Underdog? Fighter? Sarcastic? I am each of the above

Sep 20, 2012

Underdog? Fighter? Sarcastic? I am each of the above

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Underdog? Fighter? Sarcastic? I am each of the above

As of Saturday, I have been in London for any total week, yet it feels like I just received right here yesterday.

The entire practical experience has been jaw-dropping. The athlete village itself genuinely is nearly its personal city -- it's rows of apartment buildings, a principal dining hall off on one finish and an activity-filled neighborhood center with the other side. Because I watched the Olympics religiously this yr, I had a vague plan what the working experience would be like, but absolutely nothing at all could have ready me for that experiences I'd have when I got here.

Within the Group USA element of the village, we occupy two apartment buildings and also have group apartments with personal bedrooms off with the major apartment. In my apartment, there may be my coach, team leader and two of my teammates. It truly is exciting due to the fact it really is my 1st time residing with these persons. Our rooms are reasonably tiny, particularly when you add many of the incredible Nike and Ralph Lauren clothes and accessories we obtained.

Courtesy of Alan BouwkampIt's impossible to discover the floor in some spots. I share a space with all the other woman from your fencing crew who is the crew leader. It is rare when each or either of us are in fact in our rooms, so it truly is not a lot of the significant deal that it is a compact apartment.

Speaking of clothes, though, the second day we were right here, we went by means of processing, which is essentially when you head to a faraway venue and get gifts and shoes and glasses and rings and skirts and shirts and hats all shoved at you. It was like Xmas, Hanukkah and my birthday all at as soon as through the greatest 4 hrs of my lifestyle. We get mostly T-shirts and jackets so we could simply be defined by our country. Total, we acquired clothing from the great Nike and Ralph Lauren, plus cheap oakley sunglasses, an Omega watch, Paralympic ring, an amazing P&G toiletry pack and our opening and closing ceremonies outfits. It was honestly a single of the coolest things I've ever gone by means of.

The rest on the days between then and now are spent examining those clothes and just hanging out and meeting athletes from other sports and countries that had been inside the same boat I was. Because, at 16, I'm the youngest on the crew by a relatively large margin and I'm the only girl, I spent a lot of time getting to know the younger athletes from other sports, such as soccer, track and field and tennis.

With all these new friends, we walked as 1 huge delegation and family into the last Wednesday's opening ceremony at Olympic Stadium. As fun as standing outside moving inch by inch in 50-degree weather in a dainty skirt sounds, it was really 1 of the better times I've had so far. It was the first time I had seen all the athletes from the U.S. together; finally meeting many of the names I had heard about was magnificent.

The moment we walked out from under the stands and into the roar with the complete stadium crowd under the bright blue lights and millions of camera flashes, my breath was literally taken away and time stood still as I took within the view of everything around us. That moment was the solidification with the fact that I made it. I, the 16-year-old blonde, baby-faced girl next door had worked, cried, sweated and bled my way to the Paralympics, and I can't be stopped. I won't be stopped.

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