Catching Olympic Fever: My Brush With the 1996 Games

I’ve loved the Olympics for as long as I can remember. The pomp and pageantry, the parade of nations, the improbable underdog stories, the every-now-and-then love story — all of it. I grew up glued to the TV, swept up in the idea that for a few weeks the whole world pressed pause on politics and focused on goodwill, grit, and the thrill of competition.

And if you’re of a certain vintage, you remember the icons: Katarina Witt, the East German figure skating goddess, and Alberto “Tomba la Bomba” Tomba, the swaggering Italian alpine skier. Their flirtation at the 1988 Calgary Games was the stuff of Olympic legend. That was the era when athletes weren’t just athletes — they were characters in a global drama.

Fast‑forward to 1996. I was in law school in Birmingham, Alabama, when the Summer Olympics came to Atlanta. My friend Brandy was actually on the Olympic Committee and even got to run with the torch. Birmingham, to my absolute delight, was chosen as the soccer venue. Suddenly, the Olympics weren’t just something I watched on TV. They were practically in my backyard.

Having majored in German — and armed with the grandiose confidence only a twenty‑something can muster — I decided I could be of great assistance to any German‑speaking teams. Translator? Tour guide? Cultural liaison? Yes, please. I applied to work at the soccer venue, fully imagining myself bridging nations with my linguistic prowess.

And then… I got selected.

I reported to headquarters, buzzing with excitement, and picked up my uniform: a blue Olympic polo with the rings emblazoned across the chest, a khaki pair of shorts, and a hat that looked like something Crocodile Dundee might wear if he were moonlighting for the IOC. I was ready.

Then came the big moment — my assignment.

Ticket taker.

I won’t lie. My Olympic dreams deflated just a touch. But only for a moment. I took a breath, summoned that Olympic spirit, and decided to embrace my role with gusto. After all, I was in it. I was part of the Games.

My mom drove down, and I shared my extra tickets with family. She came to the matches with me, cheering and soaking it all in. I greeted fans from all over the world, took their tickets with a smile, and realized that this — meeting people from every corner of the globe — was exactly why I loved the Olympics in the first place. And when my shift ended, I got to join my mom in the stands and watch the games. Just the two of us, taking in a once‑in‑a‑lifetime experience. I may have been a tiny cog in a massive machine, but it felt magical.

Now, with the Winter Olympics only weeks away, that familiar excitement is bubbling up again. I’m ready for the ceremony, the grandeur, the triumphs, the heartbreaks, and the stories that remind us how connected we really are.

Olympic fever has officially set in,

USA, I’m ready.

What events are you most excited to watch this year? Kicking the Chaos wants to know.