Who is that kid in the authentic “torch carrying” garb?
I can’t believe it, but it’s me.
Anyone who has followed my posts or knows me is aware that athlete I am NOT!
I am not much of a sports fan either – despite being passionate about fostering physical movement and healthy living.
So, how is it that someone like me has the privilege of saying that twenty years ago I carried the Olympic torch?
As I recall this opportunity, it seems incredulous to me, especially the larger impact it had on the rest of my life.
When I was in my mid twenties, I was unclear of my career path (I had been waiting tables and doing sales in Chicago at that time). While traveling to Barcelona on vacation, I had an opportunity for an interview with the Olympic Committee.
I got the job and immediately moved to Barcelona to help prepare for this historic event.
It was a blast but very hard work. My boss was a nut job (an “enchufe” – which means she was plugged into the job basically through nepotism), her secretary wanted to kill me (that is a very long but now funny story).
The Catalan folks putting on the Olympics (from Barcelona) hated the folks I worked for, media folks in charge of the “Radio Televisio Olympiada-RTO” (mainly from Madrid) and made working at the Committee a TRIP.
As a “neutral” American who was fluent in Spanish but could also limp along in Catalan, I was frequently asked to take work requests from our “RTO” media group to the Catalan group so they would be fulfilled instead of filed.
I became close and personal with the long history of competition/mistreatment/hatred between these two regions of Spain. (Under Franco’s harsh regime speaking Catalan was even outlawed as one of many ways to suppress the Catalan people.)
At the huge party the night before the Olympic Games started, I remember seeing OJ Simpson with Nicole. Very strange to recall that evening given what happened.
Despite all of the drama, I further fell in love with Spain, and became a huge fan of the Catalan people for their industriousness and frank natures (and amazing food!). It was an INCREDIBLE honor to be involved and I developed some wonderful friendships.
But let me get back to carrying the Olympic torch…
When I heard that the Committee were having a contest to select employees, via essay applications, among their employees to be a torch carrier I was determined to do it.
Because the decision makers were Catalan I wrote my application in the best Catalan I could muster – and I actually made the cut!
My section to run with the torch was the Penedes region of Spain, just below Barcelona.
The outfit in these photos is the official garb – down to the socks and shoes – given to the torch carriers to wear. (I still have my formal uniform for the Games, an orange skirt outfit that women in my division wore in the photo below.)
My orange uniform is currently hanging in my office at the Sport, Health, and Activity Research and Policy Center for Women and Girls at the University of Michigan (UM) (a strategic partnership between the UM and the Women’s Sports Foundation.) Some have suggested I auction it on EBAY but I don’t think I could part with it.
I recall how heavy that extremely light torch became the further I carried it- working to hold it majestically: high, straight up, and in front of me.
The last half of my assigned kilometer, the torch kept tipping down and I had to muster all of my strength to raise it up again. (Remember, I’m no athlete – Not even close.)
But the momentousness of this event enabled me to complete my mission, and shout along the way “Visc Catalunya!” (Live Catalunya!) to the roaring crowd of Penedes citizens proudly lining their streets.
I haven’t thought about this amazing honor for over a decade or two, until now, as the world gears up for the 2012 games and conversations are spinning around me.
As I reflect upon carrying the flame that would eventually light the fire, igniting the 1992 Olympic Games, something amazing dawns on me: I am carrying another significant torch today, twenty years later.
Participating in the 1992 Olympics did not light my fire for sports.
It did, however, light a different kind of flame for me – Participating in this glorious global event influenced my thinking about the power of movement, having deeply meaningful personal goals, and striving to live life to the fullest.
Contributing to the success of the 1992 Olympics sparked a desire deep inside of me to work toward understanding and facilitating empowerment and self-realization through living well.
The Torch I carry today aims to ignite a deep and authentic desire for meaningful, healthy living through research and also training professionals how to foster better decision making and lasting motivation among their employees, patients, and clients.
Now, as I consider the upcoming games I ponder: What can we (regular folks who are not elite athletes – and professionals who work with us) take away from the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games that is valuable and relevant for us?
I believe can learn from the focus and dedication that elite athletes bring to this competition.
By realizing that the choices we make every day actually determine what we bring to and what we get out of our own lives we discover an inspiring mission that is far less extreme but no less important than winning at the Olympics: Deciding to fuel our own energy through strategic daily choices so that we may leverage and live OUR lives to the fullest.
The photo below is a recent photo my friend Roser sent me of folks we worked with during the Olympics.
