2022 Winter Olympics

The 2022 Winter Olympics are almost over.  It's hard to believe that they've flown by so quickly!  Eliot and I have been so busy that I haven't had time to write about them until now.  However, being busy hasn't stopped us from watching as much as possible! 

Photo Source

Honestly, I missed the first few days of the games because we were so busy that I forgot that they had already started.  I also don't think I was as excited about them as I usually am because we just did this last summer.  I think Eliot and I finally turned on the television by Day 3 and from there we were completely drawn in.  The Winter Olympics have basically been the background noise at our house for the past two weeks.  No matter what sport is on, I can't help but get sucked in.

Photo Source

Eliot and I have watched snowboarding, skiing, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, bobsledding, freestyle skiing, biathlon, hockey, curling and alpine skiing.  I think we caught most of them over the two weeks.  We've been bouncing back and forth between NBC Primetime coverage and the all day coverage over on USA, so I don't think there was too much that we missed!

Photo Source

There have been so many wonderful moments that Eliot and I have witnessed during the 2022 Winter Olympics.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Eliot and I watched the US win it's first gold medal of these Olympics when Lindsey Jacobellis won the snowboard cross event.  I don't remember watching this event before, and it was really stressful, but I was so proud of how she fought and earned that medal.  It was also inspiring to see someone almost my age win a gold.  People talk as if 36 is old... way to show them that "old" can still win gold Lindsey!

Photo Source

Speaking of old winning gold... a few days later, we also watched as Lindsey Jacobellis and Nick Baumgartner won gold in the mixed snowboard cross event.  We didn't see Nick's run in the individual event, but it's clear that he was really upset afterwards.  I was so happy for him when Lindsey brought it home during that last stretch.  (I think I held my breath!)  It was such a moment of pure joy for both of them.  And since Nick is 40, their combined age is 76... proving again that age is just a number!

Photo Source

I think the most emotional I was during these games was watching Shaun White in his last Olympics.  I've watched him forever and seeing how emotional he was about it just crushed me.  Eliot and I were both shocked when he crashed on his last run.  (I think the entire US muttered a collective "ugh" at the same time.)  But it was what happened after that made me teary eyed.  He took off his helmet and slid down the rest of the way holding it up as a salute to everyone watching.  You could hear the cheer of the entire crowd.  Then the way his competitors, pretty much kids who grew up idolizing him, all took turns embracing him was a powerful statement.  It was his interview that finally broke me down.  The entire event and sendoff was really touching considering how much he's grown the sport and made it what it is today.

Photo Source

There were also moments of triumph in new sports.  I really enjoyed watching Kallie Humpheries & Elana Meyers Taylor finish in gold and silver in the first ever monobob event.  I've never really paid that much attention to the bobsledding events, but I enjoyed learning more about both women's stories and what it took for them to get where they are.  I'm so proud to have them represent the USA!

Photo Source

One of the events that Eliot and I were looking most forward to was women's ice hockey.  We watched at least one of the men's games, but we tried to watch most of the women's games.  Of course, it came down to USA vs Canada for the gold medal match.  In the end, the US took the silver, but our ladies fought for it until the very end.

Photo Source

I could write an entire post about the figure skating.  It's always my favorite winter sport to watch, similarly to how gymnastics is my favorite summer sport to watch.  I always make sure to watch as much of it as I can.  Unfortunately, due to my tuning into the games late, I missed watching the US win silver in the team event.  But after that, I made sure not to miss any of the other events!

Photo Source

We enjoyed watching Nathan Chen nail his routine and win gold in the men's event!  I love how he skated to Elton John's "Rocket Man" and Elton tweeted about it!  I was so devastated for him after the 2018 Winter Games; I'm glad he's got his gold medal now!

Photo Source

I was happy Jason Brown went back to the Olympics.  He's not out there nailing quads like some of the other guys, but I love how artistic and beautiful his programs are!

Photo Source

Eliot and I really enjoyed watching the ice dance competition.  (About halfway through the first night, Eliot decided that was his favorite part of figure skating.)  We were so happy when Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue won the bronze medal.

