Light the Fire Within

The relay team heading the parade following Amy Peterson. Rusty Smith, Ron Biono, Dan Weinstein and Apolo Ohno

Me and Derek Parra at the Opening Ceremonies.

Danny and me at the Opening.

After talking with Andrew about his Mexico experience I found this on youtube (see bottom of page). This was such a spiritual experience. Mitt Romney said the presence of God was there....i agree. I learned some things watching this video. I didn't know that Glenn Close said, "None of life's storms can darken the human spirit, once lit by the fire within."
This was one of the best moment of my skating career. There was Bruce Rowley leading us, Lexi Riley, Paul Olson, Kyle Brown, Mike Harms, me in the back of the pack getting a draft and someone else who is slipping my mind??? That was a long long time ago but watching this tonite gives me goose pimples reliving that night. I haven't watched this or listened to the music in a long long time.

We were part of an Emmy award winning show! The opening ceremonies won the following:

Nomination and Winner:
Outstanding Art Direction For A Variety Or Music Program
Outstanding Choreography
Outstanding Costumes For A Variety Or Music Program
Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program
Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic, Multi-Camera) For VMC
Programming
Outstanding Music Direction

I remember that day was very very cold. Getting there in the morning there was a snow storm. I remember warming up and talking to "Jumpin Joe". He is a local SLC skater and former bronze medalist who does the flip at the end. He was very concerned because there was alot of wind that day. One of the balloons that an airialist would hang from popped the night b4. No time for a custom replacement. He was concerned about doing jumps and quads with a big wind.

I saw Derek Parra, Danny Weinstein, Jason Headstrand and Bart Schounten after we performed. Also, got a shot of the relay team. What a night. I got pictures with Jim Shea, Matt Lauer and Al Roker from the Today show. What great people they were.

The show was amazing considering we had dress rehearsals Mon and Wed and hadn't had a clean run. We lost Lexi on Wed night to a collision with a figure skater and the rehearsals the week before were a nightmare. Camera men getting run over on the ice. The camera guys who would get the on ice shots showed up at the last minute. Talk about a crowded ice and small. We did do one right hand turn as well as I remember. We had some crash into an ice chard guy and take him out from behind.

So the Friday night real show at the Opening Ceremonies seemed like a crap shoot. 60,000 fans and a few billion on live TV. I know the choregrapher Sara Karahara and the producers were stressed the last week. Amazingly, everything went off without a hitch. There was a spirit there for sure and with all the Utah Indian tribe together it was awesome. I shook G.W. Bush's hand just before we went out as he came off after the World Trade Center flag.
I put my politics aside that night but here's an interesting story. I was at the CT speedskating camp in Lake Placid after Christmas in 2001. Jack Shea (32 500m Gold Medalist) spoke as the torch went thru LP. It was cold on the oval and there were at least a thousand people there. He spoke mostly how the Olympics represent peace to him and how we were going to goto war with Iraq and how wrong it was. Unfortunately, he was killed by a drunk driver a couple of weeks later.
Derek held that flag then I got up in the morning (noon) and cheered him on to an amazing 5k Silver. KC Boutiette though led it off with a gutsy 5k with a bad back. People forget about that. I believe that gave everyone confidence.