Olympic Water

I did not know at the time if I could describe the feeling of disappointment that I could not touch the water, the blocks the lane lines of this magnificent facility. I wanted to feel the breeze of the flags and the water on my face and in my hair and imagine what it was like to be standing there of the finals of the women’s 800 meter freestyle relay when that world record came crumbling down and the American’s took home the victory and still remain swimming’s power house country with Australia as a close second. I wanted to touch the blocks that Michael Phelps dove off when he won 7 gold medals tying the all-time record of Mark Spitz or Ian Thorpe, known as the Thorpedo, as he competed in his last swim meet ever in his entire life! Not having that chance almost brought tears of sadness to my eyes knowing that I might never get this opportunity again.
Before coming to Greece it was my goal to get onto the Olympic pool deck and feel like an Olympian and not leaving until it happened.
I could sense people becoming annoyed with me by the tones in their voices. They were getting tired and wanting to leave. Feeling this I took one last look at it all and said ok we can go. There is nothing more I can do. I am just unable to get onto the deck.
Feeling defeated and worse disappointed in myself, I saw off in the distance the smaller pool from before the one with the deck I could easily get to. I noticed how it was connected to the warm-up pool used for the Olympics. Thinking to myself, those two pools have to be connected for the athletes to warm-up go to the ready room then the competition pool. I asked the group for 5 minutes to see if the connection of all the pools was really there. Not seeming too thrilled with the idea of waiting any longer they said ok, but run. And run I did! I am not even a runner but a surge of adrenaline just hit me and I ran as fast as my legs and flip flops could take me. Seeing the smaller pool I ran down the stairs in excitement as knowing they were connected that I was meant to be on this deck as the greats were. I had made it to the warm-up pool and just stood there in awe. It was nothing I had ever felt before. At that point in time I began reliving the 2004 Olympics and how everything must have happen. And this was just the warm-up pool. Walking around and taking photos I noticed Brandon climbing down to be there with me and to take pictures. This brought a smile to my face seeing someone else interested in this. At this same time though two security guards were down there letting me know I should not be down there. I pleaded trying to explain how important this pool was to me. He graciously obliged and let me continue on my own little tour. By this time though Brandon became scared of getting in trouble so he and the rest of the group left me there alone in my own little sanctuary of Athens.
I toured everything, the warm-up pool I walked up and down and back and forth to get the full effect of what it could have been like to be there. I felt the breeze, but at the same time it was not the big pool, the one millions of people watched on their television sets. I then walked underneath the bleachers down a walkway to the Olympic pool! From the moment I walked on the deck I felt like an athlete in the 2004 games. I do not even know how to describe the way I felt when I saw everything: the flags, the lane lines, the blocks, the water, it all just seemed surreal, tears of joy came to my face as I slowly walked around the facility and sat on the block of lane 4, what is known as the fastest lane of them all right in the middle of the pool. This was the block and the lane that broke records, the one everyone would watch the one that won the gold medals.
I was there; I stood where Michael Phelps stood, Dana Vollmer, Natalie Coughlin, Brendan Hansen, Amada Beard, and many more. Finally, I felt the breeze on my face and could hear the cheering and the USA chants, the music playing in the background just standing around the pool feeling the energy that happened during the games in 2004. I believe this feeling only comes to people who actually understand the sport and know how much work and effort goes into a 21 second race. I paced slowly up and down the lanes yearning to just jump into this pool. The architecture of the pool with the gutters having the water flow in and out, perfect for not feeling any waves from the other lane where you can just swim your own race. This is what had been envisioned in my head all these years. Spending about 20 minutes at the end of the lane just relaxing my feet in the cool water hoping to not get into trouble. If security had left I would have just jumped in to feel the cool crisp pool. Looking back on the whole thing I should have just jumped and risked everything for that one minute experience of a lifetime.
Keegan W.