Citius, Altius, Fortius

I have accomplished and experienced many, many wonderful things in my life. But I can count on one hand the moments in my life that have really changed me as a person. One of those experiences was volunteering for the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics. I am not sure I can even articulate how much this experience meant to me. I worked very hard to be a part of it for one...12 months of training, language tests, background checks... all while working and going to school full time. I worked before, during, and after the Olympics for a total of about 23-25 days of volunteer work. I even spent the night in an Olympic vehicle in a parking lot so that I would make sure to be awake in time to drive a double gold medalist to the airport on time. As a side note, you really can accomplish hard things if you have the drive to do it, no matter what your circumstances.

Maybe it was because these Olympics were just months after 9/11 or maybe it's just the Olympic spirit in general (I suspect it was both), but these games were blessed. I know they were. I could feel it all around me every day, with every interaction.

The City of Salt Lake has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of the games this month, and it has given me a moment to reflect on what was in every aspect a beautiful and deeply fulfilling experience for me.

I thought I would share some photos from 10 years ago (again with the scanner), and some from a few days ago as my small tribute.

"The Olympic symbol, better known as the Olympic rings, consists of five intertwined rings and represents the unity of the five inhabited continents (America, Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe). The colored version of the rings—blue, yellow, black, green, and red—over a white field forms the Olympic flag. These colors were chosen because every nation had at least one of them on its national flag. The flag was adopted in 1914 but flown for the first time only at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. It has since been hoisted during each celebration of the Games." ~ Wikipedia

My almost all access pass.


My pass to the Closing ceremonies. I was an athlete escort.

A lot of the tall buildings in SLC had these incredible banners draped over them with different images of Olympic athleticism.

The flame.

The Olympic Athlete Village Avenue of flags.

My spotlight in the Volunteer newsletter. You probably have to double click to be able to read it. There was also a spotlight of me in the Swiss Olympic committee newsletter, but the picture is hideous so I can't share it here. You will have to come to Utah to visit me to be able to see it.

There I am posing in front of the Swiss House (each team establishes a few restaurants/meeting spots around the area where their people can congregate) in my lovely Norwegian SLC 2002 Olympics sweater.

My boy Simon Ammann, double gold medal winner in the Ski Jumping events. Lovely, lovely young man. I got to drive him around to all of his press conferences. He even gave me flowers.

The letter Mitt Romney sent to all of the Volunteers after 9/11. Not one person quit their volunteer spot after 9/11.

Speaking of Mitt Romney, here is a very blurry picture of him speaking to the crowd last week at the Stars on Ice tribute to the SLC Olympics. Say what you will, but this man is very likely to be the next GOP nominee for president, so that he took precious time off during his campaign to come to SLC for this occasion, was very much appreciated. I have met him, and I can say with authority he is a very nice man. And no matter what anyone has said in the news about his Olympics time, he absolutely saved the SLC Olympics, which were the first Olympics games to actually make money in decades and decades. Also, the Winter Olympics that almost everyone who would know, says is the best they have ever been to. So kudos to Mitt for that.

This is me trying to photo bomb former Governor Mike Leavitt. (wearing my uniform jacket)

Finally shaking hands.

The mascots amuse me; look at the expression on the rabbits face. So silly.

I love this quote by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics.

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

I think that is a good motto to follow in life as well.