The evening of the Opening Ceremonies were finally here. Please forgive the length of this post...its long but I couldn't cut any of it out :)
The longest day of the whole trip: 20 hours from start to finish!
We were all up and out of our hotel by 08:45 for our Final Leg Torch Run and then to dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremonies later that night.
We all mustered to formally receive our Flame of Hope back from the Honorary Presidential Guard. From there we began probably the best and longest run yet (approx 9 kilometers) All 150 of us ran through the streets of Athens. Each team rotated with our Athletes to the front with the torch.
We stopped at several venues along the way, which included; The U.S. Embassy, Police Headquarters and then a ceremony in front of the Mayor's office, with greetings by him and other dignitaries. From there we continued to our final destination, the entrance of Zappeion, where the cauldron would be lit.
****Remember the Zappeion was where we all first started the Final Leg Torch Run back on June 9th
Our Final Leg coordinator, Mike Team spoke to us and reminded us how important it was for each of us to share our experiences and take the Flame of Hope message home. Each of our Special Olympics Athletes was encouraged to speak briefly about how the experience of being part of the Final Leg Team affected them. As you can imagine they were all very emotional and truly thankful for the opportunity. It was a very moving experience and many of us, yes even grown men were in tears when we heard what they had to say... I can't say it enough - to so many athletes and their parents we are the heros to bring them hope and opportunity!
After our run, We had a quick dress rehearsal for our role at the historic Panathenaic Stadium, the original stadium for the 1896 Olympic Games!!
I think most of us were in awe of just being here, the stadium was a work of art, the authentic white marble is quite something...however later that night most of us were cursing the marble, as we were required to sit on it for several hours. Once rehearsal was done, we had about 3 hours of free time before we had to muster up for our event.
Many of us brought our police dress uniforms, which was a challenge in itself. We all scrambled for irons and tried to make light of the fact that we would be seated for many hours in the heat and had to look as sharp as we could.
The big event: The Opening Ceremony. Wow I am not sure how I can write about this!
The following will be from my perspective, but I strongly encourage everyone to google the Special Olympics Games Greece and there are short youtube clips that will capture some of what I was part of, it was absolutely amazing, yes it was very long, but still amazing for most of us.
6:30 pm muster time for us to load up on the buses. As we all gathered in the lobby of our hotel, many of us had a different look now without the running gear on and sweat on our body's. Our two Greek Police Women looked fabulous in their uniforms, their dress uniform was quite sheik, as they were in skirts and high heels, with short high cropped hats. Although as much as I complimented them, they complimented me in my uniform. Unfortunately not everyone brought a uniform, so we probably looked a little mismatched, too bad because in our running gear we definitely looked unified.
As we, all 150 of us, entered the stadium, the atmosphere was certainly more alive than it had been during the rehearsal, as many family, volunteers and friends were already either seated or walking about. 8:00 pm was the scheduled start time, but we were cautiously optimistic, as most other events we had gone to had not been on time.
We received lots of cheers, as we walked into our seating area. I looked into the stands for Canadian flags and saw a few. Of course there were so many different countries, with groups waving their flags. As we were seated I kept wondering how I would find Stacey's mom, Beryl Kohler.
Well, within half an hour, she found me, I guess our section kind of stood out.
It was great to see her and confirm that I had seen Stacey a couple times. Beryl was so excited, as I was, to finally connect. She expressed how excited Stacey was that I was here in Greece to see her.
It seemed like an eternity waiting for the entertainment to begin. Our biggest challenge was that we had to remain seated for several hours until it was our turn to go on stage. Although the sun had gone down it was still quite warm, probably at least 25 - 28 degrees.
And yes the ceremonies started late, but once they did it was non-stop entertainment, until we hit the stage around 00:30 hrs. There were so many dignitaries, including the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, numerous international political figures, celebrities, international sports icons and finally the Shriver/Kennedy family. As many of them walked by our group, they waved and made sure they acknowledged us. Of course the Shriver family were gathered to also remember their mother Eunice Shriver, who had founded Special Olympics in 1968. A special video tribute of her was played.
