Olympics Movies That Should Definitely Be Made

It's really no secret that I'm a rather big fan of Olympics movies. (Let's ignore the fact that I still haven't seen Chariots of Fire...) And I've been excited to see Foxcatcher for about six or seven months, when I first learned about Dave Schultz. But there are two problems: Foxcatcher isn't in theaters in Colorado yet (don't even get me started), and it's bound to be a dark, twisted, creepy sort of movie. But seriously, just reading about John du Pont makes my skin crawl.

This seems to be a fairly common thing in Olympics movies. I mean, just in the handful I've seen there's been a whole lot of death, and Unbroken (which comes out on Christmas!) sure isn't going to be any happier. It was this revelation that made sense of why I'm so into Miracle -- not only does it involve absolutely zero deaths or torture, it's a movie that's well-done and almost entirely factual. Obviously Hollywood took a few liberties, but you can watch Miracle and get a pretty solid idea of how things actually happened. This, too, is surprisingly rare. Cool Runnings? Sorry, guys. It's based on a true story but needs to be taken with a huuuuge grain of salt.

Basically, I'm just not thrilled with my selection of Olympics movies. I mean, is it so much to ask to watch a movie that's both accurate and not depressing? Apparently it is. But if you throw a rock at the Olympics, you'll hit a story that's worth making a movie about. It's literally a goldmine of movie material. Here are some Olympics movies that Hollywood definitely needs to start developing ASAP!

1. Dan Jansen. How this guy's story wasn't immortalized on the silver screen within days of the Lillehammer 1994 Games coming to an end, I will never understand. In 1988 he was the favorite for two speed skating gold medals. But on the day of his first race, his sister died of leukemia, and he fell in both of his races. He came back for the 1992 Olympics and again finished out of the medals, but in his final race at the 1994 Olympics, he was finally able to win the gold medal that had eluded him for so long. But not only that... he took his victory lap holding his baby daughter that he'd named after his sister. I mean, come on! You don't even need to take any creative license with that! It's a story that involves heartbreak and success AND wraps itself up in a neat little bow! Do you want to start writing the screenplay, or should I?

2. The Dream Team. While I'm a total sucker for an underdog story, I still think the greatest team of all time could easily be turned into a great movie. There was plenty of interesting stuff going on in that team dynamic, and a movie could easily become more of a character study than anything else! I mean, Patrick Ewing (from Jamaica) and Larry Bird (a white guy from a teeny town in Indiana) became best friends. Magic Johnson was battling HIV and trying to maintain alpha male status over Michael Jordan, who wasn't taking too kindly to that. And then there was Charles Barkley, who's enough of a character to carry an entire movie by himself. Now, tell me you wouldn't watch that!

3. The Magnificent Seven. Again, who in Hollywood is sleeping on this one? That first "team that overcame the odds and beat the Russians" movie did pretty well, right? Well, this has all the same elements (right down to the slightly crazy coach!), but this one would involve girls in star-spangled leotards and the self-sacrificing heroics of Kerri Strug. But there was drama even before the Olympics, as Shannon Miller and Dominique Moceanu were both injured during Olympic trials but were named to the team anyway. So many storylines! So much potential!

4. Apolo Ohno. I might be biased, since Apolo is my dude, but I would love to see a movie about his life. He was a really rebellious kid from a single-parent household that essentially ran away from home to avoid going to train seriously. And he then went on to become the most decorated American winter Olympian in history. Again, there's not really much creative license that has to be taken there. It's one of those underdog stories that people tend to salivate over.

5. Jesse Owens. Um, hello? He's THE American Olympic hero. Look up any list of the greatest American Olympic moments, and 90% of the time, the Miracle on Ice will be #2 and Jesse Owens will be #1. He was the black man that beat all of Hitler's Aryans in Germany. Pretty self explanatory. But as if we need another reason, he also happened to befriend one of his blonde German competitors, Luz Long, who offered Owens in-competition advice and then finished second to him. So not only was Jesse Owens beating the Germans, he was making friends with them. Talk about giving Hitler the finger!

6. Dick Fosbury. I absolutely adore Dick Fosbury, and his story is probably one of the most unique and compelling I've ever come across. He was a high jumper that literally revolutionized the technique used in his sport... simply because he couldn't do it the accepted way. Like, he was a very bad high jumper, so he said "screw it, I'll get over that bar however I can." So the Fosbury Flop was born, and he broke all sorts of records and won an Olympic gold medal. And nowadays, every single high jumper uses the Fosbury Flop technique. AMAZING.

Hollywood, take note: a movie doesn't have to be fabricated or depressing to be awesome. But until you start realizing that, I'll just watch Miracle another million or so times. (And, uh, I should probably get around to Chariots of Fire!)

My Favorite Olympic Memories

It's been way too long since I've gone full-on Olympic geek on this here blog. So it's about time I get around to changing that! The timing's kind of funny, since I'm sure everyone else linking up with Fan Friday will be talking about football... but variety is the spice of life, amirite?

