DiAntonio, A.J.

English

James Madison University

The whole planet was our audienceMy 2002 Olympic experienceThis past year, I have had the opportunity to serve not only my country, but the entire world. Last summer,I was hired as an intern for the Ceremonies Department of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for theXIX Olympic Winter Games. This internship allowed me to see the Olympic Games from a completely wildand extraordinary perspective. I worked with every aspect of the Olympic ceremonies from the Openingand Closing Ceremonies, to the Torch Relay, to the medals presentations at Olympic Medals Plaza. WhenI first started at SLOC, my primary task was to organize all of the auditions for the Olympic venues andlive sites. This task required me to search Salt Lake City for every kind of talent imaginable. I foundbands, singers, dancers, cheerleaders, musicians, jugglers and clowns. Each of them was auditioned fora spot to perform at the Olympic Winter Games. I even auditioned for a spot in the cast of the Openingand Closing Ceremonies.After the summer, I returned to JMU for the fall semester. The events of last September gave us morereason to produce shows that paralleled the Olympic movement in efforts to unify the entire world. Later inthe fall, I was promoted to assistant cast coordinator of Olympic Medals Plaza (OMP). And I received aletter of acceptance to the cast of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.In December, I was asked to travel to Atlanta, Ga., to assist with the start of the Olympic Torch Relay.While in Atlanta, I worked with such inspirational athletes such as speed-skater Bonnie Blair, cyclist LanceArmstrong, figure skater Peggy Flemming and boxer Muhammad Ali. I had my picture taken on stage inAtlanta, just hours before the ceremony, holding the torch that Muhammad Ali would use to start the TorchRelay.Two weeks after the Atlanta Celebration, I was asked to go to New York City just before Christmas to helpwelcome the Olympic Flame to Rockefeller Center. The torch took a momentous march through thestreets of New York City, which were hit with chaos just three months before. The torch, that day morethan ever, symbolized the strength and pride this country was built upon. I watched from underneath thegreat Christmas tree as Mayor Rudolph Guiliani carried the flame into Rockefeller Plaza, across the icerink covered in candles, to a cauldron under the Christmas tree.When I arrived in Salt Lake City this winter, I was ready to see all our hard work pay off. All of our planningwas complete and the rehearsals were finished. The night before the games opened, I had the honor ofholding the Olympic torch as it burned. This was the same flame that came from Greece - the one that Isaw in Atlanta and New York. It was an honor that words fail to express. The next night, I sat in the standsof Rice Eccles Stadium as the Olympic Winter Games were opened. During the next two weeks, I was incharge of cast relations for the Olympic Cheerleading Squad and the OMP Fire and Ice Dancers. My jobwas more fun than anything else.Finally it was time to bring the games to a close. The Olympic Games of Salt Lake City were some of themost amazing Olympics in history. At the Closing Ceremonies, I was honored to escort the flag bearer andcaptain of the bobsled team from Chinese Taipei, Chin San Chen, into the stadium. There is really nothinglike working for the Olympic Games. The task is so unique in that the whole planet was our audience. Icherish every memory I have and all the friendships I made, especially Tracy, Sheri and Ted of theCeremonies Department. This experience was absolutely incredible.Story by A.J. DiAntonio ('02)International Affairs major

The whole planet was our audience: My 2002 Olympic experience

https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&amp;context=monty

The whole planet was our audience: My 2002 Olympic experience

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