Celebrating Sochi

Just when you thought my Olympic stories were done...

Friday, CBC invited 2010 Blue Jackets (the nickname lovingly given to Vancouver Olympic & Paralympic volunteers) to come by the station for the Early Edition radio show. They were very kind to us and gave us all sorts of swag, in the form of pins (with the exception of the bear shown above-I won that one from Petro Canada, online.) and treats.

Here's a selfie I took in their official Sochi Olympic radio broadcasting booth.

As you can see, the event was well attended. A small handful of us arrived at 5:30 am for the start of the braodcast. We were the keeners! It wasn't a problem for me, being an early riser. I was able to catch a ride with my husband, which was memorable because just as he was letting me off, he thought he'd turned backwards up a one-way in the downtown core. (He didn't-some idiot from the City of Vancouver had parked his pick up in the middle of the oncoming lane. It gave of both of us a moment of panic until I realized there was a yellow line down the middle of the street and we were on the correct side of it.)

I did a little on air interview about my favourite memory from the 2010 Olympics. 

VANOC CEO John Furlong stopped by for an interview.

So did Canadian Gold Medalist in Snowboard, Ross Rebagliati.

He brought along his bulldog Logan, who was very sweet.

Photo op! (At this point, I'd changed out of my Blue Jacket and into my down parka because it was freezing!)

Sunday, the Blue Jackets were invited to Creekside Community Center in the Athletes' Village to celebrate the Games.

While we were waiting for things to get started, this reporter from CBC's French TV asked me to do an interview. It lasted about 5 minutes.

There was a parade, singing of the national anthem and then lots of entertainment, booths and food trucks. A whole bunch of reporters from tv and the papers came out. This photo was of the 5:30 am crew from Friday at CBC Radio and someone photobombing us in the background. 

Incidentally, notice the RCMP member's medal? I have one just like it at home. I should have worn mine!

Canadian Gold Medalist Skier Ashleigh McIvor was there, letting Blue Jackets try on her medal and get a photo and she was also signing postcards as a thank you for our service in 2010. She was incredibly patient and generous with everyone. A real class act!

Just before I was leaving, I did a second TV interview with Brian Coxford from Global BC.

Here's a shot of me on French CBC. Having been on CBC TV and CBC Radio over the weekend, I feel like I've been validated as a true Canadian. *laughs* 

One very wonderful thing that I wanted to share with you before I sign off, is that as of this morning, my friend Andrea Bundon  (Or should I say Doctor Andrea!) has officially been named to Canada's Paralympic Team, as a guide for Cross Country Ski athlete, Margarita Gorbounova. I am so incredibly happy and excited for them to compete and I'll be cheering so loud, I am sure they will hear me all the way from Canada!

In the meantime, you really should go check out Andrea's blog about Paralympic Sport, AthletesFirst. Seriously!

Sochi 2014 Celebrations!

Just a quick post to help get the word out about a few events happening around the Sochi Olympics:

The first two are for Blue Jackets-time to suit up & celebrate!

I hope you’re doing well and excited about the upcoming Olympics. I work for CBC Radio and am currently organizing a big opening ceremonies show for our morning program, “The Early Edition”, on Friday, February 7th. 

I’m writing to invite blue jacket volunteers to come down to our show. It will be held in and around our new CBC Canada House, which is our Olympics studio, between 6-9 a.m. at Georgia and Hamilton in downtown Vancouver. There will be free coffee and the ceremonies will be on our big screen outside the CBC studios.

If you’re interested in coming, we would love to have you out. If you could possibly pass this along to any other blue jacket volunteers, I would sincerely appreciate that as well. 

 Jeremy Allingham 

Producer,CBC Radio One 

***** 

Winter Games Legacy Celebration for Blue Jacket Volunteers 

Sunday, 9 February 2014 from 12:30pm until 2:30pm 

Creekside Community Centre, 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver 

 Celebrate and commemorate the Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games at Creekside Centre in the former Olympic & Paralympic Athletes Village! This is an all ages event that will feature big screen play back of Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Events, games and craft stations for children and much more! 