Earlier this week, the Twitter account for the potential Boston 2024 Olympic bid tweeted asking about everyone's favorite Olympic memories. Well, their first tweet on the subject actually said "moment," not "memory," so obviously my answer was the Miracle on Ice. And let's be real, the Miracle on Ice is never the wrong answer, to any question in any situation. But when Boston 2024 started asking about memories instead of moments, it got me thinking. What ARE my favorite Olympic memories? I certainly have a ton of them. So I thought it'd be fun to go through each Games that I remember and pick my favorite from each one. :)

The ladies' figure skating long program was on the night of my 11th birthday. When I was a kid I was the BIGGEST figure skating nut, so my cousin Molly slept over and we stayed up late to watch it. Because of the Utah/New York time difference, the final programs weren't on until close to midnight (which was a big deal to a couple of fifth graders!). Sarah Hughes was my girl -- she was from Long Island just like me! -- and Molly and I got so intense rooting for her. She was fourth going into the long program, absolutely knocked her skate out of the park, and we were absolutely dying as the rest of the skaters performed. When she won, we shrieked and jumped around and threw our pillows in jubilation. (I know, we were ridiculous. And adorable. And it was awesome.)

I have surprisingly sketchy memories from Athens. I think I was actually on my first-ever trip to London, which might explain why my recollections are fuzzy and/or nonexistent! I do, however, remember when the Olympic flame was put out during the closing ceremony. The cauldron was on top of the stadium, and a little girl on the ground blew it out as if it was a candle on a birthday cake. I'm not sure why that stuck with me, but it's still one of my favorite closing moments!

Yet another Games I have precious few memories of. Man, where was my brain? This was when I first fell in love with my man Apolo Ohno, and discovered Shaun White (il Pomodoro Volante, the Flying Tomato!)... and I know I watched the U.S. men's curling team win bronze, and was utterly perplexed by Johnny Weir, and was thrilled about Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto... but I don't have that one standout moment. Let's pretend I remember watching Apolo's perfect race, shall we? I know exactly how it would've gone, too: screaming my throat raw, digging my fingernails into my face, you know the drill.

I spent most of these Games in Italy (with Molly, again! Are we noticing a pattern here?), so I watched very little of it. However, I'll never forget watching the opening ceremony with my mom. I wasn't really sure what to expect from it, but within about 15 seconds we'd fallen completely silent and were just flat-out dumbstruck. We seriously didn't say a word, and just sat there in slack-jawed awe for the entire first segment. I still don't have words for it. I think we glanced at each other during the first commercial break and had a "hahaha, okay, holy crap?" moment.

I have so many phenomenal memories from Vancouver, because it was the only Games I got to watch while I was at college. So I literally watched Olympic coverage all day, every day, and did so surrounded by some amazing people. I could make a whole list just from Vancouver memories, but my favorite is a no-contest: the men's hockey gold medal game. I watched in a friend's dorm room with a group of people. It was freshman year, and in freshman dorms all doors are open at all times, so you could hear all the TVs on the floor were playing the game as well, each a second or two off from each other. My friends and I were yelling at the TV the entire game, on the edge of our seats, watching the clock tick down to a U.S. loss... until, at the last possible second, we heard frantic yelling and cheering from down the hall. A split second later, our TV caught up, and we watched Zach Parise score the tying goal. So we were screaming and celebrating, and suddenly some guys from the room next door stampeded in to see what happened -- their TV was even more delayed than ours was! They were so anxious to see the goal that they ended up completely missing it! It was the craziest celebratory moment, coupled with the hilarity of dorm life, and I'll honestly never forget it. :)

I had spent four months as a London 2012 Ceremonies volunteer from February-June, so by the time July 27th rolled around I was jumping out of my skin with excitement. I avoided all social media on opening ceremony day to avoid "spoilers" before it aired in primetime... even though I literally knew the entire ceremony from all the rehearsals I'd gone to. I spent the whole ceremony wrapped in a blanket on my couch, fighting back tears. I was a part of this ceremony. It was being run by people I knew and loved. I'd watched those performances come together, been there when those groups convened for the very first time and learned those first beats of choreography. This was quite possibly the coolest experience of my life. (And it didn't hurt that earlier in the day, a fellow volunteer sent me a picture of my name in the program!)

Due to the time difference and my craaaazy work hours because of it (ah, the perks of working for the USOC during Games time!), I watched copious amounts of coverage during Sochi but did it all alone. While my friends went about their normal lives in the land of the living, I was peeling myself from my bed at 3 a.m. and gluing myself to the TV hours before the sun even thought about rising. And honestly? It was the coolest thing ever. I'll never forget watching the USA vs. Russia men's hockey game (two words: T.J. Oshie!), but I'm pretty sure my favorite has to be when Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the first ice dancing gold medal for the U.S. My heart was racing, I was sweating like crazy... I was literally a nervous wreck. And then they won, and I cried. (LISTEN, Sochi was a long, emotional two weeks!)