Photo Source

I also really enjoyed watching Madison Chock and Evan Bates perform.  I've been watching them for years and I'm so glad that they had great routines even though they didn't medal in their event.  (They still medaled in the team event!)

Photo Source

We watched pairs figure skating- even though I missed part of the free skate.  I'm so glad the team from China won the gold at the Beijing games.  I can't imagine the pressure they were under!  I enjoyed watching the other countries teams perform as well as watching Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc from Team USA.

Photo Source

I really enjoyed watching pairs partners Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier.  (I have followed Alexa's skating since she and her husband Chris skated together.)

Photo Source

I think the most talked about event of the Winter Games was ladies figure skating.  I won't go into too many details since I'm sure you've already heard it all.  (To recap: ROC and potential doping, 15 year old is allowed to compete since she's a minor, immense pressure to perform, she falls a few times in her free skate routine, and complete chaos ensues at the end of the event.)  Honestly, that was really hard to watch.  I was so happy for the girl from Japan who won the bronze medal; she was thrilled!  The ROC silver medalist had a complete breakdown and it was broadcast for the whole world to see.  (I felt so bad for her.)  Then, the gold medalist from ROC couldn't even celebrate because her team abandoned her to comfort the other two.  In the end, the event felt like it was one big pot ready to boil over.  It was a hot mess.

Photo Source

There were some good moments though.  I enjoyed how two of the competitors used Disney music in their routines.  I loved cheering on our USA athletes even though I knew none of them were going to medal.  (We watched this event in primetime so I knew Team USA finished off the podium.)  I thought Karen Chen had a wonderful performance even though she didn't seem too pleased about it at the end.

Photo Source

Mariah Bell was completely glowing at the end of her free skate program.  I was so happy for her.  It sounds like she's tried to make the Olympic team many times before and I'm so thrilled that she had his incredible moment there on the world stage.  I love how she kneeled down to run her hands along the Olympic ice and then took a quick turn back around to soak it in before getting off of it.

Photo Source

I also love how supportive her coach Adam Rippon was.  (I enjoyed watching him compete a few years ago.)  He was so thrilled for her too!

Photo Source

I'm also thrilled for Alysa Liu and her free skate performance.  She was overcome with emotion afterwards and it was so refreshing to see how grateful she was for this experience.  You could tell that she was having a blast at the Olympics.

Photo Source

I think my favorite moment of the entire Winter Games was when Mariah Bell jumped out from behind the "backstage" area and gave Alysa Liu a giant hug in the kiss and cry area.  She probably wasn't supposed to do that, but she was so happy for Alysa and how well she skated that she had to go give her a hug.  This is what the Olympics are about.  I was so proud of the display of camaraderie and friendship that these Team USA women showed when the rest of the women's competition fell apart.

Photo Source

Aside from our favorite athletes, there was another person who was very popular at the Olympics this year.  The Beijing 2022 panda mascot, Bing Dwen Dwen, was incredibly popular.  Lines for mascot merchandise were longer than 4 hours at some points!  The round panda mascot was also seen at some of the sporting events.  Eliot and I actually spotted him dancing in the background of a few hockey games!

Photo Source

The United States of America had a great showing.  There were 2,900 athletes in the games and 91 countries represented.  225 of those athletes were from the USA.  We had 57 Team USA medalists- 39 females and 18 males.  Our youngest was 19 and our oldest was 40.  And 34 of them were first time medalists!

Photo Source

The United States was 5th in the medal count brining home 25 medals.  (We beat our 2018 total!)  Norway took away the most medals.  Germany dominated at the bobsled events winning gold in everything but the women monobob event.  Canada and the Russian Olympic Committee rounded out the top five.

Photo Source

Overall, I think it was a great event and we really enjoyed watching it!  There were so many other moments during these games that were special as well.  (The ones I wrote about were just the ones that Eliot and I were able to watch!)  I'm so proud of our Team USA athletes.  I was inspired to see so many Olympians break records and barriers!

