Let the Games Begin!

Over the next 17 days, I'll be posting updates from Arena Athlete Mike Hazle (at left, competing in the 2007 USATF Nationals) as he navigates his way through his inaugural Olympic experience in Beijing. Below is Update #1, written after the Opening Ceremonies:

So Much To Do, So Little Time...

Hello, first let me apologize if this first entry is cut short, there doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to get everything done over here that needs to be done. I'm actually catching a plane in 30 minutes for our training camp in Dailan. Its been a whirlwind of a few days and I'm running on about 8 hours of sleep since I arrived. The people of Beijing have been...flawless! They are so excited to be hosting the Olympic Games and their attitudes and personalities certainly reflect that. They have been more than gracious hosts and I have fallen in love with the culture. The village is brand new, as are most of the facilities and there's everything that you would ever need.

Last night I attended the XXIX Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies. I could sit here for hours and not be able to capture the experience in words, so I'll try to wrap it up as...simply amazing, the best day of my life! I had the opportunity not only to meet, but to hang out with George W. Bush and Bush Sr., Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Coach "K" and so many more unbelievable people with awesome stories. After about 9 hours total of standing, sitting and standing some more, I can now say that my Olympic Experience is officially underway. I promise to make the future blogs longer and hopefully with a bit more detail.

I have a plane to catch, gotta run!
Mike++