Official Commemorative Book

Only a few days ago, I received an email from my good buddy John Furlong. His note was informing me (along with a few of our other friends) that this week VANOC released the Vancouver 2010 souvenir book called:

"With Glowing Hearts: The Official Commemorative Book of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games/Des plus brillants exploits: Le livre commmoratif officiel des XXIes Jeux olympiques dhiver et des Xes Jeux paralympiques dhiver"



In less than a week it is said to already be a Canadian Bestseller. VANOC says it has already received 14,000 orders and is expecting to clear out its first 17,500 prints.

This is a 400 page book of the Games' greatest pictures, quotes and memories; perhaps Sidney Crosby's golden goal might be mentioned?

Here's a note from the publisher: In 2010, Vancouver and Whistler will host 17 days of Olympic Winter Games competition (February 12-28) and 10 days of Paralympic Winter Games competition (March 12-21). With Glowing Hearts will be the single most powerful visual representation of those 27 days of sport - an exclusive publication capturing the true spirit of the Games, as told through breathtaking photographic images and captions that bring the reader right back to the "field of play" and all the Games action. The book will showcase the raw emotion and pure excitement of the Games - a volume to be treasured by all Games enthusiasts wishing to savour the Vancouver 2010 experience long after the competition ends. The first time an official commemorative book of the Games sanctioned by the Organizing Committee has been widely available to the general public, With Glowing Hearts will truly be a Games keepsake.

I hear there's even a quote from my own buddy John; I'm heading to Chapters to pick up a copy. Or you can order online!

Passing the Torch of Global Citizenship

Taking place in the UBC studios, Sharing The Dream, a team of highschool students from the lowermainland, and Global Citizens of the world had their final webcast. There they reflected on the legacies that the Games will leave behind and they connected with Students from London to give them advice on how to make their Games as successful as ours. They shared their experiences, and and encouraged the students to get involved and be an active participant in the Olympic Games, they also passed on the torch of global citizenship to the youth in London. There were big names in attendance such as Olympians Julia Murray and Jonathon Edwards, Paralympian Tyler Mosher, Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid and the CEO of VANOC Mr. John Furlong.

Throughout the entire webcast I was amazed at how calm and relaxed the Sharing the Dream webcast team looked. They spoke with such ease and their words were brilliant.

Check it out here! http://www.sharingthedream.gov.bc.ca/resources/webcasts/welcome.php

The Life of a Pin Trader

On the seabus and downtown was the journey yesterday in hopes of getting on that popular Robson Square zip-line. Eight hours was what the sign next to us read, and I wasn't willing to wait in line 8 hours for a 20 second ride, so we opted out. As cool as it would have been to have a birds eye view of the city, I don't think I could have wasted half of my day in that line-up.

Instead I used the day to live the life of a pin trader. I learned all kinds of stuff and it was a neat experience. I talked to many of the pin traders, some were quite cranky and others were very friendly, but they were all interesting people. One guy I talked to has been collecting pins since Calgary '88 and has been at every Olympic Games since. He knows pins like the back of his hands, every night he checks each and every one of his pins' values on EBay, and I tell you that can't be an easy job judging by the numbers. This man in particular was so negative towards the Beijing Olympic Games, he said he was there trading pins but he couldn't stand it so he didn't even stay for the whole time. He said he didn't like how dirty it was and the people were so rude. It was really interesting because to this day, he still won't trade anyone for a Beijing pins, to him they are worthless. I can understand if he didn't enjoy the Beijing Games but does that really have any effect on the pins?



I couldn't imagine how pin trading would give them enough money to fly to an Olympic and Paralympic Games every 2 years. I was tempted to ask him if this was his job or if it was just a hobby but I was afraid I might sound offensive in some way. I find it unbelievable that selling and trading pins would make someone enough money to live off of; but then again they are out there every single day of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and taking it very seriously so it makes you wonder? The pins range in price from about 3 dollars to 100 dollars, can you believe it, $100 for a single pin? These traders say it's just like alcohol or gambling, it's an addiction.

I will admit it was fun and interesting to spend a few hours as a pin trader, but I couldn't imagine doing that all day, every 27 days of these Winter Games.