Congratulations to all of the 2022 Winter Olympians!!!  °o°o° 

The Gold Over America Tour

Simone Biles once said, “surround yourself with the dreamers, the doers, the believers and thinkers; but most of all surround, yourself with those who will see greatness within you even when you don’t see it yourself.” For years, I have been in awe of Simone, her greatness and all of the incredible things she has achieved in gymnastics. I never thought I would ever be able to see her perform in person, but that changed one week ago when Eliot and I were surrounded by a bunch of amazing female athletes... 

Photo Source

As I mentioned the other day, Eliot and I were in Massachusetts last Sunday.  Our trip to Salem was definitely part of the plan, but the main reason we went down on that particular day was that we had tickets to an event in Boston.  For months, I have been following Simone Biles and her Gold Over America Tour (G.O.A.T.)  The last stop of the country-wide tour was Sunday night, when the show rolled into Boston.

Photo Source

I had asked my parents back in September (on our Virginia trip) if they would buy me tickets for my birthday.  They usually purchase tickets for Jeremy and Dad to go see a Celtics game together, and I really wanted to do this.  Friday night, Eliot and I picked out our tickets, purchased them, and made our weekend plans.  I was so excited!

After our adventure in Salem ended, Eliot and I got on the highway and I drove south towards Boston.  We made a quick stop at our old stomping grounds, the Woburn Chipotle for dinner, before driving the rest of the way into the city.  We arrived a few minutes past 6, right on schedule, and showed the TD Garden attendant our pre-paid parking ticket.  Then, we followed the rest of the cars down into the parking garage.

By the time Eliot and I got into the elevator, I could barely contain my excitement... and I wasn't alone.  There were tons of excited little girls running all over the place.  As we got into the line to enter the arena, I also noticed a few other groups of adults.  While the show was more geared towards younger, aspiring gymnasts, people of all ages were excited to see what our USA Gymnastics Team could do!

The Gold Over America Tour was a celebration of powerful female athletes who are not only representing the sport of gymnastics, but also inspiring the next generation of female athletes.  The show focuses on your power, voice and inner strength, as well as the power of us when we all unite and support each other.  The show was high energy and filled with amazing athletic skills as well as a look at some of the girls' personal journeys.  The Gold Over America Tour has been traveling across the US for the past two months, with the girls traveling on giant tour busses as they make each stop.

Photo Source

The thing I was looking forward to the most about the show was seeing our Olympic Gymnastics Team members.  Most of the girls we saw in Tokyo were in the show including Simone Biles, Grace McCallum, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner.  (Suni Lee was missing but she's been busy with Dancing with the Stars.)  In addition to those ladies, Laurie Hernandez from the 2016 Rio Olympics was also in the show along with many other elite gymnasts who have competed at world events. 

Eliot and I both really enjoyed the show.  The girls showcasing their gymnastics skills was incredible.  I loved watching them perform right in front of us.  It's amazing how high they fly off of the bars-  which was the apparatus right in front of our section.  Eliot and I were only 9 rows up in the stands, so all of the performers felt pretty close.  I was also a fan of the catchy, upbeat music and the girls' numerous costume changes.  (I think my favorite outfits were the sparkling Wonder Woman leotards!)

Photo Source

I loved the meaning of the show.  Some of the graphics on the screen were glittery and youthful including emojis and an almost diary feel.  You could tell that they were focusing on the younger audience, but I appreciated the girl power and message of bringing each other up.  I hope the messages of the show sticks with the younger girls... especially the fact that there's gold in all of us.

There were also a few deeper moments in the show.  I like how Simone performed a number about her anxiety and what happened in Tokyo.  You may recall, I was so proud of Simone in Tokyo and how she focused on her mental health.  She danced on the floor with a bunch of the dancers who were wearing hoodies with the text "your anxiety is lying to you" on the back.  It was a really powerful moment and she showed that it's ok to focus on your mental health as part of your overall health.

Photo Source

Another powerful moment was when Katelyn Ohashi slowly walked around the floor while a pre-recorded spoken word performance of a letter she wrote her younger self played over the loud speaker.  The letter speaks of the physical and mental toll her gymnastics career took on her.  After that, some of the other girls watched a montage of their careers play on the big screen while Coldplay's "Fix You" played.