All former volunteers at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games can register to attend this free event and participate in a parade, pin trading, interactive games, and enjoy live entertainment. 

Registration is required for Blue Jacket Volunteers (ages 19+) and have your accreditation pass number ready when registering, and present on the day of the event. To register, please call the Creekside Community Recreation Centre at 604–257–3050 ext 2.

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BC Sports Hall Of Fame & Museum 

Red Mitten Weekend 

Feb. 8, 9 &10th 10 am-5pm 

Gate A, BC Place Stadium 

Website:http://www.bcsportshalloffame.com/ 

Hey kids, do you remember where your RED MITTENS are? Be sure to find them and wear them to the BC Sports Hall of Fame over Family Day Weekend for FREE admission! 

We've got lots of activities to choose from Family Day weekend February 8,9, & 10th including:

- the chance to slam some ping pongs against your opponent on the table used in the 2010 Athletes’ Village 

- a unique collection of figure skating paintings of Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Joannie Rochette, and Johnny Weir 

- breaking a sweat in our games room where you can rock-climb, run, and try your hockey shootout skills! 

- watching highlights of the 2010 Games on our big screen and MUCH MORE! 

Everyone welcome! Look forward to seeing you over the weekend!

This Just In!

The good people at the BC Sports Hall of Fame asked me to let all you Blue Jackets out there know that if you were unable to attend the reunion they hosted for us over the weekend, you can still take advantage of 50% off admission (with your Olympic and/or Paralympic accreditation ID) and sign the Blue Jacket Legacy wall until February 28th. They are open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Gate A at BC Place Stadium.

Honestly, if you weren't able to attend this past weekend, I strongly encourage you to make the effort to go see the beautiful exhibits they've created with artifacts from our Games, whether you're a Blue Jacket or not. It's inspiring and informative and they do an amazing job preserving and archiving the history of sport in our province.

2 Year Anniversary of the 2010 Games

Today marks 2 year since the 2010 Olympics kicked off. It's hard to believe that much time has passed-in many ways it seems like it was just yesterday. This time last year, my teammate, Sharon and I, along with some of the other members of our athletes' marshalls team were trooping around downtown at the 1 year anniversary celebrations. It was a cold and rainy day a year ago. I am so glad that was not the case today!

This morning, the BC Sports Hall of Fame welcomed the Blue Jackets to their brand new 2010 Gallery. It's beautiful-as bright and colourful as the games themselves were and chock full of fantastic artifacts.

It was fun to see the souvenirs they had as well and to see how many of them I collected as keepsakes for myself. These were the Coke bottles and flags from the Olympic Torch Relay. The relay went right past the end of my street at one point and they were handing out the flags and bottles of Coke to everyone who came out to watch. I have 2 different bottles sitting on my dresser and the flag is here in my studio.

The little figures were from McD's, another sponsor of the Games. I think I have the blue bobsleigh on the top left stashed somewhere. I have the packets of Excel gum saved as well-I sewed them into my 2010 ROD journal. (Which you can see here and here.)

The BC Sports Hall of Fame arranged to have a special wall set up for VANOC CEO John Furlong and the Blue Jackets to sign. I think it will become part of the gallery after this weekend.

 (I signed in red on the lower left.)

Mr. Furlong was kind enough to pose for a photo with me, after he presented his own Blue Jacket to the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Soon it will join all the other uniforms that they have on display.

They did a fabulous job of gathering a wide variety of items-everything from torches, to Games time uniforms, to uniforms from some of the athletes from other countries, to a huge collections of pins, to medals and so on. I took a ton of photos, but I really want to encourage you to visit if and when you can. It's really worth seeing up close and personal.

Here's a little video footage of the celebration:




THANK YOU
BC Sports Hall of Fame for hosting us!

While I was there, I met Nadine who worked for VANOC. She very kindly helped me get some photos of myself at the Sports Hall. I usually shoot self portraits, but it's nice to let someone else take the photos sometimes! I had fun hanging out with her and swapping our 2010 stories.