Expectations

It might be accurate to say that every Canadian was hoping to see Canada win all 3 gold medals in the hockey events. After the conclusion of the Olympic Games, all was good, but since Thursday those dreams were shattered. Canada's sledge hockey team lost 3-1 to Japan, of all countries, in the semi-finals which knocked them out of running. Today they played for bronze, and I know I thought it was a sure win, but I guess I was wrong. Canada lost 2-1 to Norway. Although the sledge team may not have done as well as us Canadians wanted, they did have a great tournament. I think Canadian expectations were too high.

Unfortunately I did not get to see Canada play live, but I did watch their games on TV. I will say Canada played amazingly in all of their games. They are aggressive, they were fast, they could stick handle and pass like a team. I don't think it was for lack of effort that we did not medal, and there's no chance in my mind that it was due to lack of talent. The 2010 Canadian sledge hockey team was talented, and hard working, but I just think Canada doesn't dominate this sport as much as regular ice hockey. I think some teams in this tournament have really proven themselves and came out to be shockingly good. The Japanese and Korean for example.

I kind of feel bad for the poor team. Canada put so much pressure on them, expecting the third gold in hockey. The team played well and tried their best, and that's all we could ask for. I hope they don't feel like they've let down our country because they played amazing and tried so hard, and that's all we could have asked for. We are proud of you boys! And Sochi 2014 will be our time to shine.

A Night to Remember

"One Inspires Many" was the motto of the Ceremonies tonight. And how true is that. From the Rick Hansen story, to the Terry Fox, all the athletes, to the 15 year old boy lighting the flame, from the one legged rocker to the wheelchair skateboarders. One really does inspire many. By the end of the night, after witnessing all those amazing people right in front of my eyes, I found it hard not to be inspired.

Maybe the highlight of the whole performance for me was Betty and Rolly Fox strolling into B.C. Place, torch in hand. It almost brought tears to my eyes. Or maybe it was the 15 year-old boy with dreams of one day being in the Paralympic Games, or maybe it was all the ordinary children dancing in unison and being a part of a bigger picture. Whatever it was, it's too hard to choose, as the entire performance was absolutely mind blowing. What was the highlight for you?

I'd say at the end of the show I was pretty star-struck, maybe not quite as much as I would have been if I had attended the Olympic Openings, but with huge names such as Martin Deschamps, Dal Richards, Nikki Yanofsky, Fefe Dobson and Rick Hansen, I'd say we showcased some pretty amazing Canadian talent. Nikki Yanofsky sang the "I Believe" song which was very popular during the Olympic Games, and tonight I got to sing alongside Nikki. I was with 2000 other singers. I felt like I was just one of the two thousand in the red robes, and that nobody would notice me. That might be true, but I got to be a part of something big, something spectacular, and I will never forget the moment when just minutes after I'm sitting there taking pictures of the athletes, they are turned around taking pictures of me singing. What a magical moment to be a part of, a small part it might have been, but together we did it, we made something beautiful!

For those of you who were wondering along with me, yes the opening breakdancer had a disability. You could most definitely not tell by the amount of mobility he had and his overall ability, but that's what tonight was all about; showcasing the "ability" rather than the "disability". Break dancer Luca (Lazylegz) Patuelli of Montreal, was born with arthrogryposis and diagnosed with scoliosis in his childhood.

Now as great as these Ceremonies were, I think there's some that could have been taken out. Maybe the single tone in unison was unnecessary or Sumi flying through the air. Don't get me wrong, I love Sumi, and his part was cute, but it maybe could have been cut a little shorter and without the cheesy whispers of "Suummiiiii". Anyways, quit the complaining, I really enjoyed how the entire show was so audience participated. We had pompoms we had to wave, we had gold reflectors we had to flash, we even had to get up and dance. I thought the effect of everyone's red and orange lights looked super cool. I heard some complaints about having to wear these uncomfortable ponchos, but they made a really cool picture throughout the crowd, and I thought it was a really neat idea.

Overall I think Canada did a really nice job organizing these Paralympic Opening Ceremonies. We made history in that these were the first ever Paralympic Opening Ceremonies to be televised! And to add to the Canadian pride section, Canada had the most athletes walk across the stage during the athlete's parade. The final moment where they were saying "Welcome to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, the first in Canada!" At that moment I felt proud to be involved in something so legendary, and will remember this night for the rest of my life!

