Beyond the Game

Today signifies the end of my Olympic adventure.  This one at least.  If I have ever felt the effects of finishing strong it has been after the last week I endured here.  Obviously it has made it really difficult to write from a time aspect but my mind feels fried as well.  Typically I do a good job of soaking everything in really well and closing everything up.  I am finding it difficult to give any of my efforts emotion but maybe that's another way to look at it.  The fact that I've exhausted myself reminds me exactly how great of an ending it was.  This experience is far beyond anything I have experienced in my life.  It has been the best learning experience for me in all regards whether it be what I learned about myself, the Games, people, culture, the city, etc.  The five and half weeks cannot be described in words.  I could use words like inspirational, sensational, and phenomenonal but they wouldn't do it justice.  There was so much between the lines.  What my eyes have seen has been the greatest spectacle on the planet but the feeling of being so close to so much of it is inspiring and motivating.  Coming into this experience my expectations were that the Olympics were the summit of the highest mountain but now that it is done I feel like it goes far beyond that and I'm now on the moon!  Work, events, and pleasure have taken me all over London and I've seen a huge portion of this remarkable city giving host to an athletic competition among 205 countries.  So while I've spent more than a month seeing London, I feel like I've seen the world.  There is truth to that because the city represented the world through not only the athletes but the millions of fans flocking here.  I've met many new people from all over the world and had some of the most fun I've ever experienced watching others .  What I will take away from this experience most is going to be the people.  The people I've worked with to create such a great team has been a pure joy and honor.  Everyone was so helpful with every task that rose up.  They were a perfect piece of the bigger team, Team USA.  I was able to strengthen many friendships and make many more, some so great I know they will be lifelong despite being from different parts of the world.  I look forward to future interactions with them all.  I really want to send out a big THANK YOU to everyone who was a part of every move at these Games and to every person that has helped get me to this point as well (that includes every good person that’s been some part of this lifelong journey).  I could never be more proud to be part of Team USA than I was at these games.  The expectations coming in were high but there were plenty of doubts.  The country once again showed that amazing spirit that bands us all together and won the medal standings in every category.  It was just as amazing seeing new friends from the host country have their most successful Olympics in over a hundred years because it was so awesome to see the inspiration it gave the country.  Is there a better example of the powerful impact the Olympic Games can have.  It's a mind blowing 2 weeks of seeing the impossible become possible and pure dedication and perseverance pushing people to the greatest heights.  It unites the world in one place at one time.  A world united is something you only see in apocalyptic movies any other time.  The energy is electric and you can't help but join in on the party.  This adventure concludes today and I begin a new one with just me and my backpack, yet there is absolutely no way to compare them.  I look forward to the next one but this Olympic Tale will forever be something special.  Thank you London for giving me the privilege of being part of it and for being an unbelievable host!  One last time…this is Chad signing off.....