Wow, I just noticed that all of my favorite summer Olympic memories are from the ceremonies, and all of my winter Olympic memories are from competition. Whoops? I foresee that changing in Rio 2016, though. I'm preparing myself to be seriously emotionally compromised by volleyball and expecting our teams to bring home a gold medal or two (or three? or four?)! ;)

It's kind of cool to look back at my life and notice all these Olympic road marks. But that, really, is another post entirely!

Zero Regrets

YOU GUYS. I met Apolo Ohno last week!

I feel like I probably should've maintained some sense of mystery or suspense and NOT just blurted that out right off the bat. But here's the kicker with this story; it's actually not all that much of a story. Remember how I wrote about a million words the last time I did something like this, when I met Jim Craig and Buzz Schneider? How I planned that encounter for months, paid a lot of money, and watched the whole thing go to hell only to ultimately work out really awesomely? Well, this experience was the exact opposite. (Except it also worked out really awesomely!)

Last Wednesday, I was doing my usual thing on social media when I saw this:

I’ll be in #Boulder this week! Come 2 the @NewtonRunningLab 4 a meet & greet w/me this Thursday from 12-1pm! #HelloBetter
— Apolo Anton Ohno (@ApoloOhno) July 30, 2014

After doing a brief happy dance that Colorado was once again proving itself useful (the first time being when Kerri Walsh Jennings stopped by the Springs, and the second when I went to Vail for Mark Johnson reasons), I hit up Google maps to see how feasible this trip would be. Turns out that Boulder is about an hour and a half, hour and 45 minutes away from Colorado Springs.

So I hesitated. That's kind of far to drive for a quick afternoon, especially by myself, especially on less than 24-hour notice, and especially in a car thats radiator is cracked and could blow whenever it so chooses. And besides, at this point it had been raining for a solid two days -- would the roads be flooded?

But within about five minutes, I realized that I had no idea when or if I'd get another chance to meet Apolo, and that I'd regret it forever if I decided not to go. So I decided to go.

I made sure I was on the road bright and early the next morning -- or, well, it would've been bright if it hadn't been raining -- because I was prepared for the absolute worst. I mean, seriously, after getting my phone stolen and then getting lost for an hour in New Jersey in my pursuit of Buzz Schneider, I was leaving absolutely nothing to chance. I was prepared to get lost, to get a flat tire, to be unable to drive through flooded roads... hell, I half expected Buzz (the car) to blow up.

...But the sun broke through the clouds within fifteen minutes, and the drive was absolute smooth sailing. Buzz did not blow up. The roads were perfectly dry (though holy construction zones, Batman!). I did not get lost, and didn't even have to drive around in circles to look for parking once I arrived; there was a parking garage about one block down the road, and parking was FREE! And I got there a flawless 20 minutes early. It was honestly the complete antithesis of what I expected.

There was a fairly small line of people when I got there, and they were all clutching copies of Apolo's book or old newspaper clippings for him to sign. I felt distinctly awkward at my lack of things, and thought longingly of my copy of his book and my extensive Vancouver 2010 magazine collection, all at home in New York. Alas.

They set up a table in the corner of the store, and then Apolo was led out -- quietly, casually, with no fanfare -- and the line started moving. He'd spend a little time chatting with everyone, sign the photos the store was providing and anything else anyone wanted him to, and pose for pictures.

I thought briefly of getting a selfie with him (how awesome would that've been?!), but ultimately asked the dude in line behind me if he'd take a picture for me. Going to meet-and-greets alone is kind of a struggle when there's no official photographer! So thank you, kind stranger!

I'd decided to wear my Sochi U.S. Olympic Team shirt that day, for fairly obvious reasons, and as soon as it was my turn to approach the table, Apolo took one look at me and said, "I like your shirt! That is awesome." (I knew wearing that shirt was a good idea! Victorious!)

Then he asked for my name, for autograph purposes, and I gave my usual spiel. "Darci, with an -i, not a -y."

"Okay, so D-A-R..."

"Yep, D-A-R-C-I."

This happens just about any time anyone writes my name, ever. So as he was signing his name, I said, "So I commiserate with your 'Apolo with one L' struggle."

He laughed. "Ohhh yeah!"

As he came around the table and take a picture with me, I handed my phone to my temporary photographer and said to Apolo, "Just so you know, it was on my bucket list to meet you, so this is very exciting."

He chuckled and said, "Well, you just got it! You got that check!"

And THEN we took a picture together!

I shook his hand and thanked him, grabbed my autograph, and skipped out of there. I was still half expecting something to go atrociously wrong, so you best believe I was all about quitting while I was ahead. So I left, and texted my mom something incredibly eloquent (I think my exact words were "YEEEEEEEE!").