Paralympic Torch Relay

Very exciting day!
The 2010 Paralympic torch relay began today in Ottawa. This relay will be a 10-day journey with over 600 torchbearers, and will visit 11 communities.

If you can look back to before those 17 crazy days, you'd remember that the Olympic torch relay was a 106-day journey with 12,000 torchbearers and visited 1,000 communities.

In a perfect world I would love to see the Paralympic Games to be just as big and recognized as the Olympic Games, however in reality, I don't think that's going to happen. But I do think it is a little ridiculous that the Paralympic Torch Relay is 96 days shorter, has 20 times less torchbearers and visits about one hundredth of the communities. What kind of message is that conveying to people? Do you think that this is part of the problem?

I realize that Canada has done the most out of any of the host countries to try to include the Paralympic Games, and prove that they are just as worth-while as the Olympic Games. As much as Vancouver has done though, I believe they could do a little more, and whether people would buy it, is out of anyone's control, but the effort would be nice to see. What do you think?

On a lighter note, the opening day of the Paralympic torch relay was a great one! Every one of the 13 provinces and territories sent one honourable citizen to carry the torch on the opening day.

British Columbia Rick Mercer; comedian
Alberta Dr. Robert Steadward; Founding president of the International Paralympic Committee
Saskatchewan Jasmine Gerein; daughter of seven-time Paralympian Clayton Gerein
Manitoba Jared Funk; medal-winning Paralympian
Ontario Justin Hines; singer-songwriter
Quebec Dean Bergeron; Paralympic wheelchair racer
Newfoundland and Labrador Erica Noonan; swimmmer
New Brunswick Sabrina Pettinicchi Durepos; four-time Paralympian and wheelchair basketball player
Nova Scotia Chelsea Gotell; swimmer
Prince Edward Island Colin MacLeod; ice sledge hockey player
Yukon Rick Goodfellow; advocate for the rights of people with disabilities
Northwest Territories Katherine Elkin; para-swimmer
Nunavut Simon Koomak; golfer

The Cauldron will be lit at BC Place on March 12th, tune into the Opening Ceremonies at 6:00pm to see the legacy being born.

Here is a comparison of the Paralympic and Olympic torch and uniform. They are identical, except for the colour and logos.

You just can't escape hockey.

It was a recipe for excitement! Canada vs. USA, rival teams with history that goes a long way back, Canadians playing on home soil, gold medal on the line, and ending up in overtime; I could feel my heart skipping beats.



For those who were not lucky enough to attend the game, there was much to do, with two LiveCity sites, Robson Square, local pubs and restaurants. But us Canadians, we'll do anything to have a view of the game. The Students Live crew were so desperate that we ended up watching the Game from Sony in Pacific Centre. It sounds kind of hilarious, but in the end it was fabulous, and we will all remember where we were on this defining moment in Canadian history.



I thought it was hilarious how every person who walked by this Sony was chuckling and then whipping out their cameras. This was a fairly small store, but not small in spirit, there must have been at least 200 people in the store. One of the employees there said she doesn't think they have this many people come into the store in the average week. Now this just proves that Canada will do anything for their hockey!



And out on the streets after the game, oh my gosh. It was a gong show, and the most proud moment of my life. Everyone was waving their flags as high as they could, except for the few Americans I saw who were taking the walk of shame. And everyone was belting out O'Canada, it was a feeling I will never forget. I will say, Canada does not have the most talented singers, but we make up for it in our hockey talent.



These past few weeks have been the best of my life, and I am not just saying that. Truly I will cherish these memories close to my heart. And what a day it was for every Canadian! I don't think words can describe the pride we have for our country, and the love for our National hero 'Sid the Kid'. We could not have asked for a better ending to these fabulous Olympic Games, a sweep of the hockey medals, Canadian women and men bringing home the gold.

Gold medal count: now at 14, the most golds ever won in a single Olympic Games by any country. Now if that title doesn't give you shivers, I don't know what would.



This was the bus team USA drove off on; notice the name of it.

The Party Don't Stop

Day 17 of 18 in these Olympic Games have began, and I know that I am dreading tomorrow, I know that the Closing Ceremonies will be a hard thing to watch. These few weeks have been the best time of my life, filled with so much sport, culture, athletes, concerts and overall fun. It will be hard to see this great event come to an end, and knowing that the Olympic Games will most likely not be back to Vancouver, in my lifetime anyways.

