Closing Ceremonies

I wanted to write this while the memories are still fresh and I can really express how I am after my time in Singapore.

Due to jet lag, (that has been kind to me so far), I am awake at 11 PM and I feel as if it is the prime of the day. Therefore, I am taking advantage of this, to write some thoughts about the first Youth Olympic Games.

I have wondered about how to start this post. I have tried to imagine many different beginnings, but when I run out of routes I realize that I am just attempting to discover an alternative to the way I really want to start. This is because it may not be the most exciting intro, but it is how I feel I can most authentically encapsulate the YOG, and I am at a loss of how to do better.

I want to gush about the people that I met.

Let me start with my fellow Young Ambassadors, all 29 of you. You are incredible people. I learned something from every single one of you. And with a handful, I had some of the times of my life. I suppose now you know there’s more to me than frozen winters, more elegant Canadian gifts than maple syrup and that my French is actually alright, despite not being Quebecois. From you, (among much else), I know that Islam has many faces, to be aware of the 1, 2 or 3 kiss greeting, that so many things are possible and of course, laughter is never out of place, in any language.

Of course, there were the Canadian athletes, all 60 of them, each with their different tools, swagger, style and charisma. It was a delight to wake up every morning and see all the faces, so poised, relaxed and smiling. I swear that I’ve never felt attached to the performances of so many athletes all at once. And I enjoyed every minute of that attachment, even if it mean disappointment or occasional heartbreak. There was too much joy to let any of that be a mark on the experience.

I truly believe that we are the product of our experiences. The texture of our surroundings, the impressions of our environments and the slow shaping that comes from our reality. This is never more apparent than in a Games situation, where people from all around the world are made to be neighbours, separated by the floors of buildings instead of borders and seas or culture and language.

It’s peaceful there. It’s friendly. We traded pins, we spoke about home, we embraced after only hours apart. It didn’t matter at all what sport, what family name, what race. We only cared about heart and soul. It kills me to think that it only lasted 12 days. I wish it could be longer. I wish that at the very least we will always remember how we were for these days in August. I hope that the shimmer of Singapore 2010 will stay buried somewhere, in everyone’s being, and in times when our humanity is tested, in whatever manner, we draw upon that light, and allow it to spread into the world again.

So I will thank everyone who made this experience special, including an amazing Canadian mission team, Carol, Brian, Dory, Dinah, Chris, Riley and Emily. The International Olympic Committee for envisioning the Youth Olympic Games and the Singaporeans for executing them beautifully.

There were many objects tied to the Games. The CEP booths, the venues, the dining hall, the transport cars.
In the end it was the energy and spirit of people that made Singapore 2010.

I thought this might be a finale, but I feel like it is only a start, to something that I hope will continue forever and ever, and it most certainly will, for me.

Games go by fast.

What a flurry over the past few days! I have been from venue to venue, throughout the day and into the evening. It is interesting that in times like these, when there is so much energy, positivity and passion surrounding you, it is easy not to notice things that might be very apparent in everyday life. For example the time, what day it is, how much sleep you got, when you last ate…haha, pretty much all those regular habits that we take for granted back in reality. During Games time, this all goes out the window. You can basically live off the positive energy.

That time we won the World Cup

Last night was special. Chat with Champions, one of the Culture and Education Program’s staples, featured a talk from 4-time Canadian Olympian Charmaine Crooks, as well as 4-time medalist Angela Ruggiero. These women are leaders in sport for many reasons, they are also incredible speakers. One of the nicest moments was when our rhythmic gymnasts all stood up in unison to ask a question, they introduced themselves one by one, (by the way there isn’t one of them in the triple digits of weight), and then said, “Can you sing us a song?” In addition to being heavily involved with worldwide sport, an amazing athlete and business woman, as well as just a down to earth nice person, Charmaine can sing! But not without a show! She invited the girls onto the stage, and live web streaming across the world, our five miniature back up dancers doo wopped while Charmaine sang. It was classic.

In the past few days I have seen swimming, athletics, gymnastics, diving, basketball and canoe/kayak. Sometimes as many as three sports in one evening! I love watching live sport so much. I am always so excited to go and cheer on our Canadian athletes.

One thing has caught my attention. The Youth Olympic Games are about youth athletes. But the Games are powered and supported by other young people, and this makes the experience authentic, and important. There is a Young Reporters program, where talented young journalists have the opportunity to develop, learn and gain experience. Many of the purple shirted volunteers at the Games are young, including announcers at events, and venue marshals. There are of course the Young Ambassadors, who are everywhere. Young people are the fabric of these Games, and it is amazing to feel and see the special results that take place, on the field of play and surrounding it.

I can tell you this, this Games has proven that our generation has the potential to sculpt a better world. There are athletes from 204 NOCs, there are Singaporeans, there are Young Reporters/Ambassadors, there are other volunteers from around the world. Together, we are the Youth Olympic Games, and together I hope we can prove that we are the future, that we can overcome the challenges in front of us. Because there are many. I have more to say about this, but for now, I will leave it at that.