While we were talking, I was reminded that there is another anniversary this weekend. Two years ago, Gorgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili lost his life in a terrible accident on the track up at Whistler. It seems only right to mention it here and to take a moment to think of his family and to remember their loss. He was gone far too soon.

Olympic & Paralympic Anniversary Celebration

Just when you thought you'd seen the last of my 2010 Olympics posts....

January 11th marks the 2 year anniversary of the 2010 Games and there's going to be a celebration! Yes indeed! The BC Sports Hall of Fame is hosting the celebration at their new digs at BC Place with all kinds of fun activities.

Here's what's happening:

Admission:

If you are a Blue Jacket, you can get in for free with your accreditation ID.

 I think most of us who will be attending will also be wearing our Blue Jackets as well.

If you aren't a Blue Jacket, you can still get in for half price all weekend (this includes guests that come with any Blue Jacket) 

The first 25 kids wearing their 2010 Red Mittens get in for free.

If you follow the BC Sports Hall of Fame on Facebook, you can send them a note detailing why your family is a "Red Mitten Family" for the chance to win a family pass to the Red Mitten Weekend for February 11th or February 12th! Entries are due Wednesday February 8th!

Activities:

Saturday Only:

-Book signing with 2010 VANOC CEO John Furlong from 10 a.m.-12 noon.

-Photo Op with the 2010 Olympic medals.

All Weekend:

-Blue Jacket Reunion

-Tour the brand new 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Gallery

-Red Mitten Colouring Contests

-Go Canada Go! Scavenger Hunt

Sunday Only:

-The museum will be playing the Gold medal hockey game and Opening Ceremonies.

I will be there marking the occasion and it sounds like some of my Athletes' Marshall teammates will be coming too. In the last two weeks, while volunteering for the 2012 Olympic women's soccer qualifier, I've walked by the Sports Hall several times and from the outside, what I could see of the 2010 Games Gallery looked fantastic. I can't wait to see it up close and in person! It should be a very good time and I promise there will be pictures!

Light Hunters, Day 5

 I shot both these photos while at our Blue Jacket Athletes' Marshalls BBQ on Monday night. Incredibly, this little piece of paradise is a mere 20 minutes from my home. One of the members of my team lives here and hosted the party on her dock. It was so peaceful and we felt like we were miles from the city. She has a speed boat, so I took these as we were tooling along, capturing the light where I live.

 

What I love about this sunset is how the sun forms a 6 sided star and that that shape is reflected in the water. If you click the image to make it big, you will clearly see them.

March 21, 2011: Blue Jackets' Day

Olympic, Paralympic volunteers day proclaimed!

VICTORIA – The provincial government has proclaimed March 21, 2011 as “Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day,” announced Deputy Premier Kevin Falcon today.

“The highly-recognizable blue jacket clad Olympic volunteers were the welcoming and smiling face of the Olympic and Paralympic Games for thousands of our visitors,” said Falcon. "Their selfless commitment and dedication to serving helped to make our Games the most successful Winter Olympics ever.”

An estimated 25,000 people served as volunteers for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, including more than 1,000 volunteers from around the world.

“British Columbians have a well-deserved reputation for their willingness to volunteer in community and charity groups,” said the Honourable Steven Point, Lieutenant-Governor of B.C. “Our strong volunteer spirit was on display throughout the Olympic and Paralympics and I want to thank all 25,000 volunteers for making the Games a truly special and memorable event.”

