In three days on July 24, 2024 I will be departing Dulles airport heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics and am beyond grateful and excited to be awarded this opportunity to participate and witness these Games. I have always been that person who would watch multiple events at one time moving televisions around my house and borrowing laptops to watch as much as possible only annoying my family, and for as long as I can remember I have wanted to witness the Olympics in-person. With so much happening around the world I can’t help but be grateful for this opportunity and as an event professional I hope to gain new insights and learn how the International Olympic Committee, the Comité d’organisation des Jeux Olympiques Paris 2024, National Olympic Committees, sponsors, and various others plan, manage, and execute a mega event such as the Olympic Games, and hope to bring the knowledge gained back to my personal and professional life to share best practices and the Olympic Spirit.
Traveling is something that has always been an interest of mine and I love experiencing different cultures, and have been fortunate enough to travel to countries on four continents. Back in February 2016, I went on a solo trip through Europe for nearly two months backpacking where I stopped in Paris and I was able to see most of the sites and meet some spectacular strangers, but now I am looking forward to experiencing Paris through a new and different lens.
The schedule that we have while there looks pretty packed, but I am prepared to learn, see, and do as much as possible and just take in this experience and what it will offer. I also purchased a hospitality package for Beach Volleyball as the matches will be played under the Eiffel Tower, and what better Parisian Olympic Experience can you get than that. I like to tell friends and family that I purchased the hospitality package for “research purposes” since my term paper is on Hospitality at the Olympics, and in some ways that is true, but I truly think the idea of watching beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower is a once in a lifetime experience that I did not want to pass up.
This opportunity still doesn’t exactly feel real, but in a short time the idea and dream becomes a reality and I cannot wait. Onward to Paris!