Dr. Timothy Shriver once again didn't disappoint us, he spoke and what was really neat, is he stayed on stage when the music started and began dancing with some of the Special Olympic Athletes.
One of his quotes; "You, the athletes do not compete with anyone but yourselves. Impossible is a state of mind, for everything is possible. Improve a little everyday and the impossible becomes the possible."
We also watched as each country , (185 in total with over 7000 athletes) was introduced, the uniforms, the colours and the number of athletes was quite incredible. As you can imagine that introduction of all these countries took forever!!
Two well known international sports celebrities were also in attendance; ice skater, Michelle Kwan and basketball star, Yao Ming.
Another significant part of the ceremonies, was the introduction of the International Global Ambassadors. As Special Olympic Athletes, they are picked for their ability to convey their message. Of course in the group of approximately 10 Special Olympics Athletes, was Matthew Williams from Vancouver B.C., and He did awesome!
The glamorous Vanessa Williams hit the stage and not only spoke but also belted out a few songs. Then soon after, Stevie Wonder was introduced and he continued with the momentum. Then all of a sudden Vanessa came back on stage and they joined together to sing, But prior to that Stevie Wonder spoke, and of all the people who had given speeches, we all knew he wasn't reading any que cards.
His quote; "Our dreams are only limited by our visions, let us all be Olympic Champions of love and respect."
Then he and Vanessa sang........
"That's what friends are for"!
It was great the stadium was electric with lights, etc....
Of course before the show ended, the Greek Mythology, history and culture was conveyed with the story of Ulysses, sailors on a ship who overcome harsh adventures.
Finally it was our turn, we knew our role and when queued all began to walk in twos onto the long stage. After the Flame of Hope was delivered to the cauldron, we quickly walked off. We queued up outside and watched fireworks. Then with a blink of an eye we were back on stage for the finale.
Then as we stood in our spots each country descended upon us, athletes slapping our hands and hugging us, something very overwhelming. I think we must have been on the stage for about an hour, the long train of athletes just didn't seem to end.
And the encore: one final spectacular array of fireworks to end a beautiful evening of excitement.
I think it was almost 01:00 am before the show was over, although we were all tired I kept thinking about the athletes, some of them, Stacey included had to qualify early the next morning.
Staff Sgt Debbie McLeod of Delta Police Department is representing BC as the law enforcement officer to run with 90 other law enforcement officials from around the world, for three weeks through various communities in Greece (including the Greek islands and Cyprus). The Torch Run will conclude on June 25 at the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics World Summer Games at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Dodging riots
I thought I would give an update and let everyone know that I am safe...I had an interesting day dodging riots it was kind of scary to see it up close. I also had to figure out transit, the city has been in a grid lock.
There are a lot of news outlets reporting on the riots in Athens, but here is a link to Yahoo news for interest:
http://bit.ly/lnzHx4
Deb
There are a lot of news outlets reporting on the riots in Athens, but here is a link to Yahoo news for interest:
http://bit.ly/lnzHx4
Deb
From Technolpolis to Acropolis
Friday June 24 (I'm trying to capture each day and will catch up!)
Our 3 teams from route 3 quickly scrambled to back on our bus and were transported to an area called the Technopolis not far from the Acropolis. There we greeted the other teams from routes 1 and 2. We were all back together after 14 days. Story's and laughs were exchanged although different routes and different perspectives many of our reactions and encounters with the Greek communities were similar. With out a doubt, the Greek hospitality and acceptance to us with the Flame of Hope had been outstanding. Everyone had been fed copious amounts of food!!
From here we all, (over 100 of us) began our Torch Run from Technopolis to the Acropolis. On route we had to stop and wait for several of the dignitaries to catch up. As we stood waiting, many high level political officials from all over the world passed us, including Dr. Shriver and his family and Ms Joanna Despotopoutou (she is the president of Special Olympics Greece and has been very significant in making it a success in Greece).
After about an hour we continued up the hill to the Acropolis where everyone was waiting for us. There was so much media, this was almost as big as our Flame Lighting Ceremony on June 9. But more was yet to come on Saturday June 25th.
