Olympic Journal: Carla Mae Richards

AUGUST 5

Well, it was quite a journey to Athens this week but, then, nothing like the journey this team has traveled for the past four or more years. For me it was discovering that the lines of fortune had been twisted in the routing through London’s Heathrow airport. The night before there had been some serious rainstorms creating havoc on people’s lives including many of the British Air crews. So when the United flight from Chicago was delayed to such an extent that we arrived in London an hour later, I missed my connecting British Air flight. Fortunately, the wonderful crew at the United Olympic desk had rebooked me on the next flight to Athens, four hours after my original flight. So, unbeknownst to me, a simple transfer to the British Air terminal and getting a new boarding pass turned out to be a Rod Serling scene. First it took 25 minutes to get from one terminal to another only to discover that the line to the British Air desk was three hours long!!! So many flights had been cancelled creating havoc for hundreds of passengers all trying to have a British Air agent solve their travel problems. After almost two hours in line a wandering agent came near enough to me so that I could explain that I had been rebooked and needed only a boarding pass. She was kind enough to take my papers, go struggle in the back room and come back 15 minutes later with my boarding pass. I said adieu to my neighboring sufferers and scooted to the next staging area only to discover that the only way to learn the gate for one’s flight was via electronic information boards mounted throughout the many lounge areas that would eventually flash the gate for one’s flight. A half hour past the scheduled departure time the gate number was finally displayed for the last leg of my trip to Athens.

Throughout these delays the godsend of gifts of our modern era made all the difference between utter frustration and just mild panic – the cellular phone. With that in hand I was able to talk to the United desk in Denver when the flight was delayed in Chicago and then to Bob Largman, our team leader, so he could let the USOC personnel know that I would probably be delayed in getting to Athens saving them from unnecessary waiting for my non arrival!! For me it was a relief to know I had the tool by which I would ease my own travel anxieties and relax a bit.

Once I arrived in Athens the rest was beautifully orchestrated by the USOC and the Olympic organizing committee. My credential was ready for certification and I breezed through passport control. I am now a bona fide member of the US Olympic delegation, able to access Village, USOC Ops Center, venue and where ever else I may need to go. Getting one’s credential at the airport was a snap of the fingers and much easier than one can imagine. I am now safely esconced at the apartments rented through the USOC at the American College of Greece. What a change for me, in particular, as I have been living in an Extended Stay hotel pending my final move to Georgia. There I had one room with a small kitchen area. Here I am staying in a 2-bedroom, air-conditioned apartment with full kitchen – refrigerator, waffle iron, hot water maker, pots, pans, silverware and dishes, plenty of closet space and looking out over the city and the Olympic stadium in the near distance. And then there was Bob Largman, greeting me when I arrived at the USOC Ops Center and ready to take me around to get my bearings. It is always nice to have a friendly face in a strange land.

I have gained even greater respect and regard for what our athletes endure all year long in their travels to so many different cities and countries to compete in World Cup competitions. They need to be flexible and ready to solve unexpected delays, flight cancellations, food and drink deprivation, and communication barriers. Somehow they get through all that, get their luggage at their destination, and refocus to fence at the best of their skills. This team has endured all that and more I am sure that we will all get glimpses of as the stories are told. This is one of our strongest, best-trained teams in the history of US participation in the Olympic Games. For the first time, our athletes have traveled to different parts of Europe to train on foreign soil before coming to Athens. They have lived, breathed and dreamed of this moment in time in the spotlight of the world and the fruition of their wildest hopes. Fencers represent one of the few remaining vestiges of the amateur athlete, especially American fencers. Their sacrifices and concentrated training of the past years and this year especially will come down to a brief time under the lights of the Olympic venue. Here they will start the day in a direct elimination, no preliminary round to warm up, settle the nerves and get psyched. They have to be at their peak at the first “En Garde” command of the referee. The march to the medal round will involve no more than three bouts. Hard to envision that so much time, effort, blood sweat and tears come down to such a brief passage of a few fencing bouts. Like any artist the tremendous hours of training, practice, learning and digesting, comes down to a short time under the lights in front of an audience.

Regardless of the outcome of these Games, US fencing has benefited beyond all expectations. Our younger and upcoming generations of fencing will have a high standard to live up to; fencing has not received such boundless media attention – tv, magazines, newspapers, radio interviews. Attention we all craved but had no concept of its impact on everyone’s lives involved with the development of the sport. And, yes, we have high expectations of being on television during these Games. NBC will so many affiliates will present fencing on one of these affiliates and with all the touches going in favor of our fencers hope vibrates that US fencers will be seen as they score their way to medal position.

I look forward to sharing this great adventure with all our supporters throughout the country. Though so much attention may be showered on a few, it is really a light glowing on all of us involved in the sport. Their victories will be yours to share for without your staunch support and life long pursuit of fencing, they time in the sun might not have been fulfilled. Stay tuned throughout the next two weeks as we seek to fulfill dreams of old.