This is my third time at an Olympic Winter Games. I attended the first two as a “civilian.” As an accredited member of the media, my experience has been completely different.

Mostly because I get to wear a cool press pass that lets me into really cool places.

Another reason my experience has been different is I lived in the previous two Olympic cities and had never experienced the frenetic pace of the airport. When I touched down in rainy Vancouver on Thursday morning, I was greeted with scenes like this:

I have no idea who the Russian athlete was that they were filming.

Just that he was a wee bit important.

Turquoise-clad volunteers practically outnumbered the travelers and they helped me follow a maze of signs through the parking lot to where I caught a media shuttle to my hotel. After dropping off my luggage, I hopped on another media shuttle to the train. I met Microsoft Office’s PR rep, Krista, outside of the Main Press Centre where I received my official accreditation.

From there, we lunched across from the famed Gastown Steam Clock.

At least that is the assumption I made, given the number of people snapping pictures like it was some famous Russian athlete.

The Home I Want Away From Home

That afternoon, Krista and I attended the housewarming party of the Proctor and Gamble Family Home. P&G took their sponsorship of Team USA further than most. Instead of just hosting a center for athletes to congregate, they created a four-story home where athletes, their families and friends can gather.

The centerpiece of their Olympic campaign? Thanking mothers. P&G reached out to all 250 athletes on the U.S. Olympic Team and extended financial support so they would be able bring their mom (or other family member) to cheer them on at the Games. P&G then debuted a couple of their “Proud sponsor of mom” commercials.

Warning: they are exactly the kind of ads that I curse because they reduce me to a blubbering fool.

The media and several members of Team USA were then unleashed to experience the Proctor and Gamble Family Home. Krista and I received hand massages at the beauty and grooming salon day spa that also offered Cover Girl makeovers, Venus and Oil of Olay leg therapy and masseurs.

We sampled 24 flavors of chips at the Pringles snack lounge, I made my own Pringles label for my kids and we watched the athletes rock out to Rock Band on the Wii.

We visited the children’s play area at Pampers village, which was cool enough to almost make me wish I had my little ones with me. Krista and I ended our sojourn at the P&G Family Home by visiting the Crest and Oral B “Smile Room” where, transposed against a winter background wearing Olympic garb, we smiled.

Kinda funny how that works.

Friday is the first official day of the 2010 Vancouver Games and there will be plenty more smiles where those came from as we watch the torch relay.

The most exciting news of all: I was secured a ticket to watch the Opening Ceremonies in the press box with Kevin Neunendorf, Public Relations Manager of the USOC. Stay tuned!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

During the 2002 Salt Lake City Games, I attended a quarter-final men’s hockey game. The man seated beside me was draped in a Canadian flag and was topped off by a maple-leaf hat.

“What part of Canada are you from?” I excitedly queried my fellow Canuck.

“Oregon.”

I didn’t want to make the same mistake twice but when I spotted Darrin Steele walk on my flight from Denver to Vancouver, I had a sneaking suspicion he was cheering for the Red, White and Blue.

Maybe it was his Team USA jersey. Or his star-spangled knee-length coat. But most likely the dead giveaway was his set of headphones that were replete with stars and stripes.

Now that, my friends, is a true fan.

Steele is a two-time Olympian who is now the CEO of the United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation in Colorado Springs. During our three-hour flight to Vancouver, we talked about everything from the logistics of walking in the Opening Ceremonies to his recent foray into Twitter and social media.

The U.S. Bobsled Team

“I attended the bobsled during the 1988 Calgary Games,” I generously offered.
“Oh really? That’s great!”
“Kind of. We waited for ages in the sub-zero temperatures, only to have the sled blaze by us in a millisecond. If we blinked, we missed it.”

And yes, I really did tell this to the CEO of the Bobsled Federation.

While certainly not the most spectator-friendly sport, Bobsled and Skeleton are among the most crazy. He has been CEO since 2007 and competed on the four-man bobsled team in the 1998 Games and on the two-man in 2002. If you need a course in Bobsled 101, the four positions are the pilot, two side pushers and the brakeman. Skeleton was added to the Olympic roster in 2002.

Steele was recruited for the bobsled while he was still a decathlete. “A lot of the men come from a track and field background, as well as football,” he said. “The women come from soccer, track and field and gymnastics.”

Steele says Whistler’s track is the fastest in the world. With speed comes danger but he has confidence in Team USA. “The women’s bobsled team finished #1, 3 and 6 on this track at the World Cup.”

