Rio 2016 Olympics

This past July I took the adventure of a lifetime and travelled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Olympics. I was hired by the Olympic Broadcasting Services through the Broadcast Training Program. This opportunity arose through Asbury University, the college I attended at the time. This was an opportunity that I looked forward to since I first discovered Asbury in high school. When I found out I was going to the Olympics I was overjoyed; not only because I would get to experience the Olympics, but because I would be experiencing the Brazilian culture and meeting people from all over the world. I was hired as a logistics runner, which basically means I was a production assistant. I assisted the heads of production with anything they might need and assisted in making schedules for meals and bus times. I had to know where everything was in the Compound, which included three separate venues, as I had to run errands to many different places. Each morning and evening I had the same tasks to complete, but everything during the day could be totally different and new to me and my coworkers. One day I actually got to sit inside the production trailer and see how everything worked during the live production. I was fascinated by the slow motion replay team and how quickly they worked to get the finished product back on the air.

Inside the production trailer for field hockey. This is where the Director, Assistant Director, Technical Director, and Graphics operator typically sit.

I think my favorite part of experiencing the Olympics was the people I got to meet. I’d never really left the country (Canada doesn’t really count) before I went to Brazil and I loved learning about the culture. I met other people besides Brazilians including people from Canada, Israel, Croatia, The Netherlands, and England. I loved meeting all the different types of people, although I didn’t love how late the Israelis always were 🙂 I often talked with these people about their different customs and traditions. It was interesting to see how even someones culture can effect their work ethic or the things they prioritize.

I was able to experience a few of Rio’s best landmarks including Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, and Copacabana/Ipanema Beach. Some of my favorite memories are of exploring the city with my friends and seeing and experiencing everything firsthand. Rio has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and certainly the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever visited!