There was a little sandwich place and a lovely courtyard right across the street, so I grabbed some lunch over there and ate outside, because instead of 60 degrees and raining it was about 80 degrees and sunny. That was a pleasant surprise! And instead of getting my phone stolen, I had a nice chat with the very friendly guy who took my sandwich order. I tell ya, I adore New York, but sometimes Colorado just does things better.

But that was not the end of my day! Since I was already in Boulder, I decided to swing by the Celestial Tea Factory and check the final item off of my old Colorado bucket list! I'd been wanting to go there for almost literally a year, but Boulder is (like I said) kind of a drive. But meeting Apolo had given me an excuse to go to the tea factory, and the tea factory had given me an excuse to meet Apolo, so it was just a total winner of a situation.

The Celestial Tea Factory was probably about a five-minute drive from where I was in town, and it's reeeeeally on the outskirts of everything. Tours of the factory are free, and when you walk in and get signed up, they give you a little ceramic mug for sampling and a single teabag as your tour ticket! My tour was the Sleepytime decaf tour. It was adorable.

They had probably about 10 or 12 different types of tea you could sample while you waited for your tour to start -- and obviously, I tried all of them. The tour itself takes you right onto the factory floor, which was so cool! You actually get to see the teas getting packaged on the assembly line, and go into the various rooms where they keep the different ingredients. The peppermint room is a game changer, man. Wow. Talk about clearing the sinuses.

The tour doesn't allow photography, though, so you'll just have to take my word for how neat it was. The lack of photography is actually kind of a blessing, because they make everyone wear hairnets. That is a look I decidedly chose not to immortalize in a selfie, thank you very much.

Unsurprisingly, the tour finishes up in the gift shop, where I unsurprisingly bought myself an absolutely beautiful mug and some cold-brew peach tea. And then I decided to also get a dainty four-leaf clover necklace too because, what the heck, everything else that day had been free! #treatyoself

And then I headed home. There was traffic, but all that did was let me take a quick picture of the scenery! Nothing got stolen, I didn't get lost, and it barely even rained. I'm still kind of shocked.

I'd call this day a success.

Blogtober Day 25: Apolo Ohno

It's the laaaast Friday of Blogtober! WOO! I gotta say, this whole blog-every-day thing, as fun as it is, is a serious time suck and it's getting kind of exhausting. I really don't know how some bloggers do this month after month after month. My hat is off to all of you that do.

Luckily, though, I saved this particular post for close to the end to motivate myself through the final push. So here. we. go.

Can we talk about the amount of angst this guy put me through during his races? I'm talking digging my fingernails into my face and screaming myself hoarse. It's a rough life being emotionally invested in a short track skater.

Speaking of a rough life (I didn't even do that on purpose; accidental perfect transition for the win!), Apolo overcame a lot to get to where he is. He was raised by a single father and fell into a group of super shady older kids when he was young. Apolo credits sports with saving him from going down a really bad path, though he did kind of fight it kicking and screaming in the beginning.

He became the youngest U.S. national champion ever, at age 14, in 1997 and went on to hold the title from 2001-2009, winning it 12 times. In 1999 he became the youngest skater to win a World Cup event title, and he became the first American to win a World Cup overall title in 2001, and won again in 2003 and 2005. He won his first overall World Championship title at the in 2008. He has 21 World Championship medals in total.

And then, of course, there's the Olympics. Apolo made his debut in 2002, winning a gold and a silver and my heart amidst a decent amount of controversy (which kind of became a theme with him -- so even MORE angst and heart palpitations!). In 2006, he won two bronzes and a gold, but not just any gold. THE gold. The Perfect Race (watch that video and take a moment to bask in the utter flawlessness). In 2010, his final Olympics, he took home two more bronzes and a silver for eight Olympic medals total.

 Those eight medals make Apolo the most decorated American winter Olympian of all time. (He also happened to win that record-breaking medal at night on Feb. 20... but on the east coast, it was the wee hours of Feb. 21. So basically, Apolo made history on my birthday. BOOM.)

But what I really love about Apolo is how he never lost his good sportsmanship, he never stopped working his tail off, and he never complained about crashes or losses or disqualifications. When you read his book, you know that this is a guy that gets it. He doesn't want to win for the sake of winning; he wants to have earned it. He knows that the Olympics are more significant than just a sporting event, which is something I may agree with. But just a little bit (she says as she continues to write her Olympics blog...).

So, while I'm really sad that he's now retired, I am kind of glad that I won't have to watch him race around at a gazillion miles an hour with five other guys all with knives strapped to their feet. But thanks to him, I now get to stress out about the next generation of short trackers, and I'll enjoy every second of it. :)

To The Dads

Olympians and their moms have kind of become A Thing. Michael Phelps' mom is almost as famous as he is nowadays, and then there's this commercial.

*pauses to wipe away tears*

But what about the dads?