But no need to worry, after tomorrow, we will have a one week break, and then the next chapter of the Games begin; the Paralympic Games. These begin on March 12th, and continue on until the 22nd. A lot of people forget about them, or just decide to leave them out, but they are so worth your time. Tickets are fairly cheep, and the sport is just so amazing!

So as sad as I will be tomorrow night, people don't seem to have to same feeling. Last night as I was walking down the streets of downtown, I was asking people what their feelings were about the Olympic Games coming to an end, and everyone seemed to be saying that the party will continue after the Olympic Games come to an end. The theme seemed to be that everyone was happy we got to experience the biggest worldwide event in our very own city, that we got to be a part of history and will remember this for the rest of our lives. We will be able to share our experiences with our children, and grandchildren, and for that, why should we be somber, we should be celebrating until the end, and even beyond! People were saying that before the Games, they hardly ever ventured downtown, but now they say they'll be down there all the time, it is such a fun place to be.

I loved the atmosphere down there last night, everyone was in such high spirits, and it really warmed my heart. I think it also helped that Canada won 2 golds yesterday, and 4 medals in total, which means Canada is now third in the medal count, and leading in the number of gold medals!

Don't Fret

The other day at a hockey game, one of those guys with the drums who pumps up the crowd said something that made me sad.

His words were "Come on guys, before you know it the Olympics are going to be over, so lets have some fun, show some energy."

This made me so sad to think that these weeks we have been waiting for for 7 years, will be over before we know it. It's been so much fun, and I don't want it to end.
But you know what, the best is still to come; the gold medal hockey games!

And no need to fret, after the Olympic Games are over, we will be heading into the Paralympic Games, which will be just as amazing, if not more. A lot of people forget about the Paralympic Games, or just don't think anything of them, but be sure to check them out. The party will still be going after the Olympic Games are over!

2010 Podiums, very Canadian

Here is a look at the design for the Vancouver 2010 podiums. What do you think? Personally, they were not what I expected, but I really like them. I am used to the traditional, box-like podiums so it was weird seeing these ones, however I think they really represent the host province of BC.

These very unique podiums were designed so that no one forgets the Vancouver Olympics. They are shaped like Vancouver Island, both in form, and topography. The podiums are made of wood from various regions of B.C. Each of the 23 podiums weigh as much as 260 kilograms. These very Canadian pieces of art were made by RONA. We hope to hear O'Canada while our athletes stand at the top of those podiums!

Tour of the Press Centre

You think that a lot of work goes into the Olympic and Paralympic Games. That is a huge understatement.

I don't even think I understood how much time, effort, money and planning went into the Winter Games until I got a first hand look at the Main Press Centre at Canada Place. You'd wonder how much space people need to write an article or edit a photo, but the entire Canada Place is all taken up by media. Not only is the media provided with stations for their journaling or blogging, but they are also provided with food courts, lounge areas, merchandise stores and even massage therapists! I was blown away by how massive the centre was; we got to visit 2 floors of the centre, but there were at least 2 more. And to organize the building they had it themed as the West Coast, with the main hallway names the "Straight of Georgia" and the rooms with names of islands such as Galliano. I can't remember the number of people they said were employed at the Press Centre, but I know it was a massive number and would have blown your mind. And the amount of money they must spend on uniforms alone for the employees, must be outrageous. I asked our tour guide whether all the TVs and such were donated by sponsors or if they were bought. They said that all the TVs were bought by VANOC and after the Games will be sold for cheap prices. It was crazy though how many TVs there were in the centre. They need to have a lot so that the media can be watching several events at once to cover all the necessary events, but I was just amazed at the numbers (and the size). Our tour guide said that the sponsor companies which have separate little booths in the centre have a contest to see which company can get the best quality images up the fastest onto the TV screen in front of their office. Apparently at the Beijing Olympics they could get the photo of someone winning gold up on the screen within 5 seconds. Impressive! It just shows you how great technology is getting these days, and how much they are affecting the Games.



Now I thought the Press Centre was amazing, and I couldn't imagine the organization and money involved in it. But if you think about it, that is only one small aspect of the Games. And then you start looking on the big scale of the Games and if they're spending that much money on media alone, think of every other aspect of the Games, and that is what blows my mind!