In total eight proclamations were made by the Province recognizing 17 British Columbian athletes who won medals individually or as members of a team and those who served as volunteers during the Olympics or Paralympics. The full list of proclamations includes:

· Maelle Ricker Day (Feb. 16, 2011)

· Ashleigh McIvor Day (Feb. 23, 2011)

· Chris Le Bihan and Denny Morrison Day (Feb. 27, 2011)

· Duncan Keith, Scott Niedermayer, Brent Seabrook, Roberto Luongo and Shea Weber Day (Feb. 28, 2011)

· Josh Dueck and Lindsay Debou Day (March 13, 2011)

· Lauren Woolstencroft and Karolina Wisniewska Day (March 15, 2011)

· Ina Forrest, Jim Armstrong, Sonja Gaudet and Darryl Neighbour Day (March 20, 2011)

· Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day (March 21, 2011)

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The text of the “Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day” proclamation reads:

WHEREAS we recognize the invaluable contributions made to the hosting of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games by the tens of thousands of volunteers who helped make the event the most successful Winter Games in history, and

WHEREAS the volunteers were the smiling and welcoming ambassadors of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and

WHEREAS the familiar blue jackets of the volunteers were one of the most memorable icons of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and

WHEREAS Our Lieutenant Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, has been pleased to enact Order in Council 903 on October 11, 2002;

NOW KNOW YE THAT We do by these presents proclaim and declare that March 21, 2011, shall be known as

“Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day”

in the Province of British Columbia.

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of Our Province to be hereunto affixed.

WITNESS, The Honourable Steven L. Point, Lieutenant Governor of Our Province of British Columbia, in Our City of Victoria, in Our Province, this fourteenth day of February, two thousand eleven and in the sixtieth year of Our Reign.

BY COMMAND.

***********
I am so proud to count myself among the beloved Blue Jackets of the 2010 Games. People still stop me to ask for help or directions when I am wearing my jacket. Those Jackets and the people in them made an indelible impression on the world. I am extremely proud of that legacy and today I celebrate it, along with thousands of others who came from across Canada to serve visitors from around the world, this country, this province, this city and most importantly, the Olympic and Paralympic Athletes. It was our privilege and our honour.

And So It Goes...

So...like the rest of Canada, I watched the special on CTV last night and held my breath every time I thought my segment might come on...but it didn't. Alas, it ended up on the virtual cutting room floor.

In the big scheme of things, it really doesn't matter. It was great fun meeting Dave and Jeff and by way of email, Tracy. It's another amazing memory (and story) to add to an already incredible Games experience. I also have a signed photo and handwritten card from Brian Williams who instilled in me an abiding love for the Games and set me off on this wondrous journey in the first place. I've been exceptionally lucky in all of this. Like I said before, my Olympic dreams far exceeded anything I'd ever envisioned. It's one of the biggest things I've crossed off my life list.

EDIT: This just in: CTV's posted my "Shared Experience" on their website. You can view it here. There is always a silver lining.

The photo above was taken on Saturday. It's dark because it was pouring rain. My teammate and pal Sharon and I stopped by the CTV booth to have our photo taken together. They had a blue screen and we got to choose a background we wanted to appear on. Well apparently, you cannot take a blue screen photo in a Blue Jacket. What resulted was the worst photo ever-we're two floating heads. I didn't throw mine away though-I'm putting it in my journal so when I look at it, I will remember how silly it was and how hard we laughed when we saw them. (And the fact that we stood in a torrential downpour for 45 minutes waiting to get our picture taken.) In a way, it's so typical of our shared experiences of the Games-completely unpredictable and hilariously funny.

One thing I failed to mention in my previous post was that about 2 minutes prior to the torch actually being relit, the rain stopped and the sun broke through the clouds. It was the oddest thing. Apparently John Furlong has pretty big connections!

This weekend (and the whole Olympic and Paralympic experience, really) can, in my estimation, be summed up this way:

"There is a community of the spirit. Join it, and feel the delight of walking in the noisy street, and being the noise." ~Rumi

Okay, so I guess that's it for Olympic coverage! If you missed it, I've posted an Olympic giveaway. It's your chance to have a small piece of the magic for your very own! Click here for details on how to enter!

2010 Olympic Anniversary Weekend

Yesterday was so much fun, I can hardly put it into words, really. The Olympic spirit is alive and well in Vancouver. Yesterday truly was a day for the Blue Jackets to celebrate everything we accomplished. All around the city, people were stopping us to thank us for our service to our city and our country. They were also stopping us to ask for help or information. Those jackets made a very strong impression with people and I feel very honoured to be a part of that legacy.