My dad and I. Both in our Miami sweatshirts, obviously. :)

I'm not an Olympian, but when I played soccer, my dad was driving me to practice every week and watching all my games, just like my mom was. And he's all ready for the summer to end so he can come to Colorado, pack all my stuff into Buzz and road trip back to New York with me. (If, of course, Buzz is up to the task at that point.)

This morning in the dining hall, ESPN was on one of the TVs, and there was a countdown of the best father-son moments in sports. As a daughter, I'm affronted (kidding), but it did sort of get me thinking about Olympic dads.

The moment that was number one on the ESPN countdown was actually an Olympic moment; Derek Redmond and his father. Words don't do it justice, so here's another commercial that'll give your goosebumps goosebumps.

Then, of course, there's my car's namesake. :) Buzz Schneider won a gold medal with the Miracle on Ice hockey team, scoring five goals in the Olympic tournament. Twenty-four years later, a movie about that team premiered with Billy Schneider starring as his dad.

This is actually one of my favorite things in the world. 

We also can't forget about the Gary Halls! Gary Sr. swam at Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976, winning two silvers and a bronze. Gary Jr. swam in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004, winning five golds, three silvers and two bronzes. They're the first father/son pair to each make three Olympic appearances. When I interviewed Gary Sr. back in 2010, he told me that he's prouder of his son's accomplishments than he is of any of his own.

Apolo Ohno is, without a doubt, the most famously motherless athlete. He was raised by his dad after his mom left when he was a baby, and isn't shy about talking about how little it affected his life. He has no desire to find her. And he's always saying how wonderful is dad was and is, and how Papa Ohno is the only person he needs in his corner.

And if you think I'm going to neglect to mention what's probably the most famous father-related moment in American Olympic history, you're very much mistaken! Jim Craig had just won the gold medal and, instead of celebrating with his teammates, skated away to find his dad in the stands. If seeing him searching the crowd and asking, "Where's my father?" doesn't tug on your heartstrings, you have no soul.

Oddly enough, ESPN's countdown might've been onto something -- why are there no father/daughter moments on this list? Hmm. I think I need to do some research into this. But, just for fun, here's Aly Raisman's mom and dad watching her compete.

I wholeheartedly agree with the cackling in the background. :)

Happy Father's Day!

Olympic Things To Look Forward To In 2013

Like I said at the end of my previous post, 2013 is not an Olympic year, and that makes me sad. But then I decided that just wouldn't do! I mean, being sad for an entire year? NOPE! And besides, there are plenty of Olympics things happening in 2013 to get excited about. Here's my list!

1. One year until Sochi 2014: February 7th, 2013.

While, on one hand, Sochi feels like a lifetime away, putting things into perspective is the fact that this countdown was once in quadruple digits. That, my friends, was truly disgusting. So suddenly 365 days sounds like nothing! With the way time is just speeding by, just blink and it'll be here! YAY!

2. 33rd anniversary of the miracle on ice: February 22nd, 2013.

Because we should absolutely be celebrating random anniversaries of this country's greatest Olympic moment ever. If nothing else, it's a great excuse to watch Miracle (psh, as if you need an excuse!).

3. 2020 host city announcement: September 7th, 2013.

Jeez, can you believe we're already thinking ahead to the games in 2020?! Man. I remember when London was selected to host the 2012 games, back in 2005. I went to a NYC 2012 host city support rally on my birthday that year, when I turned FOURTEEN, and I went to London 2012 at age 21. That's literally a third of my lifetime. OH MY GOD! And now we're getting ready to start another one of these massive journeys. Are you ready? I remember where I was when I found out that Rio had won back in 2009, and I watched the announcement of PyeongChang won in 2011. So the battle between Madrid, Tokyo and Istanbul should be another one to file away in the memory bank.

4. Opening and Closing Ceremony rumors: summer 2013?

Are you as excited about this as I am? I mean, I don't want to be completely spoiled so I'll be steering clear of leaks. But for London 2012, those didn't start until rehearsals began in earnest out at Dagenham, and that wasn't until June-ish. There were times while I was a volunteer where my friends would be saying, "OMG so-and-so is apparently definitely performing at closing! Has anyone at Ceremonies told you?!" And I'd go into work and find out that claim was completely unsubstantiated. So in the early stages, rumors are, more often than not, just rumors. Watch out for REAL spoilers starting around November, but rumors should start trickling in during the spring or summer!

5. Official team selections: all year.

While all sports and athletes come together for the Olympics into one team, for the rest of the time they're separate entities with all sorts of World Cup events and team tryouts to pick the best of the best to represent America in Sochi. Some sports like biathlon (the more individual events) don't pick their Olympians until the 2013/2014 competition season, but sports with teams that need to practice together before the Olympics are chosen far earlier. Fun fact: the final hockey teams are named in August.