Several speeches again by Dr. Shriver and Joanna, they didn't disappoint us with their down to earth and entertaining style. Timothy Shriver yelled into the crowd and introduced previous Olympic Gymnast, Nadia Comoneci and Yoa Ming, Houston Rockets player and global ambassador for Special Olympics although he was not hard to miss in the crowd! He is the tallest NBA player, standing a whopping 7' 6".
Some background on other important points to Special Olympics, aside from the above mentioned outside supporters, there are designated Special Olympic Athletes, who have been picked to be International Global Ambassadors to speak at various events. I immediately recognized a young man, Mathew Williams he is from Vancouver and I have heard him speak before and He is very articulate. We had a good chat, it was nice to see another Canadian over here, especially from Vancouver.
After more photos, we all headed back to our mustering point to clean up for a late dinner. But a very important part of our role and mission to running with the Flame to the Acropolis was to safely hand our lanterns to the National Guard for safe keeping overnight, until we could take it to the opening ceremonies on Saturday.
As our day was ending some of us from route 3 were still feeling the effects of our boat experience.
Our 3 teams from route 3 quickly scrambled to back on our bus and were transported to an area called the Technopolis not far from the Acropolis. There we greeted the other teams from routes 1 and 2. We were all back together after 14 days. Story's and laughs were exchanged although different routes and different perspectives many of our reactions and encounters with the Greek communities were similar. With out a doubt, the Greek hospitality and acceptance to us with the Flame of Hope had been outstanding. Everyone had been fed copious amounts of food!!
From here we all, (over 100 of us) began our Torch Run from Technopolis to the Acropolis. On route we had to stop and wait for several of the dignitaries to catch up. As we stood waiting, many high level political officials from all over the world passed us, including Dr. Shriver and his family and Ms Joanna Despotopoutou (she is the president of Special Olympics Greece and has been very significant in making it a success in Greece).
After about an hour we continued up the hill to the Acropolis where everyone was waiting for us. There was so much media, this was almost as big as our Flame Lighting Ceremony on June 9. But more was yet to come on Saturday June 25th.
Several speeches again by Dr. Shriver and Joanna, they didn't disappoint us with their down to earth and entertaining style. Timothy Shriver yelled into the crowd and introduced previous Olympic Gymnast, Nadia Comoneci and Yoa Ming, Houston Rockets player and global ambassador for Special Olympics although he was not hard to miss in the crowd! He is the tallest NBA player, standing a whopping 7' 6".
Some background on other important points to Special Olympics, aside from the above mentioned outside supporters, there are designated Special Olympic Athletes, who have been picked to be International Global Ambassadors to speak at various events. I immediately recognized a young man, Mathew Williams he is from Vancouver and I have heard him speak before and He is very articulate. We had a good chat, it was nice to see another Canadian over here, especially from Vancouver.
After more photos, we all headed back to our mustering point to clean up for a late dinner. But a very important part of our role and mission to running with the Flame to the Acropolis was to safely hand our lanterns to the National Guard for safe keeping overnight, until we could take it to the opening ceremonies on Saturday.
As our day was ending some of us from route 3 were still feeling the effects of our boat experience.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Leaving Rhodes
Well today, Monday June 27 I am feeling a little sad our Final Leg is over and our goals were accomplished. We all, 100 plus officers, successfully delivered the Flame of Hope. I have lots to tell about our last 4 days. But on another exciting and very important note I will be starting a new chapter to reflect what is happening here at the world games, especially with how Stacey does. There are over 7000 athletes here and a lot are from Greece.
Thursday....
Our teams 8,9 and 10 from route 3 left Our hotel around 3 pm for the main port area of Rhodes. Unfortunately we had a little mishap. While waiting for our bus, I and my new Canadian friend from Ontario Provincial Police, Stacey ran to our pool bar to grab a refreshment, as we raced back to jump on the bus the glass doors opened and closed and Stacey ran into the door. She instantly had a bump on her forehead.
