My Olympic Dream Stolen

I am an Official on the Biathon site - someone with forty years experience in officiating. Despite my age and a tendon injury, I was always willing to help on the site, shoveling snow, raking, sweeping, changing targets, setting out the course markers, even picking garbage up if needed. My primary job was recording the Bib numbers as they circled the penalty loop. I am good at my job.



I left the Biathlon site on Feb. 16th after 6 tough days working as much as 16 hrs a day. I sobbed all the way home, saying over and over, "It is so unfair, It is so unjust". I had been blamed for errors made by a team member and I was removed from my position. I am devasted, but my Olympic experience began quite differently.



I will start with Feb. 10, the rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony. We were due the next day at 7 am at Whistler Olympic Park (WOP). We are super organized couple. My husband Paul is also an official and for the past many years we've worked together on races. We had the car packed ready to drive to Squamish following the ceremony. To hasten our exit we parked in North Vancouver, took the wonderful Sea Bus to Waterfront and the efficient Sky Train to BC Place.



Volunteers each received a ticket to the rehearsal and could purchase one extra ticket. We invited our daughter and daughter-in-law. They arrived looking fabulous. While I am short, old and a bit round, they look like models. But I did not look too shabby because I was wearing my stand out, brilliant torquoise uniform. It was very trendy until thousands of people showed up everywhere, dressed in the same outfit, and earning us the name "Smurfs".



These are comical small blue creatures first introduced in 1958 and prominent in the 80s. Our Chief of Range at the Biathlon, is Papa Smurf, after one of the original TV characters. Others will be named according to their character flaws and strengths. Most Smurfs are happy, helpful and wonderful ready to sacrifice themselves for the good of others. However, there is always a wicked Gargamel in the village of Smurfs. Google that.



Back to the ceremony. We arrived well in advance, climbed up and up to the top row of BC Place (a painful experience for me and my injured right leg). But we were all in a great mood. My favorite part of the ceremony was the warming of the polar ice cap and the disappearance of the polar bear. The Sun did not report this as a Global Warming image but I was quite certain it was. What a brave and creative production director. Then Bryan Adams (my fav pop star) singers Nellie and Sara performed (my daughter's picks). What could be better? Well maybe KD Lang looking cool and singing in that throaty voice. You know she came to my home town in Whitehorse in the 80s before her rise to fame. She sang in a crowded bar and I was too busy with job and children to attend. My ski friend, Duchene, who also played for the other side, raved and raved about this new singing prince(ss).

The evening was wonderful except maybe the attendance of the Teflon pm. My beautiful daughter-in-law did not boo but instead mumbled 61 % of us did not vote for you and now you put your cronies on the supreme court and the unbalanced rights and Democracy Board. Give me a Break!