A few days remain, and I go to sleep each night, giddy with anticipation for the day to come. Tonight is no different.

The best Games time base camp here!

Girls 3-on-3 basketball, awesome venue

Headed down to the *scape venue this morning for some 3 on 3 hoops!

I attended with our Chef de Mission Carol, and our team doctor, Dr. Dory, to check out our girls play Korea in their 3^rd prelim. game!

Basketball here at the Youth Olympic Games is a bit of a different format than at other tournaments. The girls and guys play 3-on-3 half court, 10 minute stoppage time, (split into two 5-minute halves), with 1 sub and a 10-second shot clock. Straight up streetball, more or less. It is SICK! The venue is in the heart of Singapore, right at the end of Orchard Road, really loud and with a 10 second shot clock there isn’t too much time between plays!

Our girls killed it, they gave nothing up inside and so the Koreans had to put up hopeless 3 balls all game long. The final score was 20-6 and it was a big win because it helps cement a birth in the medal round. Next up is Russia, which means they’ll have to keep the game tight, but the way it looked today is a good sign.

In the evening I finally made it to the pool. Our two girls, Tera and Rachel won Gold and Bronze. I also sat a few rows behind Alex Popov, which was nice. Legend. He actually spoke to us! But wait, there’s more. Brian and I were cheering on the girls over the last 50, with periodic “hups!” every time they took a breath. Apparently in the Guest stands at the Olympic Games you are not supposed to cheer. Or at least not loudly! The entire section turned around and Mr. Popov shouted, “They can’t even hear you!” Hahaha, so my first interaction with a childhood hero was to be told, basically, “be quiet!” Haha oops.

Anyways, the Culture and Education program keeps rolling. As some athletes finish their competition there is more and more activity down in the Village square. It is amazing to see the colours, of all types there. The booths, the stage, and those colourful things without object, like the positive interactions between people from all over the world. It’s nice. I wish I could show it to everyone I care about, because it is a unique sight.

Dori Yeats, (Wrestling), and her GOLD medal!

How do you begin a blog post about a night when Canada won 5 medals in 45 minutes, and you saw 3 of them live?

Let me start by setting the stage for you. It’s the International Convention Centre, well air-conditioned, to the point where goose bumps are always present, not just when there are amazing athletic displays taking place. On the fourth floor the wrestling and taekwondo venues are a stone’s throw apart. On the sixth floor, the fencing pistes lay alongside each other, supporting young fencers as they duel amongst each other. A short drive away, at the Singapore Sports School, the swimmers compete in front of an intimate crowd.

Throw Canadians in there, with the best in the world, and after a frenzied 45 minutes, the Canadian Mint pumps out 5 pieces of hardware, including 2 Gold and 3 Bronze. Magic.

For myself, it started with watching Alex Lyssov in a battle for the bronze. Alex traded points with the Korean fencer, pitting his reach and attack against the counter and quickness of his opponent. In the end, Alex took a two point lead, one shy of the 15 he needed to win, and then scored a clear point to take the bronze. I was ecstatic. I mean, I get into sporting events, I appreciate the intensity, the challenge, rising to victory in the moment. But when it is a Canadian, I am undeniably passionate. And just plain loud. Let’s just say it got rowdy in the Fencing venue.

Alex fencing his way to a bronze medal!

From Alex’s victory, we moved to Melanie Phan, fighting in her semi-final bout against a talented Thai girl. Melanie was already guaranteed a bronze, for making the semi-final, due to the fact that TKD does not run bronze medal bouts. (It’s just too intense a sport!) She lost, but it went to decision, and well, the judges chose the Thai girl. Melanie was fierce throughout. She is smaller, very polite and overall pretty quiet. On the floor however, she shrieks and attacks like a warrior. I love the transition.

Melanie's post bout interview with Catriona!

Finally, we ran over to the wrestling venue, amid the cheers, noise and excitement to a hushed stands and the announcement of our Canadian, Dori Yeats. Out strolled a strong and confident girl, who followed up that swagger with a pin, victory and gold medal in less than 30 seconds. Boom! 3 medals! Add these to the 2 that took place over at the pool and it was a stellar night for Canada.

Being behind the scenes for all of it, in the stands, with the athletes, coaches, mission team and just feeling the passion, excitement and joy, I must say that there is nothing else quite like it. Seeing that Canadian flag rising, hearing the anthem, and watching the athletes as they realize success they so well deserve is very special.

A memorable moment: despite being the toughest girl on the mat, there were slight tears in Yeats’ eyes tonight, as we swarmed her and showered our congratulations. I asked the standard in the moment bad reporter question, “How do you feel?” She paused, and with a big smile proceeded to say…nothing, just smiled and shook her head. She was speechless. And to be honest, so was I. There are no words to describe it. What a night.