He also says the most consistent performers to watch are Shauna Rohbock who earned a silver medal in Torino and Steve Holcomb, the reigning World Champion, is ranked #1 in the world in the four-man. In the skeleton, Steele predicts some upsets but says to watch for Noelle Pace, who was a world champion in 2007. I took this picture of Noelle later that day at the Proctor and Gamble Family House. It was before I knew who she was.
And just thought she had really great red-, white-, and blue-streaked hair.

An Athlete’s Life

The Opening Ceremonies is far from a compendium of band geeks but the terminology is similar. Athletes are given a “Marching Pass,” which they use to walk in the Opening Ceremonies. Some choose to skip out to rest or train. Unused tickets are redistributed to the team’s staff and trainers.

Steele’s fondest Olympic memories are of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and his actual event.

“As you’re waiting to enter the stadium, you can feel the anticipation building. When you walk through that tunnel, it’s the best feeling in the world. You’re blinded by flashing cameras and the pulsation of the crowd,” Steele remembers. “The Closing Ceremony is a big party where we traded jackets, snapped photos and danced on the infield. Most of us aren’t famous but we have killed ourselves for this moment. And it’s every bit as great as we’d always dreamed.”

As for the Athlete’s Village, Steele says there is an evolution during the Olympics. In the beginning, everyone means business and it is just a place to rest and prepare. But over the course of the Games, the atmosphere becomes much more fun and loose. “I think if the athletes were there for even one extra week, there would be a few Olympic babies born nine months later,” Steele joked.

As our conversation drew to a close, he put me on the spot: “So, the question is: who are you cheering for?”

“Mostly Team USA,” I answered truthfully. “But when it comes to hockey, I plead the 5th amendment.”

Just don’t remind him as a Canadian, that isn’t even possible.

Follow the bobsled’s updates at http:www.bobsled.teamusa.org. Darrin is on Twitter @darrinsteele. Stay tuned for my updates from Day 1 of the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Side note: My heart-felt sympathies to the luger who died on the track on Friday. A sad reminder of just how dangerous these sports are.

If interviewing Olympic legend Bonnie Blair wasn’t exciting enough, I had a conference call with Kevin Neuendorf, Public Relations Manager of the United States Olympic Committee. He was joined by a few members of Microsoft Office’s PR team who have had the overwhelming task of coordinating the Microsoft Office Winter Games Contest.

I’m not sure what was more shocking: who I was speaking to or the fact I managed to sound like an intelligible human being.

They had emailed me the Vancouver 2010 Media Handbook, a 139-page pdf detailing my media accreditation, venues, accommodations, shuttle specifics, competition schedule and information about the Main Press Centre.

(Note: Be warned. I shall be reverting back to Canuck-speak where words are spelled with “re” and sentences end with “eh.”)

Never before in the History of Amber has there been a need for Cliff Notes and that is what this conversation was all about. They answered my many questions but also posed a few new ones. Namely, who was this guy “Robin” on the call and why was he talking about his “filming?”

That’s when I was in for a surprise of my own. Robin has been assigned the very dubious task of filming me for the first four days of my Olympic experience. He and his film crew will be taping me on the move: Chatting with athletes. Publishing stories to my blog using Microsoft Office ’10. Using my Windows® phone. Getting lost. Losing my mind.

You know. The usual occurrences in this Murphy’s Law life of mine.

The good news: Their goal is to create a 5-minute video that will capture Microsoft’s technology in action that they hope to use when they launch Office ’10 in June.

The bad news: It looks like I’ll have to sound like an intelligible human being for more than just that one phone call.

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I am flying to Vancouver this morning and my next blog post will be from the 2010 Winter Games! Be sure to subscribe to my feed so you can receive my regular updates and follow my play-by-plays on Twitter.

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog

Have you ever wondered how it would feel to stand on the medal podium at the Olympics as your national anthem is played?

What kind of life you’d have as a mother after being in the international limelight?

I recently interviewed five-time Olympic gold medalist Bonnie Blair. This speed skating legend was one of the judges who made the ultimate decision to send me to the Olympics for the Microsoft Office Winter Games Contest.

Which means we can ultimately thank or blame her when all is said and done.

This down-to-earth mother of two shared her humorous take on her triumphant past and present, as well as her predictions for the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Q: You come from a speed skating family. Tell me the funny circumstances leading up to your birth.