On route to our next stop Stacey began feeling sick, her condition seemed to get worse. After the EHS crew assessed her she was taken to hospital. The doctor determined that she had suffered a concussion and advised no exercise for the next few days. She is better now and was cleared to travel home, but she sure had us all worried. We took shifts on the boat waking her up
During the hospital ordeal with Stacey,the rest of us mustered up to do a short run into Knights Castle, a large crowd was expected, including several athletes, dignitaries, priests, the Mayor and Timothy Shriver. As we ran in, the welcoming along the streets and well into the long cobblestoned entrance was again incredible. The caldron was successfully lit by our Greek police officer Aspa, and Adam Hayes, our athlete. I looked at the crowd and saw Dr.Timothy Shriver. When Adam spoke, I could hear Timothy Shriver yelling encouragement, especially when Adam talked about getting a college degree.
When Dr. Shriver got up he immediately introduced his family including his sister Maria, he had them all stand up to be acknowledged. Once again he delivered a very inspirational speech. We then were entertained by beautiful dancers, who first descended down a long stone stair case of the castle. Lots of photos were taken by all of us.
From the ceremony our bus took us to the port for boarding for our longest boat ride yet. As we waited, I looked around and lost count of how many buses were parked along with us. All the athletes that had been on Rhodes were also booked on the same boat. I assumed that because we did not have sleeping berths booked that at least the athletes would be accommodated.
Finally the boat arrived and as we boarded, I kept thinking where are all us going to sit and or sleep? It seemed to take for ever for all the buses to be loaded which caused a further delay in our scheduled departure. Our team leaders tried to secure a small area for us to sit, but within no time several athletes began sitting with us, many of them from Ireland. We learned that many of them did not have sleeping berths, so we did the only thing we could and gave up most of the seating for them.
I was able to connect with Rick Lucy and Stacey and they also had some berths but like some of us had to rotate people in shifts to sleep.
After a few hours we learned that we were able to pay around $60 Euro's for a berth with 4 beds. In the end most of us had somewhere to sleep, but around 4 am the boat began rocking. The sea was quite rough and many people began feeling seasick. In the am I looked for Stacey, our athlete. Her coach said she was sleeping due to the sea sickness, the sleep helped and she was fine later the next day.
All in all our boat ride totaled approximately 18 hours- most in the very choppy seas. We arrived back to our original hotel, the Stanley in Athens around 3 pm. After quick showers we mustered for our run into the Acropolis, where even more dignitaries, including Timothy Shriver would be waiting to greet us.
Stay tuned for Friday June 24 th events.
Debbie.
Thursday....
Our teams 8,9 and 10 from route 3 left Our hotel around 3 pm for the main port area of Rhodes. Unfortunately we had a little mishap. While waiting for our bus, I and my new Canadian friend from Ontario Provincial Police, Stacey ran to our pool bar to grab a refreshment, as we raced back to jump on the bus the glass doors opened and closed and Stacey ran into the door. She instantly had a bump on her forehead.
On route to our next stop Stacey began feeling sick, her condition seemed to get worse. After the EHS crew assessed her she was taken to hospital. The doctor determined that she had suffered a concussion and advised no exercise for the next few days. She is better now and was cleared to travel home, but she sure had us all worried. We took shifts on the boat waking her up
During the hospital ordeal with Stacey,the rest of us mustered up to do a short run into Knights Castle, a large crowd was expected, including several athletes, dignitaries, priests, the Mayor and Timothy Shriver. As we ran in, the welcoming along the streets and well into the long cobblestoned entrance was again incredible. The caldron was successfully lit by our Greek police officer Aspa, and Adam Hayes, our athlete. I looked at the crowd and saw Dr.Timothy Shriver. When Adam spoke, I could hear Timothy Shriver yelling encouragement, especially when Adam talked about getting a college degree.
When Dr. Shriver got up he immediately introduced his family including his sister Maria, he had them all stand up to be acknowledged. Once again he delivered a very inspirational speech. We then were entertained by beautiful dancers, who first descended down a long stone stair case of the castle. Lots of photos were taken by all of us.