I have never seen fencing. I walked into the arena, and there were four active pistes with our Canadian sabre athlete Miguel on the nearest side. (There are three different weapons, epee, sabre and foil). Later in the day, Alanna Goldie came out and basically destroyed everyone in her pool bouts. She outscored opponents 30-9 in six bouts! I was there for the rest of the day, as Alanna traveled through her quarter and semi-final. She ended up 4th at the end of the day, but I honestly felt really proud of her, and Miguel, because they both never stopped fencing as hard as they could, even to the final point.

It was impressive.

The International Convention Centre is a bustling, excited place. As I said, it houses three sports and shows off the Suntec City Centre is a grand fashion. I am going out there again today, this time to see all three sports, with more Canadians in action. I can’t wait.

Canadian Alanna Goldie in action!

Young Ambassadors!

We were reunited with another group as well, the drumming team, who re-taught us our rhythm for a performance at the WOWcome session! Haha, it was news to all of us, but hey, it’s a lot of fun and honestly…I think everyone really enjoyed it! Even if it meant overcoming a little bit of shyness!

Backstage with Maysam, the Jordanian Young Ambassador

We all finally met Maysam, the Jordanian Young Ambassador who was not able to join us in March. Maysam and I both had “tom” drums, and so we connected over our mutual drum beat haha, not to mention our occasional missed beats. Well, at least mine!

The entire Village square was PACKED with athletes, for at least 100 yards. It was incredible. The energy was like nothing else. I mean, imagine 3000 athletes, a dark night with amazing lights, and an impressive stage at one end. Definitely something to remember.

The night ended with a little dancing, and different definitions of what that means. Just watching the young athletes was interesting and no doubt entertaining!  There were Brasilians, Iranians, Italians, Russians, and more, all sharing their moves. Haha, legendary interactions occur when a group of excited teens from around the world try to dance with each other!

BUT, the Young Ambassadors were no exception…

Hamza and Danka burnin' the house down!

First meal of the morning, before fasting with Hamza

My day today started at 3:58 AM when Hamza, the Young Ambassador from Morocco lit up my phone, buzzing and ringing, to wake me for breakfast.

Ten minutes later I was on the bus, riding the two stops to the cafeteria where I met Hamza in the dining hall.

Hamza is on the second day of Ramadan, and he is fasting from 4:30 AM – 7:30 PM every single day for 30 days. In his own words, he does it to feel hunger, just like a poor person. This way, he can empathize with them and will be more likely to support those with less than we have.

Since I’ll try basically anything, last night at dinner I agreed to fast today with Hamza, to see what it is like. No food, no water, and, “no hugs or kisses!”, (according to Hamza), haha. No indulgences, I guess you could say!

This morning was really cool. The dining hall was filled with others, having their first meal of the day before dawn and I learned a lot about Hamza’s home and background. We both ate a couple plates, preparing for the day without food.

Hamza said that it would be hardest between 12 and 3 PM, and it was, but to be honest, not that bad at all. I guess that I am used to eating more than I should, which most of my friends would agree with. So, what I am going to take away from today is that a little is sometimes enough, and enough is often better than too much.

Eating dinner after fasting since 4 AM, dorky as usual

The evening saw Team Canada travel into town to the Swissotel, for a reception with other local Canadians, now situated in Singapore. We marched out to the sound of drums and a lion dance, which was pretty cool. Everyone was so supportive. I got a chance to speak to Catriona Le May Doan, who is here covering the event. It was awesome for the athletes to see such a star Canadian Olympian there to support them.

Team Canada reception!

Other than that, it was pretty low key. It’s quiet now in the village. You can hear and feel the anticipation. Tomorrow is another day, the rest of the arrivals, for me, a meeting with all the other Young Ambassadors. Really excited to see everyone again, and be re-united with old friends.  

This morning I did the full tour of the center village area, including all the CEP areas! They are fully set up, and really sharp. Apparently, most of the materials are recycled, including large sections of the main entertainment stage. It is really remarkable. There is a really organic and fresh feeling, with the lush green tropical grasses, and that thick, smooth Singaporean purple.

With fellow YA Kwan-Jo in the Village

Working away from the main stage area are rows of country booths, all pristine, ready to be filled with the culture, cuisine and heart of the nation emblazoned on the side. At the moment, everything is empty, but waiting, and certainly ready!

The entrance to the Community Project, YOG Village

Been in the Village for a couple of hours now, checked out the cafeteria, the onsite training venues, (including a nice empty pool), and just had a team meeting. About half of the athletes are here already with the rest coming in the next two days!

Managed to finally meet Riley Denver, from the COC, not to mention meeting all the athletes in person!

It’s hard to articulate how exciting this is, because the preparation has been so long. All I can say is that every day is going to be an adventure, and how often can you say that for 16 days in a row?

Let the adventures begin!