As I sit on my flight home from Paris I try to collect my thoughts from the past 18 days and it is honestly too much to comprehend at the moment and hard to put into words, but I will try my best to describe this experience before getting back into my routine and day-to-day life.
First, I would like to thank Dr. Neirotti, Terrence and Lisa for imparting their knowledge and expertise onto the class, showing us how the Olympic movement is so much more than a global sporting competition every four years , and sharing their love of an event that celebrates the best parts of humanity. The combined experience between the three leaders of this course is unmatched and is something that I don’t believe anyone will ever understand unless they participate in this experience like the lucky few who are selected.
Now to get into my initial closing thoughts of this incredible experience (my full reflection will come once I’m able to wrap my head around what I just experienced)… There is something special about the Olympics that brings individuals from all walks of life together from the incredible feats of the athletes competing at the highest level to the hardworking everyday people who help the Olympics and the host city shine there is something to be said to the amazing achievements of humans when they come together for an event like this. Working in events for nearly a decade I had some idea of what it takes to plan and execute events for tens of thousands of people, but on this trip I gained invaluable insights and made observations about the monster undertaking of planning one of, if not the largest event in the world.
Paris using iconic and historical backgrounds added to the magic of these Games and the people of Paris and around the world made this experience unforgettable for me. My love for the Olympic Movement and the Games has grown exponentially from this trip and I am still not entirely sure the past two and half weeks actually happened or if they were just a dream. After a few days to comprehend what I experienced, I will be able to give a better reflection, but for now my time in Paris has come to an end, but the end isn’t always a bad thing.