From the ceremony our bus took us to the port for boarding for our longest boat ride yet. As we waited, I looked around and lost count of how many buses were parked along with us. All the athletes that had been on Rhodes were also booked on the same boat. I assumed that because we did not have sleeping berths booked that at least the athletes would be accommodated.
Finally the boat arrived and as we boarded, I kept thinking where are all us going to sit and or sleep? It seemed to take for ever for all the buses to be loaded which caused a further delay in our scheduled departure. Our team leaders tried to secure a small area for us to sit, but within no time several athletes began sitting with us, many of them from Ireland. We learned that many of them did not have sleeping berths, so we did the only thing we could and gave up most of the seating for them.
I was able to connect with Rick Lucy and Stacey and they also had some berths but like some of us had to rotate people in shifts to sleep.
After a few hours we learned that we were able to pay around $60 Euro's for a berth with 4 beds. In the end most of us had somewhere to sleep, but around 4 am the boat began rocking. The sea was quite rough and many people began feeling seasick. In the am I looked for Stacey, our athlete. Her coach said she was sleeping due to the sea sickness, the sleep helped and she was fine later the next day.
All in all our boat ride totaled approximately 18 hours- most in the very choppy seas. We arrived back to our original hotel, the Stanley in Athens around 3 pm. After quick showers we mustered for our run into the Acropolis, where even more dignitaries, including Timothy Shriver would be waiting to greet us.
Stay tuned for Friday June 24 th events.
Debbie.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Santorini and the Cauldron
Yasas, hello in greek....
Well we have done a lot of traveling by boat in the last few days. we arrived on Santorini early Tuesday afternoon and were greeted by the Mayor, he hosted lunch for us at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean and volcano. After lunch our athlete Stephanie Smith, from Ontario and I carried the torch through very narrow sidewalks to a small plaza up on a cliff (flickr photos, by David Kramer, 6466 6467 6501, etc...) We were greeted by a crowd of 100 or so mostly tourists.
After a short ceremony we were treated to a tour of a local winery. Then back to a ferry for an overnight ride to the Island of Rhodes. It was a long ride about 15 hours. Good thing I brought my music and small speaker, some us found a corner on deck and listened to the tunes. I danced with Yacek from Poland, who has all of us laughing, he is an avid sun tanner and is always ensuring he has tanned as much of his body as possible.....
The docks at each port are crazy with intermittent crowds of people, mo-peds, cars, trucks and buses. There never seems to be any sense of order people walk in front of vehicles and vice versa.... Seems like a recipe for disaster!!!!
We jumped back on our bus and in a short time we arrived to a beautiful resort. Once we were off it was hurry up and wait for almost 2 hours.... But much to my surprise I found some Canadian coaches and athletes.... I knew they were on the island but didn't expect to see them at our hotel.... My mission was to now find Stacey and maybe Rick Lucy, Abby Deputy Chief... I knew he was somewhere too as he was coaching the soccer team...
In between searching I took advantage of the pool, as it was 40 degrees out with little breeze....
At 5:30 our bus was pulling out again for us to travel to a small tourist village called Lindos... once there we were told we couldn't run, due to the very narrow sidewalks and the expected large crowds.. Once we began our trek I could hear the crowd in the distant, and yes the walk ways were very narrow, with small shops cafes and outdoor patio restaurants. very picturesque indeed!!!
People were cheering us on as we walked, Yasas, Yasas....As we rounded the curve, I could see a large crowd that was very impressive and moving, so many athletes all in their team and country colors. The excitement was electric, for them to finally see us...
Once the caldron was lit and as we stood listening to welcoming speeches, I looked at the crowd thinking how could I possibly find Stacey or Rick..... there had to be over 1500 people, the majority athletes... I kept looking through the crowd and then I felt a tap and looked it was Rick, after a hug we caught up some of on our experiences and he re-assured me that Stacey was in the crowd with her coach.... we agreed to catch up later at the hotel
Our time was up and as we walked up the hill, the street was lined on both sides with athletes from USA, Canada, Taiwan, Israel, etc... I kept searching but still no Stacey, then I heard my name yelled and it was gentleman I had met a few years before from BC... He said he was Stacey's coach.... then I looked and there she was after a big hug and kiss we took some quick photos and she said "I listened to you I am not running in bare feet anymore, just in runners" I said good you need to protect your feet !!! She looked great and was pumped and ready for her events...
