And here we are... 4 years later...

Hey all, wow, can't believe I left the states a week ago already as it has been a bit of a whirlwind. Had some delays both out of Colorado Springs as well as O'Hare but we did arrive last Saturday at 9am (3 hours late). There were 14 of us from the USOC which was nice in that we could keep each other posted on the delays and there was more likihood for the airlines to hold planes if need be. Upon arrival at Heathrow we were met by USOC staff already on the ground. It was a fairly efficient process although we landed well in advance of Opening Ceremonies so the masses had not yet arrived. Most folks were staying in London greater while I was the sole person heading down to Weymouth as the USOC appointed Sailing Village Lisaison. Fortuneately for me I had spent about 10 days with the Sailing Team down in Weymouth for a competition a month ago. The advantage was knowing the faces, personalities, routine and area. Definitely a wise decision as it's a very comfortable setting for me and I am a comfortable face to staff and athletes.


I had the fortunate experience to be handed over keys for a brand new manual BMW. FUN! I like a good challenge and while I like to think I can drive a stick with the best of them, it is a challenge when you are shifting with your left hand and driving on the opposite side of the road. I had a 3+ hour drive down to Weymouth from Heathrow so I said my goodbyes & see you in a month and was shown my chariot. I'm not a car person but it was a sweet ride.


The drive down was uneventful. It was on and off rain but for the most part a fairly easy drive on mostly highway. As I got closer to Weymouth I was put to task with my shifting abilities. I often thought I was shifting from 2nd to 3rd when I was actually downshifting to 1st. A nice little whiplash. Made it down and the weather was as expected. A bit rainy and cold. Pulling up to the apartments we were staying at I ran into the BoatWright that had arrived that day as well. We were able to get our rooms sorted out through the management and I was off to my Inspection & Inventory meeting scheduled at 16:00 with LOCOG (London Organizing Committee- Olympic Games). In order to complete the I&I I had to get my credentialed sorted out because only accredited folks can access the Athletes Village. I truly wanted to cry when they told me they had to retake my picture for the credential because I did not sleep on the plane and by that point I had been up 24 hours so I was looking lovely. Got the credential and made my way back to the Village. The I&I consisted of a walk through of all the team houses- 3 total for 23 folks (16 sailors and 7 staff) as well as a tour of the Village. Just so folks understand this is a satellite Village for just the Sailors. I believe there are 300+ sailors and probably another 150 support staff so the Village needs to accommodate those numbers. I believe the Village in London accommodates roughly 12,000 persons... a true Village. The other satellite Village is for the Rowing athletes but that venue is closer to London.


I crashed that night at 20:30 only to be awaken from my DEEP sleep at 10ish when the team chef, Leah, arrived. Leah cooks for the team and staff when they are on the road depending on the size of the group. It helps ensure nutritional meals for the athletes and is fairly cost effective not to mention efficient for everyone except maybe Leah. For this event the athletes and credentialed folks with meal access can eat in the Village cafeteria while the non- credentialed staff and those without meal access can eat what Leah provides. I have the best of both worlds and I have been sticking with Leah. Delicious and nutritious- my favorite combo:)


Next day started with a knock on the door from the boatwright, Donny. I was out of bed quickly and happy to make some good coffee with my aeropress and ground beans from Ravens Nest. A little bit of heavenly home in Weymouth. Made it down to "the shed" aka "Camp Billingham" which is space US Sailing has rented the last 3-4 years knowing they would be spending a lot of time in Weymouth prepping for the Games. It's a huge open area, almost like a hanger, that they can store boats and supplies. It has been modified so there is an athlete room with a TV, workout area, an area for the PTs to work out of as well as work space for staff. Pretty cool area and definitely an advantage for the Americans. At this point it's just Donny, Leah and I. As the team has not even left the states yet but are in New York for a Yacht Club Team Send Off.

Next was the container inspection by security personal. You can only imagine the logistics of a sport like sailing. There are 10 classes so 10 boats, too many masts to count, sails, equipment galore. The triathletes thought they had it bad in terms of shipping... they got nothing on the sailors. Lots of stuff. The container holds a lot of this stuff and is shipped all over the world. Container inspection was uneventful so I was on my way. Ran some errands into Weymouth to find dongles for our sports psychologist and myself so we could connect at our apartments in the evenings because there is not an available wireless signal.

The town is extremely cute. Apparently is's a holiday/ tourist town in the summer as it's right on the coast. There's many cute little restaurants and pubs and plentiful docks for boats as this is obviously a boating and fishing town.

Because the next day I needed to be at Heathrow for when the sailing group arrived at 6am, I decided I would head that night to an airport hotel where a co-worker was staying in order to avoid a 3am wake up and drive up. I also decided that would likely be the only time to get to Stonehenge. But before that adventure I was intent on getting a run in as it was the most brilliant and beautiful day.

Looking somewhat east (I think) just over the town of Portland. Portland is on the island just off the coast from Weymouth. A causeway connects the two. The sailing village and competition venue are actually on the island and the sailing occurs between the two.