Team Processing!

WOW! Talk about incredible huh! Team processing is where we get all of our swag for the games. There is ridiculous amount of things that we receive...from hats, scarves, pants, sweaters, and hoodies to pins, toiletries, shoes, and socks. I mean a lot of stuff...this year three very large duffel bags full of stuff. (Thank goodness I was able to ship one duffel completely full home!) It's kinda overwhelming but at the same time lots of fun. This year we are being outfitted by Ralph Lauren for opening and closing ceremonies, and Nike for podium and venue gear. I know combined it is the sporty preppy spice look that all winter athletes are going for!
A quick pic with Cindy Stinger and myself. Over the years I have had the opportunity to get to know her, and talk about great human. Cindy is in charge of the Olympians Association, but here in Vancouver she was helping out with the Teams outfitting. She was the first USOC staffer that we saw smiling at all of us as we walked through the doors for processing! (By the way I think the poster behind us is ridiculous...but yet love the effect in our pic together!)
Olympic Newbie...Heather Richardson! This is Heather's first Olympic Games! It was kinda fun to go through processing with her and help her out. This is her trying on our "moose" hat.

Another Olympic Newbie...Laura Tietjens. Laura is the nicest and greatest human on the planet and travels with the team as our manual therapists. She keeps the vets like Chad and I feeling good and moving each day! Without her we would be in trouble!
Chad posing with the Nike Podium Gear...hmmm seems as though he is the only one with his head screwed on!
Need we say I found the best shoe salesman in the whole world! By day he works for the USOC by night he is a outfitting US athletes in designer shoes! The one the only...Jay T. Kearney! J.T. and I have known each other now for 13 years...how crazy is that. He's been so helpful throughout my career giving me guidance with training and coaching. I'm really appreciative of everything he has done for me throughout that time and I am happy to be able to share this Olympic experience with him.
Jill Baker and I at processing checkout. She is member of the performance services department at the USOC and the CHOSEN ONE who passed along a message to me from THE USOC GOD FATHER located up in Whistler...I feel very special...and he will be introduced in a future blog post! Can I tell you one of the greatest parts of team processing...when you checkout there is staff there to pack your bags for you! How great is that! After all these years of traveling I still dread having to pack for trips...it is absolutely the worst thing ever! (I actually had my bags for Vancouver packed on Sunday, unpacked them on Monday afternoon, and repacked them on Monday evening. Yes I know I have issues.) Getting my gear packed for me was a nightmare turned into a dream for me.
WOW have you seen the new Ralph Lauren Catalog! It features incredible Olympic Athletes...Brian Hansen, Catherine Raney Norman, and yes Mr. Double Push himself....Ryan Bedford! We thought we would have a little fun with our "outfits" while waiting to get alterations done. This was hilarious!

One last video...team psychologist...drum roll please... Ross Flowers!