6. Apolo Ohno's Olympic decision: hopefully sometime before I die.

Okay, guys. This decision has to happen eventually. Apolo has been completely mum on whether or not he's going to compete in Sochi or not since he stepped off the ice in Vancouver. In August he said he's 50/50 about a comeback, and in November he said he'd need three months to just train and a year on the ice if he wanted to return for the Olympics. He regularly Instagrams photos of himself in the gym, but it also sounds like he's indulging in lots of R&R, which ain't his M.O. when he's seriously training. Either way, USA short track Olympic team trials are in September, and then the world cup season begins. We'll definitely know then!

And then, when 2013 ends, Sochi is right around the corner in February. See? 2013 won't be such a drought at all!

My Olympics Bucket List

1. Attend an Opening Ceremony. If nothing else, this one HAS to happen. I think I will be able to die happy if/when it does. It's what I look forward to every two years, more so than the two and a half weeks of competition that follow. I don't care if I get the worst seats in the house and pay hundreds of dollars for them. I AM going to an Opening Ceremony one day.

2. Live to see the Olympics return to America. This is entirely beyond my control, of course. But the last time the Games were on US soil was in 2002. Before that, 1996. And before that, 1984 and 1980. So now it's been ten years, and the USOC just recently announced that they won't bid for the 2022 Games. Now the earliest we can hope for is 2024. I'll be well on my way to my mid-thirties and from where I'm sitting, that seems like a lifetime away. But if that's what we've got to work with, let's make it happen, people!

3. Work for another Olympics. I know I've been pretty focused on working for the USOC, but now that I've volunteered for London 2012, a whole new world has been opened up to me. While I love cheering for Team USA, there's something really great about coming together with a group of people and just rooting for the Olympics. The Italians would be rooting for the Italian team, the Americans for the American team, the Canadians for the Canadian team, and the Brits for Team GB, but when it came down to it we were prouder to wear London 2012 gear. And that was awesome. It'd be an absolute dream to get to travel to another country, live there for a year or so, and be a part of another Games. Hey, it's why I'm starting to teach myself Russian. Sochi 2014 or bust!

4. Work for the USOC. While this dream now has an alternative, it has in no way disappeared. I can't even imagine how proud I'd be to put on a Team USA shirt and know I'm a part of it.

5. Meet one of the figure skaters from back in the day. Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Kurt Browning, Brian Boitano, Michelle Kwan, Sarah Hughes... I'd take any of 'em. I had the typical little girl dream of being an Olympic figure skater, and I watched pro figure skating like there was no tomorrow. That crowd of pros had such a huge role in my life and it'd be amazing to tell them that!

6. Take a picture with Apolo Ohno. Because I really should be in a photo with my future husband before we get married.

Great Olympics Moments Of This Generation

The Olympics have been home to some of the greatest feats in sports history. We've all watched clips, seen photos, and heard stories of the American hockey team beating the Soviets in 1980, Jesse Owens dominating the track and defying Hitler, Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10...

But that's just the thing. Clips, photos, stories. This generation -- my generation -- wasn't around for any of that. We get to watch Miracle and scour YouTube for interviews and, while the Internet is great, it doesn't make up for the lack of firsthand experience.

That's why I want to call some attention to the moments that we have lived through. Whether we watched them happen or not, they occurred in our lifetime (and recently enough to be remembered!) and involved athletes that we watch(ed). Just because I think us youngins need a reminder that the NBA isn't the only place to see some cool tricks! Which brings me (rather appropriately) to...

Shaun White's utter domination at Vancouver 2010. If you're unfamiliar with how snowboarding works, each athlete gets two runs in the half pipe. The whole field takes their first run and then they each go again. Shaun went last and, after the rest of the competitors had competed their second run, already had the gold medal with the score from his first run. Ever the overachiever, however, he decided to take his second run anyway. And scored even higher. So, if it were allowed, this guy would've won the gold AND silver medals. Such a boss!

Any discussion involving gold medals would be amiss without a mention of Michael Phelps. He won eight billion medals in Athens and another eight billion in Beijing, with only two bronzes marring his perfect gold record... if you could say a bronze medal mars anything



In this race, he finishes over two seconds before the silver medalist. That's a bonafide eternity in swimming! And he holds so many world records that I'm running out of fingers to count them on.

How about we now talk about much more of an unsung hero?




Rulon Gardner was a heavyweight wrestler set to take on Alexander Karelin of Russia for the gold medal in Sydney. Karelin is basically the wrestling equivalent of Michael Phelps. The guy hadn't lost a match in over ten years and hadn't even conceded a single point in six years. If you don't know wrestling, the winner is the one with the most points at the end of the match, so that should give you some perspective on how dominant he was. Rulon was obviously not expected to win. But he did, and even had the energy to do some gymnastics after his victory. Holy amazing, Batman!

Steve Bradbury is a story unlike any other. Just watch. This is one story that is NOT done justice by words.