It felt really good to get together with several members of my team and create new memories while reliving our Olympic experience. We had breakfast together with John Furlong and had another chance to have our copies of Patriot Hearts signed. Since I already had a signed copy of my own from participating in the Flash Mob on Thursday, I got the additional copy personalized for my in-laws. John graciously (and patiently) signed books before breakfast and then spoke after our meal. I have some video of that that I will post tomorrow. (I haven't had a chance to upload it yet.)

My friend and teammate Sharon and I went over to Granville Street midday to join in the fun there and then later made our way back to Jack Poole Plaza for 4 p.m. to see the torch lit. We stayed until dusk so we could get photos after dark as well. It was a long day, but a good one. Here are a small fraction of the 235+ photos I took yesterday. As always, mouse over the images to read the captions.

Today I was up and out early with my husband as we had tickets to visit the Canadian Mint pavilion. During the Olympics, I tried 5 TIMES to see the medals, but was unable to gain access-that's how popular the pavilion was. When I heard we'd be given one last chance this weekend, I made sure I got tickets (which were free!) right away. Persistence pays off! It was the one thing on my Games to-do list that had been unwillingly left undone, so I was very happy to finally cross it off the list today.

The medals were gorgeous! The last time I saw them was in Ring Road on the night of the Closing Ceremonies. They were hanging around the necks of the athletes to whom they had been awarded. (Which was kind of a surreal experience.)

We had to put white cotton gloves on before we were allowed to touch them. The medals are surprisingly heavy, weighing in at 2.2 lbs. each. They had a considerable heft to them. It was well worth the wait to see them. The people working at the Mint were incredibly nice, which in my opinion made the experience that much more special. Even the police officer stationed there was super nice. Everyone is in such a wonderful, festive mood this weekend.

While I was talking with Susan, one of the Mint employees, my sweet husband snuck over to the counter and purchased two sets of the commemorative coins for me. I've been saving a good number of them as they show up in my change, but I haven't yet managed to collect the entire set. So Happy Valentine's Day to me!

Here's some of the photos  I took at the Canadian Mint Pavilion today.(Which admittedly need to be cropped, but I am too tired. Forgive me!)

Captions are there if you mouse over.

Now we are getting ready for a celebration dinner at home, followed by watching CTV's 1 Year Olympic Anniversary special. I am *SO* excited!! Before I sign off, I just wanted to remind you that I posted a GIVEAWAY earlier today (it's the previous post) so be sure to go to that post to get the details about how to enter to win!

Where's The Party?!?

This weekend is going to be one giant party to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of the Games. WOOHOO!! So put on your red & white and join in the fun- it's time to reignite our Canadian pride!

This weekend's celebrations include:

Blue Jacket Reunion Breakfast with John FurlongVancouver Convention Centre West side – Ballroom C and D

February 12th, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

This is a paid, ticketed event and tickets must be purchased in advance.
You can do so here.

***

Olympic Torch at Jack Poole Plaza

February 12th, 4 p.m.

The outdoor Olympic torch will be relit for the one year anniversary of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games! (Blue Jackets will be having a reunion in the plaza all day long, beginning at noon, till 11:30 p.m.) This event is FREE.

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Relive Centre Ice On Granville St.

Granville Street at Robson Street, Vancouver 

 February 12th, 12:00pm - 9:00pm   

Play street hockey (bring your stick and a donation for the food bank), watch buskers, enjoy live music, meet the athletes of the 2010 Olympic Games and watch highlights from the Games! This event is FREE.

***

Olympic Medals At The Royal Canadian Mint Boutique

 752 Granville Street, Vancouver

 February 10th - 13th 

Another chance to see the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic medals on display at the Royal Canadian Mint boutique if you missed doing so during the Games. This event is FREE but you MUST reserve free tickets to gain entry. Click here to register.

