Sochi Sojourn Part Five: Everything You Wanted to Know and Weren't Afraid to Ask

So much of our experience during competition has been well chronicled. In fact, the reports, blogs, Tweets and posts actually made it difficult for me to find a way to talk about our experiences outside of what happened. It was a conundrum. 

The only seeming solution was to reach out to some wonderful friends to see what THEY wanted to know about our experience in Sochi. Since I've shared so much, and since so much (true and not-so-much) had been reported, I felt friends would truly have the questions that needed to be answered.

I was correct.

Below are some wonderful queries that made me think; made me wonder and made me both smile - and shed a tear or two. Here is "Everything You Wanted to Know and Weren't Afraid to Ask About Sochi."

Q: Did you truly feel safe at all time or were you ever scared since the riots on independence square and people of interest were but few hundreds of miles away? 

A: We never felt threatened; quite the opposite. There is something about Olympics that brings people together like no other event could possibly do. Peace and harmony through sports: That’s what the Olympics embody. That’s truly what we felt while were in Sochi. There was nationalism, but that’s true at all events.  It is a very special thing when, despite political differences, the world can come together.

Q: Compared to other Olympics did you feel that less people were there, when I saw pics of the streets or events it seemed somewhat empty?

A: We were there right after opening ceremonies. Most of the sports were in qualifying rounds early on; not figure skating, however. The first few days it did seem a bit strange. It was the “Russian Olympics,” with very few spectators from other countries. By the time we departed, it was a global happening that was more like Vancouver was in 2010. The issue with Sochi was not whether people stayed away, but the distance away. We flew 20 hours to get there. By anyone’s standards, that’s a schlep! Once we arrived, it was the trip of a lifetime that we got to take twice.

Q: Were you able to enjoy any of the other sports during your time in Sochi?

A: We were offered tickets to a number of events, but because of what happened to our son, and the media and sponsor requests we were honored to do, we actually only saw one other event: Long track speed skating. What an incredible experience to sit in the Adler arena, amidst the Dutch fans, and watch the initial trial events. It was incredible. We wanted to go to curling because I became obsessed with the sport during the US Team trials on TV, but tickets were sold out. The arena was small and access was at a premium. We were offered hockey tickets, however the games were during practice ice or at competition times. The Mountain Cluster was not close so, once again, we didn’t get to see any snow events. That’s my only regret from both Olympic experiences. I hope to remedy that in South Korea where I would dearly love to volunteer for the USOC or the Olympic Committee in some capacity. I love South Korea, so it’s a natural fit for me to want to attend in 2018.

Q: What was your favorite thing about Sochi that had nothing directly to do about the competitions directly?

A: Oh, that’s simple. We love discovering new wine and in Sochi we were able to get wine from Cuba and Russia. It almost felt “illegal” to sample wines from countries not easily accessible to us. We truly enjoyed having a chance to do that. Remember, we are products of the Cold War so this was a true treat.

The other favorite thing about Sochi was the sunsets. The Black Sea is beautiful. The beaches are rock, not sand, and when wet, they absolutely glistened at the close of day. It was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen.

Q:What was the biggest comfort of home you missed having/doing while traveling?"

A: COFFEE!! Oh, there was coffee, of sorts. We attempted coffee once or twice, but it was the color of that infamous “water” photo posted by some member of the media on Twitter before the Games began. We drank lots of bottled sparkling water and the occasional Diet Coke (Lite Coke) when we needed a caffeine boost.

Here’s a funny story: Our son came to meet us after practice one day. He was carrying a Starbucks cup. We nearly tackled him to find out where he got coffee. He brought his own Via with him. The cup had come from NBC. It seems they had their own stealth Starbucks – complete with Baristas – imported from the US. If you thought pin trading was a big thing at Olympics, "black market" Starbucks was the coveted prize! Even though we were in the Today Show Green Room one day, we never found the Holy Grail of coffee.

We flew back through Frankfurt on the way home. The MOMENT we got off the plane, we made a beeline to the main terminal and found Starbucks. I was sick as a dog with a sinus infection and I was on antibiotic. It didn’t matter. Addiction is addiction.  Antibiotics and Puffs be damned! It didn’t matter that I couldn’t taste anything. It was COFFEE! It was Starbucks! It’s a First World Skate Mom Problem and the solution was at hand. After eight straight days of caffeine deprivation, this was heaven!

Q: What's the one thing you could have done without after eight days in Sochi?

A: Hearing “Sleduyushchaya ostanovka ..” (the next stop is…) 14 times a day going to and from Sochi to the Olympic Coastal Cluster on the bus. It was burned into our brains. I still hear it in my sleep!

Q: What was your favorite experience?

A: There were so many that were on an equal level.  I’ve already talked about discovering Cuban and Russian wine.  I will never forget the sunset walk in Sochi and dinner along the walkway at a small café. I also found my now famous “Fuzzy Bunny Slippers,” the joy of my life.

