2012 Holy Cross graduate and captain of the women's swimming and diving team, Annie O'Shea, always dreamed of working at the Olympics. She is working for sports marketing agency, Lagardère Sports, which is located in Geneva, Switzerland. She blogged for GoHolyCross.com from the Olympics about her experience.
September 3, 2016
Something very weird happens at the end of the Olympic Games. First, you feel that there is nothing to watch anymore whether on TV or in real life. Second, your abnormal ever-changing routine for a month now must return to a fixed schedule. Finally, you can't believe that after four years it is over and it will not happen again for another four years.
In the final days of working in the Media Center, I saw a parade of medal winners walk through to be interviewed by their country's TV channels. Meanwhile, I started to spot more athletes outside the field of competition and outside of the “Olympic Bubble.” I saw Canadian athletes at the Sugarloaf Mountain, Chinese athletes along Ipanema beach, Ryan Lochte at a gas station (just kidding) and an assortment of nations in the main mall shopping for Havanas and souvenirs.
In particular, one night stands out, my colleagues and I went to the famous Brazilian churrasco “Fogo de Chao.” A churrasco is a Brazilian barbeque meat house where it becomes difficult to have a conversation (1) Due to barrage of meat which is constantly brought to your table: pork sausages, filet, lamb, ribs, salted meat (2) Due to the fact you become so full that you can no longer speak. That night, everyone in the restaurant was in an athlete's uniform or working for the Olympic Games. Everyone headed here because they reached the breaking point with the Olympic village buffet. Out of nowhere the whole restaurants began to clap as the Serbian women's basketball team walked through the restaurant wearing their newly earned bronze medals. Within 15 minutes, the team stood up around their table (each with caipirinha in hand) and sang traditional Serbian songs for rest of the evening. After a lifetime of training and 17 days of tournament competition, they finally could blow off some steam at dinner.
Fast forward to the day after the Olympics: the Park, media center and athlete village transformed into a ghost town. Big boxes filled the media center hallways packed with studio sets and office supplies. In the athlete village, the country flags and decorations were taken down from each building, while a mass exodus of athletes waited outside with their luggage piled up and headed to the airport. The storm during the night of the closing ceremony actually ripped down many of the Rio 2016 signs in the Park which helped lessen the organizing committee's work. All the venues that had previously been filled with volunteers, spectators, athletes, media and workers were now eerily closed.
I stayed a few days after to enjoy the city of Rio separate from the Olympic Games. It was remarkable how quickly the city emptied of tourists, traffic returned to normal and daily life resumed, though stadiums remained for the Paralympics Games and Rio 2016 t-shirts still hung in shops.
All in all, my first Olympics was an overwhelming and incredible experience. I cannot really judge if Rio 2016 met my expectation because my focus had been so much to get there that I had not really defined expectations. On TV and as a fan, you see the perfect image of the venue, the city and the athletes. I did not fully realize the scale of complexity, logistics and the sheer amount of people from all over the world involved in the Olympics. Needless to say, you do not fully understand the atmosphere either until you arrive and how it can transform and energize a city for 17 days.
I met someone in my hotel who was working at his 14th Olympic Games. He told me, “It's addictive. Each time you say it is your last one, but then you convince yourself to do one more just to see how the next country does it differently or how the next round of athletes compete.” I can't promise to be at the next 13 games, but a few more would not be so bad! ;)
Thank you to any and all that read my blog! Also, thank you to GoHolyCross.com for their support. Let's Go Crusaders!
August 19, 2016
The interesting thing about Olympic sports is that the majority of them are only seen on TV every four years. As a North American, I have not seen too many games of handball, water polo, badminton or fencing in primetime. If you have the chance to watch them live you then realize how exciting they can be.
Water polo is my new favorite sport. It is similar to ice hockey (which I love), but takes place in the water (which I love). It is higher scoring than ice hockey but has similar attributes, like how they score or how they have offensive attacks and defensive plays. The players are just as physical as hockey, although water polo players wear less equipment than hockey players.
The most recent game I watched was Hungary vs. Montenegro in the quarterfinals. Both countries pride themselves on their water polo and it is considered their national sport, so there was a boisterous crowd and atmosphere at 11:00 a.m. Throughout the four quarters of eight minutes, Montenegro led, only to have Hungary score to tie in the remainder of the fourth quarter. In water polo, they skip overtime and go straight to penalties. Montenegro won in the shootout!
On the other hand, when you watch many new sports live at the Olympics, you miss the knowledge of the commentators explaining both the rules and the resumes of the players. You just have to follow the lead of the crowd and its cheering or silence.
Apart from experiencing some new sports, there was of course the excitement of seeing golden moments in those old familiar Olympic sports. One highlight was seeing Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky swim for gold. I also had the chance to watch Usain Bolt in the final of the 100 meter dash. At first I was thinking, “Wow! There must be a lot of supporters from Jamaica in Rio.” The reality was that the vast majority of the crowd was rooting feverishly only for Usain Bolt. Everyone cheered as he walked onto the track, before becoming deathly silent for the start, then incredibly loud during the race and finally chanted “Bolt” at the end.