On the bus ride back our leaders said "how do you all feel now?" and we agreed that was a great feeling to finally see some athletes and see their excitement of us coming in with the torch.
Stacey is training today so I haven't been able to connect with her or Rick but I think we are all traveling back on the same ferry....
So we all leave tonight on a ferry for about 16 hours and we have no sleeping berths, told to find a chair somewhere...yikes, last time I did that was when I backpacked in 1989...Anyway we will survive, the athletes deserve the cabins so i am sure we will be fine...
we go back to the Stanley hotel which is in the bad area of Athens.
Thats it for now, flikr has lots of photos now so check them out... remember route 3 David Kramer is our photographer....
Debbie
Well we have done a lot of traveling by boat in the last few days. we arrived on Santorini early Tuesday afternoon and were greeted by the Mayor, he hosted lunch for us at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the ocean and volcano. After lunch our athlete Stephanie Smith, from Ontario and I carried the torch through very narrow sidewalks to a small plaza up on a cliff (flickr photos, by David Kramer, 6466 6467 6501, etc...) We were greeted by a crowd of 100 or so mostly tourists.
After a short ceremony we were treated to a tour of a local winery. Then back to a ferry for an overnight ride to the Island of Rhodes. It was a long ride about 15 hours. Good thing I brought my music and small speaker, some us found a corner on deck and listened to the tunes. I danced with Yacek from Poland, who has all of us laughing, he is an avid sun tanner and is always ensuring he has tanned as much of his body as possible.....
The docks at each port are crazy with intermittent crowds of people, mo-peds, cars, trucks and buses. There never seems to be any sense of order people walk in front of vehicles and vice versa.... Seems like a recipe for disaster!!!!
We jumped back on our bus and in a short time we arrived to a beautiful resort. Once we were off it was hurry up and wait for almost 2 hours.... But much to my surprise I found some Canadian coaches and athletes.... I knew they were on the island but didn't expect to see them at our hotel.... My mission was to now find Stacey and maybe Rick Lucy, Abby Deputy Chief... I knew he was somewhere too as he was coaching the soccer team...
In between searching I took advantage of the pool, as it was 40 degrees out with little breeze....
At 5:30 our bus was pulling out again for us to travel to a small tourist village called Lindos... once there we were told we couldn't run, due to the very narrow sidewalks and the expected large crowds.. Once we began our trek I could hear the crowd in the distant, and yes the walk ways were very narrow, with small shops cafes and outdoor patio restaurants. very picturesque indeed!!!
People were cheering us on as we walked, Yasas, Yasas....As we rounded the curve, I could see a large crowd that was very impressive and moving, so many athletes all in their team and country colors. The excitement was electric, for them to finally see us...
Once the caldron was lit and as we stood listening to welcoming speeches, I looked at the crowd thinking how could I possibly find Stacey or Rick..... there had to be over 1500 people, the majority athletes... I kept looking through the crowd and then I felt a tap and looked it was Rick, after a hug we caught up some of on our experiences and he re-assured me that Stacey was in the crowd with her coach.... we agreed to catch up later at the hotel
Our time was up and as we walked up the hill, the street was lined on both sides with athletes from USA, Canada, Taiwan, Israel, etc... I kept searching but still no Stacey, then I heard my name yelled and it was gentleman I had met a few years before from BC... He said he was Stacey's coach.... then I looked and there she was after a big hug and kiss we took some quick photos and she said "I listened to you I am not running in bare feet anymore, just in runners" I said good you need to protect your feet !!! She looked great and was pumped and ready for her events...
On the bus ride back our leaders said "how do you all feel now?" and we agreed that was a great feeling to finally see some athletes and see their excitement of us coming in with the torch.
