Author: m.kubai

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Post-Travel Reflection

As I got home yesterday, I had some time to reflect on the last two and a half weeks. I could never manage to put everything into a single post, as I think I could fill a whole book with all the experiences and emotions we encountered. 

Starting with the emotions, seeing athletes fulfill their lifelong dreams or sometimes getting them shattered in a matter of seconds touched me, as an athlete myself, deeply on an emotional level. I remember being heartbroken in the stands watching a US swimmer getting disqualified after she would have earned a silver medal, crying out of excitement when I walked into the Stade de France to watch an athletics event, and again having tears of joy in my eyes when two medal winners honored their parents on the stage of the USA House. Fitting into that context, In my first guest lecture with the multiple Olympic medalist Janet Evans, she talked about her favorite memories not being all the medals she won but when she was invited to carry the torch and hand it over to the legend Muhammed Ali. That was the first time I realized that the Olympics are so much more than only celebrating the best athletes in the world.

Olympic Rings in the athlete village

Moreover, all the following lectures were not any less inspiring or interesting. One of the most important messages I took from all of them is to continue working towards my goals, no matter how far away they seem or how bumpy the way might be. Furthermore, working in the sports industry might look easy on the outside, but to stay in business, long working hours and lots of determination are needed. 

However, even with a busy schedule, some missed lunches, and little sleep, I would not want to miss any second of those days. I felt incredibly fulfilled every day being a tiny part of the Olympics and experiencing the spirit of the games in person. Even in our minimal free time, we all were eager to explore more of the city and find the best restaurants or bakeries in town. I still remember one comment I read on LinkedIn before the Games, which said, ‘Remember, sleep is overrated during the Games,’ and I could not agree more. 

I will forever cherish all the memories and experiences of this trip and cannot wait to see where our journeys in life will lead us, maybe even back to the Olympics or as a guest speaker for a future George Washington class.

Eiffel Tower at night
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Paris

Experiencing the Team Houses

During our time at the Olympic Games, I loved checking out the team houses of all the different countries where athletes and their fans could come together and watch the competitions or enjoy some hospitality. The central place where many of these houses were located was in the ‘Parc de la Villette,’ which we could conveniently reach with the metro from our hotel without switching the lines. Here are the top 3 houses, in my opinion, in no particular order:

On our first day, a group of us went to Poland House to watch the opening ceremony because a classmate’s roots are Polish. All the people there were incredibly friendly to us, even if we were almost the only non-Polish guests for that evening. They offered small bites to eat, and at a ticket price of only 30 euros, all the food and drinks were included. The special guests of the evening were the Looney Tunes characters, who also handed out bunny ears to everyone. The whole house was vibrant with excitement for the start of the games, and when we saw the Polish team coming down the Seine on the big live screen, an enormous roar filled the house. That evening was the best way to kick off our time in Paris. 

Another house that I loved was the Dutch house. I already heard before the games that it has been the favorite of many people in the past, and I can confirm that the setup this year was fantastic, too. The main area was an arena where a DJ always played dance music in the evenings. Throughout the evening, they also welcomed Dutch medal winners on stage, where everybody cheered for them and even carried them on their hands through the crowd. The whole area was one big party zone, and you could tell that everybody had a good time there.

entrance of the Dutch House

Besides these two, my third favorite house was Maison Suisse. With their team sponsor ON that focuses on running shoes and gear, the entrance was designed as a running track, and the whole area was located outdoors. When we went there, we got lunch and some real Swiss ice cream afterward as dessert. Other people ordered hot dogs that were freshly made on a little campfire in front of the house. Moreover, I think the Swiss team and fan uniform was the prettiest of the games, and I also got a shirt for myself. 

entrance of the Swiss House

Even if these three were my favorites, all the other houses we visited had their charm, too. You could see that all the houses that were open to the public were proud of presenting their nation, no matter how big or small that country is. 

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Watching My First Olympic Competition in Person

After already being in Paris for over a week, I could finally watch my first Olympic sports competition in person on Saturday, which was swimming. I have been checking the ticket website for any swimming session over and over again but never found any tickets within my price range. However, last week, Dr. Neirotti told us that her daughter bought the cheaper ‘restricted view’ tickets, which were, in her case, located right at the bottom of the stadium where she could see the athletes close by. Therefore, I took the chance and got one of those ‘restricted view’ tickets for myself too. 

arena from the outside

What should I tell you now? Those were the best seats I could have purchased, and everyone around me shared that opinion. We were in the first row of the stadium, right where the athletes walked in and out for their races, so we had a close-up view of all these world-class athletes. The ‘restricted view’ label for these seats only came from the ‘Anti-doping’ table in front of us, where the athletes also picked up their credentials after the races, but we still had a decent view of the pool. However, the best part always came after the medal ceremonies when the medal winners did their lap of honor, and we high-fived many of them while some could even take quick selfies with them.

