blessed to have had these experiences!
I've never been to any but I do enjoy the summer over the winter olympics!
Very exciting!
That sounds like an amazing time!
I'm the coolest commentor cuz I already knew that! (sorry Gina...et. al) hahaha!
Favorite Olympic Memories:
telling my neighbor in '84 that I trained along-side Mary Lou Retton in gymnastics (SUCH a bad liar) and watching Michael Phelps with my kids in '08. Even if he did tarnish it with his very poor choices (we're all sinners, after-all - notice the Big Fat Liar in Part 1).
Love you - and Gina too! ;)
k
Wow - what a great time you had! Your dad sounds very accomplished - you have every right to be proud of him. My only olympic moment was attending one of the 2000 olympics soccer games that was held at Brisbane. Still fun though!
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