He won his first heat convincingly and got through the quarter-finals on a disqualification. Then he and his coach decided that he wouldn't be able to physically compete with some of the favorites, so he'd stay at the back of the pack; he got through the semi-finals due to a crash of the skaters in front of him, and he won the gold medal because the entire rest of the field wiped out. He looks at his medal as a reward for the ten years and two nearly life-ending injuries he'd endured participating in the sport. And hell, talk about skating smart!

And, because there's no way I could feature a race Apolo Ohno lost and not one that he won...



I'm not even being biased here. That was absolutely, flawlessly perfect.

Finally, I couldn't leave off the fastest man in the world!



These are the moments that the 21-year-old Olympics nerds will be talking about 21 years from now. They're the Dan Jansens, the Dorothy Hamills, the FloJos, the Mark Spitzes of our time. So take note and be proud, because one day you'll be able to say you were there, and you were watching.

What moments would YOU have included on this list?

Just Call Him Mr. 25/8

Question: which winter Olympic sport is your favorite to watch?

I don’t think I could possibly answer this question. I love figure skating, and have since I can remember. Hockey is always exciting, as is curling, in an entirely different way. Snowboarding is always a nail-biter, and let’s not even talk about skeleton, bobsledding, and luge! Even cross-country skiing and the biathlon have their own appeal.

Then there’s short track.

Honestly, I think it’s in a category all its own. It has the speed and grace of long track speed skating, plus the added element of something along the lines of roller derby. I mean, think about it: around five skaters, on a track that’s only the size of a hockey rink, sprinting at speeds up to 35 mph, with razor sharp, 18-inch blades strapped to their feet. Every time I watch a race, I’m convinced that one of them is going to die. They never do, of course, but crashes are a fairly normal occurrence. And during every crash, I’m convinced that one skater’s blade is going to end up in another skater’s thigh. But it’s “just a part of the sport.” It makes you wonder how any one person can stay on top for any amount of time. But some of these guys can, and do. Just ask Apolo Ohno!


Truth.

Okay, I’ll be honest; Apolo is a huge part of the reason I started having any interest in short track. The man is gorgeous, and super adorable to boot. Ask Vh1 and they’ll tell you he’s “undateable,” since he rocks both a bandana AND a soul patch. But this is the network that airs such shows as Flavor of Love, Rock of Love, Daisy of Love, etc. And seriously… just look at him.



;)

And he tweeted me once! Best day ever!



Let me tell you – this was the hardest I’ve ever fangirled in my life. (He wished me goodnight! APOLO OHNO! Wished ME goodnight! :D)

But having a vested interest in an athlete in such a crazy intense sport is not for the faint of heart. Apolo’s strategy is to spend most of the race in the middle of the pack, and then take the lead at the end. It makes total sense, what with less wind resistance and everything. But as a fan? “Okay, he’s in third, but it’s okay, it’s a long race! Third, third, third, CRAP! FOURTH?! WHAT THE HELL, THAT SHOULD BE CALLED A FOUL! ARE YOU BLIND, REF?! Back to third, second, second, second, OH MY GOD THERE’S TWO LAPS LEFT, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, APOLO?! Second, second, first! YAY! WIN! Now take me to the emergency room for my heart palpitations, please.”

Rinse and repeat, for every single heat he competes in for every single race. Let me tell you, it’s high stress. But it’s so worth it! Eight medals? Check!



So anyway, when I heard he wrote a book, I knew I had to have it. It was my final Chanukah present this year, and I started reading it a few days ago. Why’d I wait so long? No idea.

It started off kind of slow. I mean, it was really interesting to read about how one of my favorite athletes grew up. Wait, you were friends with high schoolers when you were HOW young? They stole WHAT? They had WHAT in that bag? …It’s pretty amazing to see what kind of transformation he made in just a few years. But I still just read about a chapter a day. I wasn’t really hooked until he got to the Olympics.

That’s when things got really good! Not only did he talk about how he trained, both physically and mentally (which, by the way, holy crap!), but he described his thoughts during each second of a lot of his races. Races that I remember watching, on the edge of my seat, heart in my throat, screaming at the TV. It’s a really weird sensation, experiencing one of your memories from inside someone else’s head. Weird in a really, REALLY cool way! At moments when I’d be thinking “oh my god, he’s gonna lose, he’s not in control at all!” he was thinking about how his strategy was working perfectly, what kind of pass he’d be making next, and how easy that win was. Oh, to be an elite athlete.

Beyond that, he talks about his training. Like I said before, HOLY CRAP. For months before Vancouver, all he would do was skate, work out, and review skating tapes. All he would eat was hard boiled eggs, salmon, some vegetables, and an oatmeal mix. Oh, and a bowl of pasta on his “high-calorie” day. It’s insanity. The man deserves a gold medal just for that, let alone his racing!