Ironically, one of the best parts of the entire show actually wasn't planned.  The second half of our show was a little out of order.  The speaker system was having problems and we ended up having an extended intermission.  When the intermission started to drag on, Laurie Hernandez came out to entertain the crowd.  Not even a minute later, a few of the other girls ran out to accompany her.  As time moved on, more of the girls came out to join until all of them were on the floor in a fully lit stadium.

They ended up doing a "stick it" skills circle where they did different skills and if you didn't stick the landing you were out.  It was really fun to see all of the girls in a more natural setting.  You really got to see their personalities shine.  The dancers couldn't do all of the gymnastics moves, but they still attempted them and made everyone laugh and smile.  I think that was my favorite part.  The girls were all having a bunch of fun even though they weren't sure what was happening and they were in the middle of an arena full of people waiting for the technical difficulties to be worked out.  They made the best of a bad situation, while having fun and cheering each other on.

After the show, the girls all took their final bows and some of the crew came out to give them all bouquets of flowers.  It was emotional since this show was the last moments in some of their careers.  The young women on tour were 18 to 32, and some were retiring after this.  (MyKayla Skinner broke down during the show while announcing that she was retiring.)  A lot of the girls were taking photos with each other on the stage.  Some of the girls also had family and friends in the stands.  Security was tight, but they did let some of them down to see the girls.  (Eliot and I were pretty sure that Simone's Mom was sitting opposite us since she went to see her after the show.)

Once we left the arena, we stayed to get some merchandise.  The line was so long, and since it was the last stop on tour, we had no idea what they would have left.  I always collect programs from shows that I go to, but they didn't have one for this.  I wanted to get a tour shirt, but they didn't have any adult sizes left.  They sold out of the white and gold goat plush I was planning to get a few people ahead of us.  Instead, I bought a long sleeve shirt with the gymnastics moves Simone does.  It was bright and colorful, and I did like it.  Eliot and I also got a tour magnet that had a photo of the girls on it.  Then, I left the arena completely exhausted, but very inspired.

Photo Source

After that, we headed back to the car, hopped in and made our way out of Boston.  We made a quick stop at the McDonald's in Woburn for drinks, and then drove back home to Maine.  Once we crossed the border into Maine, Eliot took over driving because I was too tired and I didn't think it was safe for me to keep driving.  But we had so much fun in Salem and at the show, as exhausted as I was, it was totally worth it. 

Photo Source

"At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun, it was a good day." - Simone Biles

Thank you to Simone, Grace, Jordan, Jade, MyKayla, Laurie and all of the other gymnasts, dancers, and people who put this tour together.  Eliot and I both had so much fun watching your incredible skills in person...  it was a very good day.  °o°

End of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

As of Sunday, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics have ended.  After 17 days, the postponed summer games have come and gone in a blink of an eye.  I wasn't sure what to expect with the ongoing pandemic, but it's been a memorable two weeks!

Eliot and I have really enjoyed watching the olympic coverage in the background while we've been busy working on orders.  This year, we've even watched a little bit of some events that we've never seen before: equestrian, mountain biking, table tennis, archery and new additions like surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing.  We also tuned in to watch the usual televised summer sports: swimming, diving, track, beach volleyball, volleyball, artistic swimming and gymnastics.

Photo Source

There have been a lot of memorable moments at these games and they started as soon as the world witnessed the Opening Ceremonies.  I was glad that they still had a performance for the ceremonies, even though the arena was mostly empty.

I was really excited that they still had plenty of athletes who walked in the Parade of Nations.  I was worried they might cancel it or limit the number of athletes allowed per country due to social distancing, so it was really nice to see all of them come out.

I also enjoyed The Rock's hype video introduction to the Team USA athletes.

I loved the performance of "Imagine" and I've looked everywhere for a video but I can't find a good one.  The drones all flying up in the air above the arena in the shape of the Earth was really cool though.  I thought it was a really beautiful moment.