I also caught the USA vs. Japan women's basketball game. In the first half the score was tied due to Japan's fantastic three-pointers, but by the second half USA took control and showed their dominance, winning by 40 points!
Besides catching the events and working, there is the opportunity to visit some different countries. What I mean by that is some of the larger nations have national houses built and operated by their Olympic Committees and their sponsors. I had the chance to visit the Dutch, French and the Korean houses. The Korean House features an exhibition on Pyeongchang, which will be the location of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
The Dutch House had more of a party atmosphere with a huge pool and a screen to watch events featuring the Dutch Athletes. At the house, you could meet athletes, personalities from the media, officials from the National Olympic Committees and tourists from Holland. The house also had a presentation of the daily medal winners.
The French House, or Club France, had a different vibe, as it was set up in an old equestrian arena. Each of the French Olympic sponsors had a booth, and you could see the layout for the Paris 2024 bid. Later on, two French Judo athletes who won gold came on stage to the crowds shouting their names and sang “Le Marseille.”
Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity visit the United States House. We can leave that for the Winter Olympics.
August 11, 2016
Friday morning I had no expectation of attending the Opening Ceremonies, by the evening I received a pleasant surprise. My boss told me that our company had received extra tickets, but I needed to pick them up at a separate hotel in Rio. In the course of over four hours, I did my own style of triathlon by using: bus, taxi, metro and some good running sprints to make it to the Maracanã Stadium.
Previously, I had only watched the Opening Ceremonies on TV where you enjoy the commentary and the backstory of the production. When you watch the ceremony in real life, there are no soundbites or fun facts. You just have the need to dance and clap throughout the whole performance. I mean, just look at Gisele.
The other pinnacle of the ceremony is when your team arrives in the stadium. I am half Canadian and half American, so I had double the reason to cheer. My seats were close enough to the stadium ground floor that during the parade you could go down to wave and to take photos with the athletes. The parade of nations is long, but you will be surprised that during the ceremony smaller countries will have pockets of fans throughout the stadium screaming for them. For example, when the nine athletes from Turkmenistan came in, they went over to where I was standing to hug the three or four officials from their country. They were all so excited to be there.
I have my favorite teams: Canada, Ireland and USA. However, my vote for best dressed goes to Italy and Poland, while my vote for happiest teams goes to Brazil and Spain.
After the Games officially started, there was a new vibrancy in the Media Center. Our office is so close to radio commentators that you can really hear them shouting through the walls, “GOOOAALLLLL!!!!!” and giving all the play by play action. The TVs are blaring in every corner and every office is following the coverage. Within the press conference center, you will see the running line-up of athletes, officials and others that will be speaking.
The real change though is the Olympic Park. The Olympics have a unique feeling from other sporting events:
- Fear of Missing Out: There are many different events going on. You feel like you want to be everywhere at once.
- Types of Fans: It is not a sporting event with hooligans or tailgaters. Spectators draped in flags are here with their families and friends to support their country. And it is easy to have a favorite athlete in each sporting event- just cheer for your countryman.
- Athletes Walk Among Us: Through the Olympic Park, athletes walk freely among you and you can stop to snap a picture with them.
Oh, there are also the events! I had the chance to finally catch some events in the starting days. It is not hard to guess which event I chose first.
I watched the preliminaries and finals of swimming. During the preliminaries, you witness the ideals of amateurism as athletes from all over race down the pool. One athlete was actually from the previously mentioned Turkmenistan delegation. In the evening, you have the electric atmosphere of the three World Records being broken and the biggest names of swimming.
The first few days have set a high standard for the coming days, but at the Olympics expectations are always exceeded!
August 4, 2016
I felt a little intimidated to board the plane for Rio in Frankfurt, Germany because I seemed to be one of the few passengers not in a national team uniform and shorter than six feet. On the flight from Frankfurt, there was a mix of Olympians from Germany, India, China and Finland.
Once I was off the plane I felt even shorter, as my colleagues and I were shepherded into a Rio 2016 line at customs with Olympians from France, Italy, Slovenia, Poland and Switzerland. Added to the mix were a few people of normal height representing companies, national Olympic associations and officials from the IOC.
Needless to say, I reached Rio de Janeiro!
The local time was 5:00 a.m., so my colleagues and I decided the most practical decision was to take a cab from the airport to the hotel. I was surprised at the distances between places. I guess that's how the European explorers felt too. For example, the Copacabana and the famous Maracana Stadium to the Barra (location of the Olympic Park) are about an hour apart. Rio is a city where you need a car, moto, taxi or uber to travel.
After the first day of jetlag, I was able to explore Rio. My hotel is located near the Olympic Park in Barra. My hotel room overlooks the Olympic/Athletes' Village.
Each of the buildings fly the colors and flags of their respective team. Only athletes and certain accredited personnel can enter.
