Post Olympic Trials

On June 28th, 2012 I got to watch my husband pole vault, in the rain, onto the USA Track and Field Olympic Team!  It was one of the coolest experiences of my life!  To see Jeremy on the medal stand, wearing the new Olympic uniform, was very special.  In the aftermath of the trials there is, well, CHAOS!  Lots of friends and family have been asking us questions, so I thought I would answer some of the more common questions here.

My Olympic Trials Feet!

Do family members get to go to the Olympics for free?

 No!  An Olympian gets two free tickets to their particular events.  All other tickets must be purchased.  Tickets have been sold out for months, so to obtain tickets you must go through a broker (such as an "official" ticketing agency or travel agency that bought tickets in bulk).  Tickets range (from what I have seen) from $100-$1,500.  Most of the tickets available at this late date are definitely in the higher price range.
Friends and family attending the Olympics must also purchase airfare, ground transportation (to and from airport and around London) and hotel accommodations.  Hotels close to the Olympic venues are about $500 a night and airfare depends on your city or origin and carrier.
The athlete is required to stay in the Olympic Village.  No friends or family may stay with the athlete.  Security to get in the Village is very strict and very few guests are allowed.

Does a coach get to go to the Olympics for free?

It depends.  An athlete gets two free tickets, so if the athlete chooses to use this for a coach, then the coach gets in free.  If the athlete uses those tickets for others then the coach does not have a ticket and must purchase one like everyone else.  Airfare and accommodations must also be arranged.
Once a coach has a ticket into the event, they may sit in the Coach's Box, but they must first have a ticket to the event.  To get credentials to sit in the Coach's Box the coach must have cleared security and background checks since they will have access to the athletes.

Cam's Artwork

What happens next?  [meaning immediately after the Olympic Trials]

An athlete, immediately after knowing they placed in a position that makes them eligible for the Olympic team (meaning immediately after competition) will be interviewed and drug tested. [You can watch part of Jeremy's press conference, here.]  In the days following they will go through "Olympic orientation" (my term).  This involves meetings where athletes are given basic information from the Olympic committee, as well as information on what to expect when arriving in London and throughout the Olympic experience. Athletes also get measured for their uniform for the Opening Ceremony, as well as competition uniforms.

For the wife or loved one of an athlete, the few days following the trials are spent being travel agent and public relations specialist.  Coordinating 5 different families schedules, preferences and budgets to find airline tickets, hotel accommodations and event tickets is no easy task!

How am I feeling?

I feel like I made the Olympic team!  I can't quite describe it, so this is my best analogy.  I compare Jeremy making the Olympic team to me giving birth (I have yet to come up with a better analogy, so just stick with me).  I endured hours of labor and physical pain, not to mention 10 months of pregnancy (Cam was a few weeks late), to give birth to our son, Cameron, who is the light of my life.  Jeremy was with me every moment of labor, so supportive and encouraging--he was always by my side!  I couldn't have done it without him (let's face it, it took two people to get in the situation to begin with), but he didn't physically do the work of child birth.  That's how I feel about this experience.  I haven't done the physical work, but I have been with him through this process.  I feel so proud and honored to be part of this experience with him.

How is Jeremy's family feeling?

I can't speak for everyone else (even though I am going to), but his parents and sisters (and their husbands and children and in-laws) are all beyond excited.  I don't even have the exact words for it (again, I am speaking for me, but I would assume they would agree with me), because it's this sense of amazement, excitement and pride.  It's the understanding that this moment is the opportunity to actually see a dream become a reality and that's an amazing thing to witness.  But it's also knowing that every single person who has encouraged, prayed for, supported, coached, mentored, or befriended Jeremy has a part in that dream.  Jeremy is an amazingly talented athlete, but no athlete gets to this place alone--it does, in fact, take a village to get an athlete to the Olympic Village.

So proud of his daddy!

What do I want to say to everyone (ok, no one has asked this, but I want to tell you)?

Thank you!  I have been blown away by all of the encouraging and congratulatory messages, phone calls, emails, etc...  It is amazing to see how many people love and care for, not only Jeremy, but our entire family.  We are so blessed to have such a community of support!  I can't wait to share this experience with every one of you! 

Jeremy's approval of the Olympic Trials Feet

* If you want to follow Jeremy on Twitter to get more timely updates, use @elgrandeusa