I think Eliot's and my favorite part of the Opening Ceremonies were the pictograms! 

Of course, the Olympic Games themselves had some pretty memorable moments: 

There were plenty of awkward and funny moments during the Olympics.  The first one that comes to mind was when Australian Ariarne Titmus' swim coach went absolutely bonkers when Titmus won the women's 400m freestyle.  A cringeworthy moment was when the US men's basketball team got off to a rough start.  Thankfully, they course corrected, but for a bit, things weren't looking so hot.  I felt so bad for Canadian diver Pamela Ware.  She had to bail on her failed dive mid-air and scored a 0.0 on her pencil dive.  Finally, I loved the fun video of Great Britain diver Tom Daley sitting in the stands (during the women's dive competition) knitting a Union Jack pouch for his gold medal.

There were also plenty of displays of sportsmanship.  My favorite was when there was a tie for gold on the men's high-jump and the athletes from Italy and Qatar chose to share the podium and each get a gold medal rather than compete in a jump-off.

Photo Source

Another moment that touched me was when the women swimming in the 200m breaststroke final all hugged South African Tatjana Schoenmaker after she won the gold medal and broke the world record.  She looked completely overwhelmed and stunned and both USA swimmers, Annie Lazor (bronze) and Lilly King (silver), and South African teammate Kaylene Corbett embraced her in a huge hug.

Photo Source

I also really loved the show of support and togetherness with all of the skateboarding girls hugging after one of the girls skated at their park competition.  You could tell that they were all just so happy to be there showing everyone what they could do.

Another thing that really struck me was how loud Simone Biles was cheering everyone on.  She was encouraging her USA teammates as well as girls competing from other countries.  After the women's gymnastics team competition ended, Simone was also the first to hug all of the girls on the other teams as well.

There were also a lot of memorable moments with the pandemic and the athletes' families not able to attend the events.  I loved the idea of the watch parties being held all across the country and I really enjoyed seeing the reactions of the athletes' friends and family back home as they watched the events.  

However, I'm not sure how I felt about the post event interviews with the athletes and their family members.  A lot of the Olympians were understandably emotional after competing and seeing their family back home.  I felt like we were witnessing what should have been a private moment between them.  

USA swimmer Caeleb Dressel, his family and his wife Meghan were definitely the most memorable.  Seeing his wife and mother's reactions during his races were priceless, but I felt awful for him when he got to see them on the tv screen after winning the gold and he was overcome with emotion.  Conversely, in some cases it seemed to make the athletes feel better when they saw their families.  Simone Biles' selfie with her family back home on the tv was a special moment.  Hopefully, the athletes family and friends will never have to stay away from the Olympics ever again!

Photo Source

The 17 days of Olympic Games flew right by and before I knew it it was time for the Closing Ceremony.  (Eliot and I weren't home during the broadcast, so I recorded it and finally watched it yesterday.)  I'd forgotten how the athletes all walk in together at the Closing Ceremony and I enjoyed watching them all file into the stadium together.

I loved how they used the athletes' phones to create the Olympic Rings.  However, it would have been so much cooler if there were people in the stands.  (Video here.)

Photo Source

I also really enjoyed the video intro to the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Watch video here.)

Photo Source

And you can't end the ceremony without fireworks!  I told Eliot that the Olympics seem to be the only thing close to competing with Disney's fireworks shows. (Video here.) 

Photo Source

I'm always so sad watching the Closing Ceremony and when the Olympic Cauldron is finally extinguished.  I'm so thankful they were even able to have these games.  There were a lot of great moments and the Olympic spirit is alive and well.

Photo Source

As a woman, I've really enjoyed all of the "girl power" moments at the 2020 Olympic Games.  I don't remember ever feeling so empowered as a woman watching the games.  It seems like there's been progress... but there's still a ways to go.  While it's sad that countries had to be told to have both a man and a woman carry their flag in the Parade of Nations, I'm glad they did it.  Women deserve to be recognized too.  In fact, there have been so many great moments for women that it's hard to remember them all.  Here are a few that I can think of right off the top of my head:

I enjoyed seeing Naomi Osaka as the person who lit the Olympic Cauldron.

