A Little Team USA... "America's Gold Medal"

It's snowing in Colorado Springs this Sunday afternoon. Normally snow in March would be making me crazy but since this is the first weekend I've had off since January, I don't mind being forced to stay inside baking and writing.

So what have I been working on so hard for the last few months? Well, this.

I work as support staff for the US Olympic Team and my main responsibility is Team apparel.
So at some point I've had my paws on pretty much every article of clothing you saw our athletes wearing in Vacouver. And yes, it's pretty much exactly as fun as it sounds!

I absolutely love the Olympics-the athletes who do amazing things, the way it gets the entire world focused on one thing even if it's just for a few weeks, being a part of something that feels bigger than myself. I struggle to talk about it without sounding like a big dumb cliche. So I'll spare you and just share one of my favorite personal moments at the Games.

 I had gotten to be friends with one of the wax techs with the snowboard team. He called one night to say that they would be celebrating Seth Wescott's medal at the USA House. So after a focus group in the Village and dinner with Nike (oh yeah, I'm totally name dropping), I headed over to meet up with Alex. Most of my team was there so I got to say goodbye to people, ran into my friend Nick who I worked with in Salt Lake and had fun catching up with, and then finally found the snowboard boys. We're talking, flirting a little, and then he asks if I want to see a real live gold medal. So he introduces me to Seth who promptly pulls his medal out of his pocket and HANDS IT TO ME. And I protest, "Oh I can't hold it! It's a gold medal!" and he says, "it's America's medal! Hold it!". So I'm standing there, with four cute snowboard boys, holding a gold medal right in my hot little hand, having a hard time believing that I actually get paid to do this!

Vancouver had some hiccups but they found their groove and the Games ended with well deserved Gold in Canadian Hockey and a pretty self-effacing Closing Ceremonies. I was shocked and delighted when Neil Young appeared to sing what I think is one of his sweetest songs. It's called Long May You Run and I think it might actually be listed in the dictionary under the term "nostalgia". Such a beautiful song, give it a listen.

 {Read all posts by Katie}