We were so honored to be asked to represent Olympic families with US Olympic sponsors.

I got to meet Bonnie Blair, who actually introduced herself to me. I found that amusing since she’s an idol of mine. We were asked to talk to sponsors as Olympic moms. I had to leave for the freeskate and Bonnie took my place. As I was being ushered out of the event and escorted to the Iceberg Arena because the men’s completion was already underway, Bonnie turned to me and said, “I’m honored to meet you. I’m Bonnie Blair Cruikshank. I can’t believe what your son did! Good luck to him tonight!” The impact of that simple statement didn’t hit me until the next day.

Q: Which Olympics was more exciting and enjoyable and why? 

A: These experiences were wildly different. Vancouver  was our first trip to the top of Olympus. We didn’t know what to expect; we hadn’t received much information and we were left to our own devices to a great degree. Sochi was completely different.

US Figure Skating started preparing us for this trip well in advance of our even knowing if we’d be attending. We had webinars every month beginning in August. We had information; we had questions answered. We were as prepared as anyone could be to go half-way around the world and into a political “danger zone” in order to attend the Games. We also had the great advantage of having been to the “Top of the Mountain” before. We found ourselves in the enviable position of being able to advise new parents about what to expect, where to go and who to rely on. While each experience is unique,

there are trusted “known” elements – like P &G Family Home and the USA House. These were our safe houses; the places with internet, old friends from home, smiling faces, big hugs and warm hearts. We couldn’t have survived without them in Vancouver, and we really would not have survived without them in Sochi.

 To a great degree, though, I’d say Sochi was the most enjoyable. We had experience, and that meant the world to us. While we loved Vancouver (personally my favorite city on the planet), we went into our second Olympics with experience. You can't understate the value of that.

Q: Top Five “Yea’s and Nays” in regard to the differences between Sochi and Vancouver.

Yea’s:

Sochi – Culture, overall experience, unique locale, transportation, security.

Vancouver – Atmosphere, outside options to explore, food, international feel, friendliness.

Nay’s:

Sochi – Lack of ability to communicate with the volunteers, the sheer distance between venues within the park, lack of understandable signage, lack of COFFEE!!

Vancouver – Transportation (it was a hot mess), lack of pre-Olympic information caused us to waste at lot of time; distance between venues within the city made it nearly impossible to attend other events, even if you were offered tickets. There was a severe lack of communication and there was no financial support. Thank GOODNESS for the help that was graciously provided this year by every family through the Destination Sochi: Family Tree program this year.(If you donated: THANK YOU on behalf of all the families! You made this happen!)

Q: Have you watched any of the Paralympics on TV?

A: I am a huge fan of Paralympics. I was a blind ski guide in Aspen for years. I watched as much as I could and was so grateful that NBC and NBCSN broadcast hours on TV, along with being able to watch on the internet when broadcasts were not available.

Q: Do you foresee a time when adaptive athletes will compete in winter sports directly against able bodied athletes ?
 

A: Yes, but it will depend on the sport.  To me, it isn’t as much a matter of adaptive athletes against able-bodied athletes; it’s about being an Olympic athlete and representing  your country. All athletes have my total respect.  I know what we’ve gone through to raise an Olympian. I can only imagine what Paralympic parents have had to do. It truly humbles me.

Q: What did you see of Russian culture that gives you hope for the future?

A: The youth. There were more than 30,000 volunteers at the Olympics – most of them young people in their 20’s. I saw the eyes of the future of Russia in Sochi.

 Q: What was your favorite Olympic moment?

A: I suspect you’d think it was watching my son rise like a phoenix after the short program and go on to honor his sport and the Olympic spirit by finishing, even though he was injured. While that was certainly a pivotal moment of which I am extremely proud, my favorite moment came right after the short program skate when a young woman from Kazakhstan who was sitting next to me, realized I who I was. She was so moved by what happened – and so attuned to the fact that I was upset and frantic for word on how my son was doing – she turned to me and in broken English asked if she could give me a hug.  We held on to one another and we both cried. It was a moment I will never forget.  That one act of kindness from a complete and total stranger, defined what the Olympics truly mean.  

In retrospect, Sochi was so much more than I expected it to be, but for many different reasons. While we also left with many questions about Russia, the people and daily life outside of the Olympic experience, we also left with a great respect for the history and the culture. The Black Sea is truly beautiful. The people are proud; the culture is genetic. But in my opinion, ultimately, like China, the eyes of the world will be the final judge of what happens in the future. Olympics open up vast possibilities that truly transcend politics IF politicians allow it to be so. In the end, I think I saw the eyes of the world in the fresh, young faces of the Russian Olympic volunteers. If I am any kind of a judge of character, I'd say the future will be much brighter than the past because the Olympic experience is a present that cannot be manipulated - nor its lessons ignored. 
Thank  you Sochi. Thank you Russia. I hope you realize what a change you made, not only in us, but deeply within your very heart and soul.