Photo Source

Hawaiian Carissa Moore won the gold medal in the first ever surfing event.

Photo Source

Eliot and I both really enjoyed watching 17 year old Alaskan teen Lydia Jacoby win the gold in the 100m breaststroke.  Her classmates back home really went wild!

Photo Source

We also enjoyed watching Katie Ledecky crush records and statistics.

Photo Source

Another great moment was when Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin were facing off in the women's 400m hurdles final and they could be pitted against each other.  Instead, McLaughlin said that "iron sharpens iron" and that they only pushed each other to be better.  Then, they took gold and silver.

Photo Source

Nevin Harrison won gold in the first ever 200m canoe sprint.

Photo Source

The "A Team" of April Ross and Alix Klineman won gold in women's beach volleyball.

Photo Source

Molly Seidel of Wisconsin earned the bronze competing in her third marathon.

Photo Source

The US "Dream Team" of Sydney McLaughlin, Dalilah Muhammad, Athing Mu and Allyson Felix won gold in the women's 4x400m relay.

Photo Source

Finally, I was overjoyed watching the US women's volleyball team sweep Brazil to win the gold medal.  I used to play volleyball in high school so it's always my favorite sport to watch during the summer Olympics.  I know how long these women have wanted to win the gold and it was so much fun watching them win it live.

Photo Source

I'm also proud of the women who stood up about the sexist uniforms that they're forced to wear in many of the sports.  The German gymnastics team wore unitards that went down to their ankles.  Then, the Norway women's beach handball team were actually fined for not wearing bikini bottoms and opting for shorts.  After, there was an outcry on social media and singer Pink even offered to pay their fine.

Photo Source

My favorite part of the Tokyo 2020 games has been watching the Team USA Women's Gymnastics Team.  It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, but I'm so proud of these ladies.

Photo Source

I'm not sure I remember another Olympics where I was as invested in the outcome of all the women's gymnastics events.  Not only did the members of the US women's team step up to the plate when they needed to, but they also won silver.  Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and Suni Lee were spectacular competing in events that they weren't supposed to for the team competition.  I was so proud of all of them and proud of Simone for doing what she needed to do in order to take care of herself.

Photo Source

Although I was sad that Simone had to pull out of other events, because she did, MyKayla Skinner was able to compete and win the silver in vault.  I also enjoyed watching Jade Carey compete and win the gold in the floor exercise.  And Suni Lee was incredible!  I actually got up early and watched the women's all around competition live and I definitely teared up seeing Suni win the gold medal.

They all attacked their events with precision and skill... and all six women are bringing home medals.  I am so proud of all of them for never giving up on themselves and each other, even when things might have looked grim.

Photo Source

I'm also so proud of Simone Biles.  I won't get into it again since I've already written a whole post about it... but I'm so proud to have her on our team.  I'm also so happy for her that she was able to compete in beam after she had to pull out of all of the other individual events.  That bronze medal was well deserved.  But more importantly, I'm always going to remember her smile when she landed on the mat and how happy she was after competing in that event for no-one but herself.  She's an inspiration!!!  

Finally, I'm incredibly proud of Team USA and all of their accomplishments!  I watched so many American athletes crush world records, Olympic records and some even beat their previous records.  It always amazes me how people can keep beating the best times.  Our athletes also brought home some serious hardware with the final medal count for the US at 39 gold, 41 silver and 33 bronze medals. 

Photo Source

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have certainly been memorable.  I had been worried they wouldn't feel the "same" without fans and with all of the COVID protocols, but they still had the same Olympic spirit.  Thank you to the 11,000 athletes from 206 countries across the world for coming together in this show of sportsmanship and togetherness.

Photo Source

While the coronavirus pandemic certainly isn't over, the past 16 days of these Olympic Games have given me hope that the world can come together to defeat this.

Congratulations to all of the athletes who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. You faced some of the hardest circumstances to get there, but you did it!  

And to me, you're all winners.  °o°o°