It was also amazing to see that the stadium was packed and everybody had a good time there. One of the highlights was the 800m freestyle final of the women, where Katie Ledecky could win her 9th Olympic Gold medal. In the same race, her teammate Paige Madden became third and got completely overwhelmed with emotions after the results were official. Another scene that personally broke my heart was the disqualification of the American swimmer Alex Walsh after she had placed third in the Individual medley. Seeing her emotions from the first row was a hard pill to swallow, and as an athlete myself, I cannot even comprehend what she must be going through mentally. 

Even though swimming is usually not my primary sport to watch, this was an incredible evening with many different emotions that I will never forget. 

pool before the competition started while everyone was still coming in
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Paris

Exploring our Neighbourhood in Paris

These first few days in Paris have been a whirlwind of different impressions, from meeting current and former Olympians to completing my first shifts volunteering in the USA House and the Olympic House and exploring this beautiful city. I have taken some walks in the neighborhood of our hotel and found some great spots for hanging out or being active. 

The first one I just found today is a complete sports complex with tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts, a soccer field, and even a running track, only a five-minute walk from our hotel. I quickly learned that people could use all the sports venues there for free, so I decided to look around. I was stunned to find banners and flags for Paris 2024 even there, as that sports venue is part of the ‘Paris Fete les Jeux’ program. That describes an event that provides free festivities for everyone in Paris before and during the Olympics. It was really cool to see that so many courts were being used, and I think it is an excellent opportunity for people to get into various sports.

banner of the program at the sports venue

Another spot I found is the public viewing site a couple of blocks down the road. Even these sites are part of this program and offer a plethora of activities. It provided numerous lounge chairs, a large flatscreen for live event viewing, food trucks, and entertainment trucks. The most surprising find was that one of these trucks housed a display of at least fifty board games, available for borrowing and playing on the spot. Many families took advantage of that opportunity and played various games on the tables in front of that truck. Besides the food and drinks, everything there could be used for free, and even if it was raining shortly before I got there, a lot of people from all age groups gathered on that site. 

board games truck at the public viewing site

It is incredible that Paris not only focuses on all the tourists for the Olympics but also offers activities for the residents. I hope to find more of these sites while I am here as it is always great to not only visit the tourist spots but also find places for the locals to get a better feel for a city.

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Paris

Countdown to Paris 2024: Pre-Departure Thoughts

Since I was a small kid, I have watched the Olympics on TV. It was incredible to see athletes reaching their goals and fulfilling their dreams with all the emotions involved. I have a core memory of the German weight-lifting champion Matthias Steiner, who was in Beijing in 2008. After his last successful attempt and after realizing he had won the gold medal, he broke down in tears and pulled out a photo of his late wife, who sadly passed away a year earlier. This was one of the moments where I realized that the Olympic Games are not only about sports but about so much more.

When I saw the application for this class about Paris 2024 during the spring semester, I knew I had to take a chance and apply for it. After some weeks of waiting, I received the confirmation of being accepted to this program, and even though I am leaving for Paris in three days, it still has not sunk in. I expect that once I am in Paris, it will still feel surreal, and there will be some moments where I will have to pinch myself to ensure I am not dreaming. As an athlete, the chance to be on-site in Paris in 2024 and receive a view behind the scenes of the most historic sports event in the world feels incredible. 

logo of Paris 2024 with the Eiffel Tower as the iconic landmark of the city in the back.

By volunteering at the USA house and the Canada house, I am excited to contribute a small part to make the Olympics an unforgettable experience for the athletes, their families, friends, and all the other supporters. This is the sports event many athletes have dreamed of since their childhood, and they work hard day in and day out with many ups and downs on the way. The slogan of Paris 2024, ‘Games Wide Open,’ respects all the sacrifices everyone made on their journey and shows that every athlete, regardless of origin or country, deserves equal respect for their performances.

As I pack my suitcase for my departure on Thursday, I am beyond grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and look forward to making incredible memories with my classmates and professors, which I can still tell many stories about in the future.