I was surprised by how affected I was by this book. I’m not really sure why; listen to Apolo speak once and you know he has some great stuff to say. But this is the first time I’ve ever felt compelled to dog-ear pages of a book. The following are all passages I felt the need to bookmark.

~~~~~~

“For seemingly everybody, at least for this one night [during the opening ceremony], no matter who we are or where we’re from, whether in the stadium or watching on television in the farthest reaches of the globe, we all allow ourselves to share in the hope that our world can be a more peaceful, gentler place.”

--This. Exactly this. This is why I love the Olympics so much. You see the French team waving double-sided flags, one side French, one side American, at the 2002 Olympics in honor of 9/11, you see a stadium-wide moment of silence for the Georgian luger that was killed in Vancouver, and you can’t help but truly believe that there is good in the world.

~~~~~~

“[Steve Bradbury’s] strategy here in Salt Lake had been – in a word – unique. He would deliberately lag behind, way behind, the main pack. If you were being generous, you might call it a safe distance. You might also call it 20 to 30 meters. Then he would wait for everyone else to fall down. It seemed almost laughable.

In the quarterfinals, two guys ahead of him fell. Steve advanced.

In the semifinals, two guys ahead of him fell and another was disqualified. Steve advanced.

…

As we rounded the final corner, Jiajun tried to pass on the outside. He was trying to go over the top. He grabbed at my shoulder.

At that exact instant, Hyun-Soo tried to move up on the inside. He was small—but not that small.

There simply wasn’t any room there.

Around the curve, after grabbing at me, Jiajun lost his balance and went spinning out, into the pads.

Even as Jiajun was flying out of the race, Hyun-Soo lost his balance. Because there was no room, he had nowhere to go but down, and down he went, out of control, taking out both Mathieu and me.

The force threw me onto my back and sent me into a full 360-degree spin. It slammed me into the boards. My head bounced off the padding. I could feel the wind at my fingers, and the next thing I knew, I was in the boards.

Everybody in the race but Steve was down.

Be ready for anything. Never, ever take a race for granted until you’re over the line. Finish. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a daze. It doesn’t matter how quick everything is happening all around you, no matter how crazed. What happens to you is up to you. Finish.

I got up, onto my right skate. I turned toward the line as Steve, his arms at his sides, sauntered by. He coasted across the line, the winner. Your gold medalist.

…the phrase ‘do a Bradbury’ has become part of the Aussie vocabulary. It means to achieve something against all reasonable odds.

…

I threw a bag of ice onto my leg and dropped into a wheelchair. After all, I had to get to a ceremony. I had a silver medal to collect, and I was thrilled about that.

It was, after all, the best race of my life.

I didn’t lose gold.

I won silver.”

--In short track, as in life, sometimes things can turn into a crazy mess at the drop of a dime. And THAT is the attitude I desperately wish I had. So, my new New Year’s resolution: I didn’t lose gold, I won silver.

~~~~~~~~

“The entire Olympic experience, the Olympic dream, the fact of being an Olympian—all of that was now in my blood, in my eyes, in everything about me. I felt the power of the Olympic spirit. And I wanted to train as if I had nothing, as if I’d had no success. It’s why I put my medals in my sock drawer instead of on display. I wanted to act as if I had done nothing, won nothing, yet.

For me, it was now four years to the next Winter Games, in Torino, Italy, in 2006. Four years to train for—as an example—40 seconds in the 500.

If it were just about a medal, that was bad math. It was very good math, though, if the equation, were framed differently. For those 40 seconds, I might have the chance to be all I could be.”

~~~~~~~

“A coach would say, “Great race!”

And I would come back with something like this: “No, I need to do more.”

I have to accept that I am forever striving for perfect. It’s part of me to my core. But I also accept now that nothing is perfect. And it doesn’t need to be perfect. That doesn’t need to detract in any way, shape, or form from whatever it is I’m pursuing.

My personal best is good enough, as long as I give it everything I’ve got.

It’s too intense and too unforgiving a life if you live trying to be a perfectionist. Perfect is, in a very real sense, unattainable. It’s a little like being on a perpetual StairMaster—the thing never shuts off, the stairs piling down and down, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, but never, ever off.

Sometimes you’ve got to get off the machine, hold the rails, look around, and appreciate all the stairs you’ve already climbed.”

~~~~~~~~~

“There’s a sense of purity that we don’t see as often anymore, a glimpse into a life that is dedicated, with a central purpose—and that is to love a particular sport and to compete within it.

The Olympic Games were my spark—to come to the Games prepared, to represent my country the best I could. And every single time I have been treated so well by the Olympic Games. They have given me so much insight and I have been blessed and lucky enough to be my best. To go out there and give my all, that’s all I ask for. Whether I’m disqualified, or I come first, second or third, it’s not really up to me. I carry my struggle further.

At an Olympics, we come together on one stage. We come together to compete in fair play and with goodwill.

You see people from countries all over the world in one place, together—a unity of ethnicities and languages. It’s what we look for. It’s what we all really want. It’s what we want to see.

And it really is cool.”