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Robson Square Ice Rink

 Howe Street at Robson Street, Vancouver

February 12th, 9:00am - 11:00pm 

Activities commemorating the one year anniversary of the opening of the Olympic Games will include free skating, visits by Olympic Athletes and performances! (Skate rentals $3.)

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Vancouver  Art Gallery

750 Hornby Street, Vancouver

February 12th, 10:00am - 5:00pm

Admission to the Art Gallery will be FREE on the one year anniversary of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games!

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 Illuminate Yaletown

February 11 & 12 Yaletown, Vancouver

February 12th, 5:30pm - 11:00pm

Explore Yaletown's historic streetscape during Illuminate Yaletown which features contemporary light art installations. This event is FREE.

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If that's not enough for you, there's plenty more places to join in the celebration, all over the Lower Mainland. Click here for an extensive list of events.

If you're looking for information on the upcoming TV specials for the one year anniversary, you will find them here.

Okay, I am off to participate in a Blue Jacket Flash Mob. Should be more fun than a barrel of monkeys! Back soon with photos!



*Every effort has been made to ensure information posted is accurate.

Getting Glossies

 While I was out and about today, I picked up some goodies at Chapters. First, I found the current issue of CPS, which I wanted to get because the mysterious and talented Seth Apter has a feature in this issue. He was involved in a collaborative project called "Self Contained" and I want to read the article. Not only is this work in the magazine, but it also made the cover! Way to go Seth! I can't wait to read all about it!

 The latest issues of Stampington's magazines were also on the shelf and I made the mistake of picking up Somerset Life. This particular magazine appeals to me simply for the photographs. I will confess that I'm not in it for the articles-it's all about the eyecandy. I thumb through slowly and daydream about making the things in it, about getting those things as gifts in the mail, having those things gracing my studio...yes, I'm just a tad smitten with the contents of this magazine. I had to buy it. At $18 CDN it's steep but I couldn't resist.

The other little goody I bought was this Verso clip light. I find that since our place doesn't have overhead lighting, in the winter evenings, especially when the weather is ugly, I am straining to read at night-so much so that I've pretty much given up. I spotted this little gizmo and thought it would be worth trying. It was all of $20. It came in blue or white, so I got white. I wish there had been red ones in stock. (My fav colour.)

The batteries already in it, so it's ready to use and the box claims you can get 20 hours of light out of it. You can clip it to your book (if it's a hardcover) or if you own a Kobo or iPad (sadly, I don't) you can clip it to that. The neck is adjustable. I'll give it a whirl. If I don't like it, I can return it.

While I was standing there looking at the lights, a clerk came running up and asked if I had a Kobo. (The display with the Verso lights had all the Kobo stuff on it too. I think she thought I was looking at the Kobos.) I told her no, I have an iPod and before I'd even finished getting the words out, *poof* she was gone! Why waste time talking to someone who isn't going to enhance your commission? Not terribly impressed with that Chapters! The staff all seem to have better things to do than help you shop. *rolls eyes* She didn't even stick around to tell me about the darn Kobo, about which I know nothing. Maybe if she had, I might have bought one. She'll never know! Silly woman!

Anyway, I'm off to dinner shortly with my Blue Jacket team. We're celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the 2010 Games tonight. It's a month early, but some people were coming in from out of town (including the girl from Quebec whom I hosted for 3 weeks) and there's a big day-long party next month for all the Blue Jackets, so we wanted to be able to attend that. It's hard to believe that this time last year, I was sitting on the secret that I was going to be carrying a torch for the Paralympic Torch Relay. How time flies!

It will be great to see my team and catch up. We've been getting together every couple of months for dinner-we're pretty tight. It's nice that that was part of the legacy of the Games-we all got to make new friends and we've stayed in touch. I'm excited to hang out with my travel partner Sharon tonight. We spend 99% of our time together laughing. We had THE BEST time travelling back and forth from the venue during the Games. Every night was an adventure. We have stories!

Okay, I must fly, but do check out Seth's blog, if not the article in CPS. Lots of inspiring stuff there.