Blogging with an Olympian—Opening Ceremonies

In the next segment of , Waste Management’s Justin Wilcock talks about his Opening Ceremony experience in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. He shares with us the electric atmosphere to march on the field and why some Olympians miss out. We will continue to blog through the Olympics, and we encourage readers to share their questions and comments.

Is there anything like the Opening Ceremony at the Olympics?

No, it is truly a unique experience and the highlight for many Olympic athletes. This is one of the greatest rewards of making the team. The Olympics truly is a unifying event and to be able to march with athletes from around the world is an incredible feeling.

I remember my coach, Kenny Armstrong, telling me about his experiences at the 1976 games in Montreal. He talked about how they were filed through a tunnel and couldn’t see the stadium but could hear a faint roar of the crowd. This slowly increased until they finally stepped foot on the track and saw the thousands of cheering fans in the stadium. I was thrilled to have a similar experience! As you get closer to the stadium and then to the field the roar steadily grows. There are volunteers lining the way cheering you on and getting you pumped for that moment when you step in the stadium!

What were some of your favorite moments?

I enjoyed being in the venue where we lined up. All the athletes were mingling meeting each other, taking pictures, getting autographs from the famous athletes and just having a great time. I especially liked seeing the traditional outfitting that the different countries wear. There is so much diversity; it is amazing to see the various colors and styles. I also enjoyed the athlete march as I described above!

What is it like for the some of the athletes who missed the Opening Ceremony because they were already competing?

The Opening Ceremony is a very long event. You leave the village for the stadium in the early evening and then assemble in a near by venue with all of the other countries and athletes. After a few hours of waiting (this is as the stadium is filling with spectators and the opening of the ceremony occurs) the parade of athletes begins. There are many athletes and this takes a long time! We begin lining up and filing along and after another hour or two, you finally get onto the field. Then once everyone is inside you are standing around while the rest of the evening activities (athletes pledge, a few speeches, and more entertainment) are going on.

Because you spend so much time on your feet, many athletes who compete in the first few days of competition opt not to attend the event. This is a very difficult decision as the Opening Ceremony is a highlight of the games. However, it is important to keep in perspective why you are there. While the Opening Ceremony is great, it is nothing compared to winning an Olympic medal!

Do you get much sleep afterward the Opening Ceremony?

Not a lot! After the ceremony, we went back to the village and many of the athletes went to the cafeteria to get a midnight snack (like I said it was a long night). They were playing Greek music in the cafeteria, and everyone was dancing and having a great time. This is also one of my favorite Olympic memories!

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Blogging with an Olympian is blog series written by Waste Management employees Justin Wilcock and Joe Camero. A resident of Pleasanton, Wilcock is a Waste Management LEED Green Associate and Construction Service Account Manager. He assists contractors, builders, and architects meet their diversion/recycling goals. Wilcock also serves on the Board of Directors of USA Diving, and he is the AAC (Athletes’ Advisory Council) Representative for USA divers. A former sports editor for the Southwestern Sun, Camero is a Waste Management Communications Specialist.

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Waste Management of Northern California is a community-based provider of environmental solutions. We offer residential and commercial curbside collection for recycling, composting and disposal. Our fleet of natural gas vehicles are powered with gas made from trash at the Altamont Landfill in Livermore. WM EarthCare (www.wmearthcare.com) is our closed loop solution to organic waste. We deliver local solutions with the knowledge and resources of the nation’s largest recycler, Waste Management.