PEELER: Former Pack Swimmer Velez Pumped About 2008 Olympics
Dan Velez spent three years as a swimmer at NC State. He qualified as a member of the Puerto Rican national team by hitting an Olympic qualifying standard in March at a swim meeting in Texas. He and former Wolfpack teammate Cullen Jones will both be swimming early next week, as the 2008 Beijing Olympics get into full swing. They are the 11th and 12th former NC State swimmers to participate in the Olympic Games. Throughout the Olympics, Velez has agreed to share some of his once-in-a-lifetime experiences with GoPack.com.
I guess the place to start is my trip here. I left Raleigh, N.C., on the morning of July 30 for Newark, N.J. What a place to start my Olympic journey, right?
That's what was on my mind on my first flight, but then as we were approaching the airport for landing, I caught a great glimpse of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, and that was pretty breath-taking. So, it actually turned out as a great way to start my trip.
The next day I met about half of the Puerto Rican delegation, including all of the swimmers, at the airport and we left on our flight to China. The 13-hour flight over the North Pole went well and really didn't seem like 13 hours. I tried to sleep on the plane, but couldn't, which I knew I would pay for once I got to Beijing. We arrived midday on Aug. 2 in Beijing and were greeted by some dancing Olympic mascots in the airport. This is where the great Chinese hospitality began. We were greeted by a good 50 workers on the way through the airport, and were helped with our bags.
Arrival at the Village was quite an experience and was also a quick process. There was music blaring and people everywhere. It was a bit overwhelming, especially considering it was about 3 a.m. Raleigh time when we first arrived at the Village. I was definitely worried about the smog when we arrived, but it was actually very clear with blue skies. I later learned that the Chinese forced precipitation a few days earlier, which greatly cleared up most of the smog.
The Village is great. There is an Olympic sized outdoor pool at in the Village, a huge dining hall including a McDonalds, gardens, giant mascots, a full size arcade and plenty more. I didn't do much on the first day mostly due to being extremely tired, but I did get a short swim in at the Village, and I got to see my girlfriend, who is a swimmer for Colombia, and that put a huge smile on my face. All around, it was a great first day. I hit the hay hard that night, having been up for almost 30 consecutive hours.
The next day I got to see the Water Cube for the first time. This thing is by far the most amazing thing I have ever seen. We pulled up to the Cube with the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) in the background, and honestly my eyes welled up with tears. I think this may be when qualifying for the Olympics finally truly hit me hard. The Water Cube is just indescribable. Easily the fastest pool I've ever seen, and just an amazing sight.
Life in the Village has been great. We share a residential building with Lithuania, and are neighbors with Egypt, Qatar, Switzerland, Sweden, and a few other countries. Everyone speaks a different language here, but everyone is very kind and there is generally a very happy and excited atmosphere.
The thing that sticks out the most to me so far in my trip is the great hospitality. There are workers absolutely everywhere helping athletes with whatever we may need, and greeting us every chance we get. In a five-minute walk, I probably get 20 or more “Hellos,” “Good mornings,” and “How are yous?” They are really doing a great job with making us feel comfortable here.
I also want to point out that as I was sitting here typing, the Australian Olympic Swim Team walked by and my mouth was dropped as I was star struck at the sight of World record holders and swimming legends Grant Hackett and Libby Lenton walking by.
Wow. I am at the Olympics.
