This past week has been the busiest by far, as we finished out our volunteer shifts at the Team USA House and also attended the SponsorshipX marketing event at the Canada House. In addition to this, I was able to check out the Olympic Village for a few hours and it was one of the more memorable experiences for me on this trip. Although we had very limited access to the village, seeing tons of people from different countries hanging out together in the center of the village was one of the most heart warming experiences that I’ll hold onto forever. To me, experiencing that moment in the village encapsulated what the Olympics is all about, bringing people together and leaving aside our differences.
Another highlight from this week was attending the IBC where we got to see behind the scenes of what the Olympic broadcasting center looks like. This was one of my favorite class excursions because I was in complete awe of how they are able to monitor so many broadcasts 24/7. Not to mention, the facility we went to was MASSIVE. Although I may not have a career in broadcasting, it sure seems like a cool job to have. It’s experiences like these on this trip that really made it feel special because not only did I attend the Olympics but I truly got to see the inner workings of the Olympic operation.
As the Olympics come to a close, I feel that I have a true understanding of what the Olympics symbolize. It is bittersweet to think that tomorrow will be the end of arguably the best 2 and a half weeks of my life. It’s crazy to think that by the time LA 28 arrives, I’ll be a completely different person and my life will be way different than it is now. Nonetheless, every Olympic Games I watch (or hopefully attend) after Paris 2024 will have a special place in my heart. I’ll be able to observe the games with a different perspective thanks to everything I learned on this trip. I now understand that the Olympics are bigger than sport, and that the purpose of the games is to unite the world and show everyone that no matter where you are from, you share the same human experience even if it’s just for 2 weeks.