Bonnie: Part of what you have to remember back then is that no one was allowed in the birthing rooms like they are today. I was the sixth child to come along so my parents had been down this road. When my mom went into labor, my dad didn’t even take her inside the hospital and simply dropped her off on the front steps.

He took my brothers and sisters to watch a skating practice. They found out I was born when it was announced over the loudspeaker that another female speed skater had been added to the Blair family!

Q: You competed in four Olympics, were inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and are one of the most decorated U.S. women in Olympic history. What is your favorite Olympic memory?

Bonnie: It’s hard to narrow it down. For me, there were two stand-outs. The first was in Calgary at the 1988 Games. That was where I won for the very first time. Whenever you do something for the first time, it has an unbelievable power and emotion behind it that is difficult to capture again. Other wins were thrilling but that first was very, very powerful.

The other stand-out for me was Lillehammer in 1994. I was going to retire the next year so I knew this would be my final time on an Olympic podium. In that sense, it was a sad moment because I knew I would never hear the national anthem again under these circumstances.

Q: Along these same lines, what is it like to stand on the podium as they play the National Anthem for you?

Bonnie: Going back to Calgary, I can remember standing on the podium and seeking out my family members, who were scattered around. All of them had different reactions. My sister Angela was crying, my sister Suzie had a big grin, Mary Ellen was screaming and yelling and I saw my brother high-five his best friend. Funniest of all was my mom: she still looked scared to death. All of these different emotions encompassed exactly how I was feeling.

Q: What was your breakfast or meal of champions before competing?

Bonnie: I am a cereal person. Most speed skating races are in the afternoons so my pre-race meal was always a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can find jelly pretty much anywhere in the world but peanut butter is more difficult to track down. That is why I always made sure to have my toothbrush, underwear and Skippy’s Super Chunk Peanut Butter wherever I went!

Q: That’s hilarious! What do you miss most about competing?

I definitely don’t miss the most difficult workouts. I miss the camaraderie. I miss being in such great shape and being able to eat whatever I wanted! Even though we traveled the world, we didn’t see much but it was still a learning experience. My rivals were friendly ones and I still value those friendships today.

Q: After training at such an elite level, how do you stay in shape?

Bonnie: Well, I just got back from a run, which is my choice sport these days because it’s an easy way to workout in 50 minutes. I also lift weights once and a while.

Q: What about speed skating? Do you still hit the ice?

Bonnie: I only skate occasionally. I still love it but it is hard work. I’m not at the level I once was, which makes it less enjoyable. I’m sure it would be much better if I was in shape and could go really fast. That said, it definitely puts a smile on my face whenever I step onto the ice.

Q: You married fellow speed skater Dave Cruikshank. Tell me about your children.

Bonnie: Grant is 11 and his main sport is hockey. While at the Olympics we are attending some hockey games and he is excited because NHL players are on pretty much every team. In the summertime he likes to golf and play tennis. He apparently excels at things you can hit.

My daughter Blair is 9 and a gymnast. She’s all about climbing, balancing, and pulling herself up on everything!

Of course, people expected our children to be speed skaters but Dave and I are committed to letting them find their own passions.

Q: What are the greatest and toughest things about motherhood for you?

Bonnie: I love my husband and family but the love you have for a child…well, you just don’t know you could have such a capacity to love. I find joy in seeing them do the things they enjoy.

My toughest moments are when they’re frustrated and I wish I could make it better but can’t.

Q: Are you still involved with speed skating? What will you be doing at the Olympics?

Bonnie: I get to do all the fun stuff and focus more on sponsor-driven activities. When I arrive on February 9th, I’m going to help with processing. When all the American athletes come into Vancouver, this is where they will get their Olympic clothing and they’ll go through their last-minute meetings with the U.S. Olympic committee. I will be there to wish them good luck!

Q: Who are the speed skaters to watch?

On the long track side, watch for Jennifer Rodriguez. She took some time off but she medaled at her most recent competition in Salt Lake City. Katherine Reutter is pretty consistent with getting up on the podium. Plus, she’s from my hometown Champaign, IL.

For men, Tucker Fredricks in the 500 meters, Chad Hedrick and of course, Apolo Ohno in short track. Breathing down his neck is a young skater named J.R.Celski. He’s a young, strong skater who could surprise a lot of people!

Starting on February 11, I will be blogging daily from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Stayed tuned for my official itinerary and details on my celebratory party. Thank you to everyone who has supported me!

© Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck–A Denver Mom’s Blog