I’d like to hear the funny story about why the secretary wanted to kill you!
I see I never answered your question….So I guess it’s a tad embarrassing too. My bosses secretary, let’s call her “G” hated our boss, and the feelings were mutual on my bosses’ behalf – let’s call her “S”. Both of them, by the way, had very poor work ethics and were always looking for ways to skip of work. One Thursday lunch time, S pulled me aside on her way to fly to Madrid to tell me that if anyone calls for her “Tell them I’m in a meeting..” and to ask me I thought she should fire “G.” Well, as a naive 20-somthing, I considered the fact that G took 3 hour lunches every day and we were sprinting at this point to make our deadlines, and I said “Probablemente” Low and behold, the next day, while alone working at lunch in our office, G approaches me with her teeth barred and holing a sharppened pencil like a weapon. She said “No Jodas con mi vida!” (Translation: don’t *$!@*** with my life.) I learned an important life lesson that day: If you boss ever asks you if she should fire someone don’t give an answer!
Michelle, this is an awesome topic and has been an inspiration for me for many years- on a side not, I believe the country should be allowed to take regularly scheduled vacation, or at least extended breaks, to watch the Olympics and root for their team. The games are truly an inspiration on so many levels. With the advent of the media, we get to know the athletes, their stories, their personal sacrifices. It is a way for me to feel like I can aspire to do anything and to help others along the way. Since being old enough to watch and appreciate the games, I have routinely increased my efforts to take better care of myself, to get active, and to challenge those around me to do the same when the Olympics come around. In some cases this effort has led to making life long friends and forming bonds through a shared love of an activity. Yes, the effort sometimes dies within a few months of the closing ceremonies, but it opens a door to the human soul and lets everyone imagine, even just for a moment, that they, too, can stand on the center podium with a gold medal around their neck and the National Anthem playing in the background.
In addition, though, to brief moments of grandeur, it seems like it should be a moment to reflect on the benefits of being active. Now, I’m not talking about being in top physical form, that is a road that I am still traveling, but just being aware that by taking a moment of your day to put down the cell phone, turn off the TV, unplug your laptop, that the rewards you reap last a life time.
Like you said,”Being a sports fan is not
necessary to be inspired by the Olympics. Let’s use the momentous nature of the
Games to get people thinking about what’s most meaningful in life, and the crucial
role that taking care of ourselves, partly through daily acts of movement,
plays in realizing our most cherished roles and goals.” By taking that time to ‘move’ you give yourself, your friends, and your family more time to spend with the one person who makes their day- YOU!
Thanks for taking the time to post your experience and I truly hope to see a nation of active people- if even for the two weeks and two days that are the Olympic Games.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and enthusiastic response! It’s great. What can we do to get more people talking about the Olympics in this way??
To get people talking is to get people moving- and this is a great start. Having been impatiently waiting for the games to begin, I had not given much thought as to how to get others thinking/talking/moving with the Olympics as the impetus. I think it would have been wonderful if the U had done some sort of Active U sponsorship or some sort of activity to capitalize on the energy that the Olympics creates. It would be awesome to spearhead something to see what kind of reaction folks would have…
What another good idea – yes it is such a shame. I wonder if any companies leverage the Olympics in this way to leverage the focus on physical movement?
If companies, companies as I know them, did that type of promotion, it would be for purely financial gain without much care for the lasting effect of their promotion- but, that is how your style of coaching and approach to physical movement could be a huge windfall for the right business. With the proper marketing, and enough time to properly put things together, you could see a huge increase in daily activity of Americans. A plan to help people become self-motivated to ‘move’ through the inspiration of the Olympic games would create, I think, a huge groundswell of active people. Can you tell that I am in sales and marketing?
Hola michelle,
soy Maribel Calleja- de Alojamientos RTO
estoy impresionada con tu BLOG!Enhorabuena! Estas estupenda.
Cuando quiera puedos ser tu clienta porque en 20 años me he engordado 20 kilos!!!
Nos lo pasamos muy bien en la comida. Puedes venir un dia para hacer un nuevo encuentro. No se si el coaching nos lo has de before or after the paella!
Muchos besos, ven cuando quieras.
Hola Maribel!! Siento que tardo tanto en responder! Que bueno oir de ti!! Es dificil no engordar con la buena comida en BCN!!! Enta de andar mas. Me encant andar en Barcelona. Espero verte la proxma vez estoy alla. Besos, Michelle