Tuesday, August 16, 2016. Olympic stories don't start with "I went to bed early."

The end is nearing and everything is winding down. Everyone could feel it. Everyone is able to take a couple deep breaths and maybe get more sleep, making the atmosphere feel like a little lighter. Despite it always being fun at work as we have a great group here, people were still running around way more stressed at the beginning when all the athletes are here (except for the people here in charge of travel and all the departures who are in full swing). More and more athletes are finishing their Olympics, and headed home. A good amount of them don’t stay through the Closing Ceremonies.

One team still practicing here: the basketball team. I helped with media once again, and was more than happy to. I'm always eager to step in, and really have kept such a positive attitude here the entire time. I really think it's because I've had such an incredible group of people to work with, honestly. I have to tell my one story of the day (and Tony already knows it). One of the basketball guys on Team USA talked to me a couple times, at a couple different places around our work, after their practice. He did ask me my name, and then he did tell me his name (and silently, I was like, duh I know your name). The whole thing was just cool because here was this big name basketball star asking me my name and telling me his. Like I've said before: I am soooo in awe of these people, and yet, they are still just people, like us. Just saying hi. 

I still hadn’t made it to many events. It’s just hard to get around here and it takes so much time out of our days to do so. You almost feel guilty if you are out of the office and going to an event, even if things are slower. You don’t want that appearance of just “playing” when everyone else stays and works all day. You want to be available and help out at any moment. But, the problem is, people aren’t needing as much help here. And we’ve been relatively low key, with few issues coming up. Every day we knock on wood that there isn’t a huge CAS case arising, and let out that breath at the end of the day when there’s not. But still, you feel like you have to be there at work every hour since everyone else is and you don’t want to let down your team or not pull your weight. We are here to work, not to play. Even if there is the time. I know that is just my feeling, but I have to tell it as it is. I feel pressured to work all the time. However, I know that reality is otherwise and no one judges people for taking time off here and there, and rather, they encourage it. 

So, when an email came through today about free tickets to the Beach Volleyball games (with Brazil women and Brazil men teams playing) at 4pm and 5pm respectively, I hesitated to jump at the opportunity. No one else from the office was jumping to go—I was the only person asking around about it. However, I talked to my boss Gary (who feels the same way as I do here about feeling like you have to be present or else people will think you are slacking), and he told me to definitely go. It was at least a very easy venue for me to get to, just a mile and a half from our hotel. Even though a US team wasn’t playing in those matches, it was Brazil teams playing in Brazil! I heard the crowds would be going wild for that and I wanted to be a part of the crowd. I had to go and jump at the opportunity when it came up.

I was more than happy to go myself, and felt completely safe doing so. And the tickets were USOC tickets, so I know I would be sitting with people that I’d either know, or are a part of our crew in some way. But, my old boss John (who is the head of beach volleyball) decided to sit with me as well! It turned out to be the perfect situation, so I headed into the beautiful stadium, excited to be a spectator.

Watching Beach Volleyball in that stadium just feels like the Olympics. 12,000 fans, cheering so loudly that the stands vibrate. Today was filled with Brazilians to cheer on their home teams, favorites in these events. The first match was Brazil women vs. Germany women. Brazil were favored. However, all the US people near me were cheering for Germany, for the upset. This is because if Germany won, they felt like if the US team made the next round, Germany would be easier to beat than the Brazilians (note: the US wouldn't make it to that next round). I felt guilty cheering for the Germans while in Brazil, so I just clapped at every good play regardless of what team. The Brazil team ended up losing the first two sets, and you could feel the disappointment in the stands. However, the Brazil men’s team was up next, so the optimism didn’t run out.

The men’s match against the Netherlands was intense to say the least. Brazil won the first match and the crowd was going wild. On the second set, Brazil held the lead for a good part of it, but the score flip-flopped throughout. The first team to get to 21, and winning by at least 2 points, wins. The Brazil team was at set-point in the second set, and everyone in the stadiums were up on their feet and cheering. Then, then Dutch pulled close enough so that the Brazil wouldn’t win by two, so the set kept on going. The Dutch would get to set-point, then Brazil and so forth. Unfortunately, the Dutch pulled ahead and took the “W.” Third set coming up, with the sets tied 1-1. The winner of the next set would go on to the Gold Medal match. Everything was on the line. Neither team felt like they had an advantage going in; it was a clean slate. The third set only goes to 15 points, but the team still has to win by two. Once again, the game stayed close with each team going back and forth taking the lead. Once again, Brazil got to 15 first and was at match-point, but weren’t winning by two points so it had to continue on. It went back and forth, neither team able to pull it off for a few points. Everyone was holding their breath in anticipation. And then… it happened. What the Brazilians were hoping for. Victory! Their men pulled it off and were headed to the Gold medal match and the Brazilians were cheering for their home town team! It was fun being included in that celebration, and feeling the excitement run though. I was beyond happy that I had gone!

I went immediately back to my hotel to get ready to meet a few people for our night out at the USA House. My friend Ryan was going to come meet up, but unfortunately he got sick. That’s how it is in foreign countries—many bugs and travel sicknesses go around. Fortunately, I hadn’t had anything so far happen to me. I had already arranged for many other friends to go that night, so I couldn’t just cancel. Re-scheduling things down here when everyone has crazy schedules just gets difficult and you can’t count on it. I had to. It was also “beach theme” night, and the place was just packed! Completely different than when I went on opening ceremony night which was extremely quiet. I talked with friends and ate dinner and had a caipirinha and enjoyed company. We stayed late to watch the NBC feed of the women’s gymnastic individual floor competition. The one thing about the Games—you don’t even get to watch the Games on TV really. We don’t get the NGB English-speaking, highlight-reel broadcast here. When we get home, the TV has some live streaming of events (but not much, since many are already completed), but everything is in Portuguese. Swimming and Track and Field are fun to have in the background, but it just isn’t the same. We don’t get the diving and the gymnastics and all the other sports that are during the day. I have missed out on a lot of them. I just keep up with all the USOC “breaking news” emails we are inundated with. Thus, I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

It was another late night, but as many people remind us at the Games, no good story starts with “I went to bed early.”

 Women's Brazil vs. Germany Beach Volleyball Game

Beach Volleyball Stadium

Me and my old boss John watching Beach Volleyball 

Brazil vs. Netherlands Beach Volleyball Match

And again

Bronze medalist sailer giving an Order of Ikkos award (we let all athletes who win a medal give an honorary medal to someone of their choice who has helped them in their journey)

Me with Jayme and Emily (my good friends from work... and in life) at USA House

Signature wall at USA House