Not too far from the Athletes' Village is the Media Mall which includes the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) and Media Press Center (MPC). That is where I work. The Organizing Committee has arranged a bus from various hotels to take people to the IBC. My commute to work takes about 20 minutes. Broadcasters within the IBC are from all of over the world and are distinguishable by their uniforms. Everyone walks at a fast pace if they are delivering some news, constructing a studio set or doing some filming. There is always somebody new to meet in the coffee line.
The main Olympic Park venues are not too far from the IBC. Whenever I need to escape the intense air conditioning of the IOC, there is a terrace to overlook the Olympic Tennis Center or after work I can easily walk around the venues of the Olympic Park which include: gymnastics, tennis, hockey, badminton, boxing, table tennis, weightlifting, fencing, judo, track cycling and of course swimming!
Last but not least are the different beaches in Rio. With the start of the Olympic Games, all the beaches have Rio 2016 merchandise and souvenirs. But each beach still maintains their unique feel. Copcabana is very touristy and lively. Please be aware that your waiter is more likely to dance than to serve you. Ipanema is a more “Fifth Avenue” type beach. Barra Beach is a local beach with a surfer vibe. All of the beaches are incredible as they are where the jungle meets the ocean.
With the start of the Games tomorrow, it is guaranteed that everyone in the Athletes' Village, Media Mall, Olympic Park Venues and the beaches are all excited!
July 28, 2016
For swimmers, the Olympic Games are somewhat like the Super Bowl except it only happens every four years. Your favorite athletes finally compete on TV for 10 straight days. Atlanta 1996 was my first vivid memory of the Olympic Games. I can remember heroes across all sports like Amy Van Dyken, Jenny Thompson, Michael Johnson and Donovan Bailey (for my half Canadian side). After watching the Games and hearing the stories of the Olympians, I dreamed of training hard enough for my own Olympic career.
Unfortunately, not everyone can be an Olympian, but you can find a way to go to the Olympic Games and of course have a lot of other success and love for sports.
"I can remember like yesterday, thinking I want to be there. I do not want to be sitting on the couch watching. I want to be there. How can I get there? I knew from then on that my goal was to be a part of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."
Annie O'Shea (Class of 2012)
In 2012, I was happy to conclude a successful college swimming career at Holy Cross. I had a lot of exciting things to look forward to post-swimming: meeting new people, job opportunities and trying new sports. By August 2012, I ended an internship and secured a full time job for the fall. This afforded me the perfect opportunity to watch the full program of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I can remember like yesterday, thinking “I want to be there. I do not want to be sitting on the couch watching. I want to be there. How can I get there?”
I knew from then on that my goal was to be a part of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. For two years, I worked happily at TV advertising-technology firm, Simulmedia in New York City. It was an ideal first professional experience, as I learned about business development and worked in an open and encouraging environment. However, during this time, I never forgot my Olympic dream. I started to work on Sundays in the fall of 2013 and part of 2014 for NBC “Sunday Night Football and Football Night in America” to build on my sports television knowledge.
After these experiences, I decided to take a serious investment in my Olympic-sized goal. If New York taught me anything, you need to go where your network and your industry is. Following this rule, I applied to a Master's program in Lausanne, Switzerland, the home of the International Olympic Committee and numerous other international sport federations.
I was accepted to a sports administration program at the International Academy of Sport Science and Technology for January of 2015. There I met a class of forty people with twenty-six nationalities, all of whom had an interest in sport. The year flew by with lectures and exams on sports medicine, law, marketing, sociology and technology.
Meanwhile, as a class we visited many of the sporting institutions such as IOC, UEFA (Union European Football Association), FIBA (International Basketball Federation) and UN, among others. As importantly, I met incredible people and made some great friendships from around the world: South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Peru, Portugal, Lebanon, the United States and Canada.
With Rio still present in mind, I was fortunate to be offered a position at the conclusion of my Master's with the French- based sports marketing agency, Lagardère Sports, in Geneva. The role combined my media experience, passion for sports and career goals. It ensured a chance to punch my ticket to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
"I decided to take a serious investment in my Olympic-sized goal. If New York taught me anything, you need to go where your network and your industry is. Following this rule, I applied to a Master's program in Lausanne, Switzerland, the home of the International Olympic Committee."
Annie O'Shea (Class of 2012)
If you are wondering what exactly is that I do, I work with European Broadcasters on implementing their media rights. Think of anytime that you have seen NBC's broadcast of the Olympic Games—the studio sets, the promotions on TV, the special programs/documentaries, their website layout, mobile application, etc. I work with European broadcasters to ensure that when they do these exact same things, they must follow the IOC marketing guidelines and their rights within their contract. Sometimes, I can find myself talking to 10 countries a day on how they plan to promote and broadcast the Olympic Games.
I will be in Rio for about three weeks before and during the Olympic Games. Within my team, I will be stationed at the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) to assist my clients.
I am very excited! My first Olympic experience tied to an accumulation of the past four years of professional goals and past 20 years of dreams. And if I meet Michael Phelps, that would not be too bad either!
Check back to GoHolyCross.com for more posts from Annie at the Olympics!