Stacey is training today so I haven't been able to connect with her or Rick but I think we are all traveling back on the same ferry....
So we all leave tonight on a ferry for about 16 hours and we have no sleeping berths, told to find a chair somewhere...yikes, last time I did that was when I backpacked in 1989...Anyway we will survive, the athletes deserve the cabins so i am sure we will be fine...
we go back to the Stanley hotel which is in the bad area of Athens.
Thats it for now, flikr has lots of photos now so check them out... remember route 3 David Kramer is our photographer....
Debbie
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Special Olympics Website
Hey Everyone - we have been taking a bunch of photos but for some reason they are difficult to find on Flickr.com. If you want to see a few go to www.specialolympics.org and there are some on the site. As soon as I have some time, I will download some to my computer and post them....
Paros, Santorini and Rhodes
The last couple of days have been a total whirlwind (not that the others haven't!)
We left the island of Paros today (Tuesday) to go to Santorini to meet up with the mayor...then we will travel by boat tonight to the island of Rhodes.
Here is a really brief update on the last few days;
On Saturday we arrived at 5 30 am by boat to Sifnos where we met the Mayor and went to 3 villages. Then on Sunday we were taken to the Acropolis of Agios Andreas - it is the oldest evidence of European civilization and then to a church believed to have been built in the 1500's - it was amazing to see!
On Monday We took a small ferry across to Anti Paros. As we were leaving for our 20 minute journey we could see several small boats hovering nearby. Well you wouldn't believe it - they traveled along side us lighting flares and honking their horns. On the other side about 200 people were waiting on shore, cheering us on. We disembarked and then ran through their small streets and sidewalks with several small children joining us. As we ran along I felt a small hand grab mine and instantly I had a new friend - a 6 year old girl ran/walked with me as we arrived to the small plaza. She was beautiful!
Then we were greeted with a short ceremony and some of their homemade bakery items.
I am getting excited about arriving to Rhodes because I am hoping to meet up with our athlete Stacey... this is going to be such a great experience for her.
I hope everyone at home is doing well!
We left the island of Paros today (Tuesday) to go to Santorini to meet up with the mayor...then we will travel by boat tonight to the island of Rhodes.
Here is a really brief update on the last few days;
On Saturday we arrived at 5 30 am by boat to Sifnos where we met the Mayor and went to 3 villages. Then on Sunday we were taken to the Acropolis of Agios Andreas - it is the oldest evidence of European civilization and then to a church believed to have been built in the 1500's - it was amazing to see!
On Monday We took a small ferry across to Anti Paros. As we were leaving for our 20 minute journey we could see several small boats hovering nearby. Well you wouldn't believe it - they traveled along side us lighting flares and honking their horns. On the other side about 200 people were waiting on shore, cheering us on. We disembarked and then ran through their small streets and sidewalks with several small children joining us. As we ran along I felt a small hand grab mine and instantly I had a new friend - a 6 year old girl ran/walked with me as we arrived to the small plaza. She was beautiful!
Then we were greeted with a short ceremony and some of their homemade bakery items.
I am getting excited about arriving to Rhodes because I am hoping to meet up with our athlete Stacey... this is going to be such a great experience for her.
I hope everyone at home is doing well!
Friday, June 17, 2011
My speech
Here is what I said when it was my turn to speak:
Yasas,(hello in Greek). My name is Debbie McLeod, I am from Vancouver British Columbia, Canada. I am a police officer with the Delta Police Dept, just outside of Vancouver (some cheers from the crowd).
I first became involved in LETR in 1999 and have been have been hooked ever since. Each year I coordinate with other police officers to promote the message of hope in a 4 day 100 kilometer LETR through several communities.
Tonight I am truly honored to be here with the Final Leg Team of law enforcement officer from around the world along with our three athletes;
Panos from Greece, Stephane Smith from Ontario Canada, and Adam Hayes from Maryland USA. (I point to him on stage) They keep us strong. (The crowd cheers and I knew then I could get through this…)
As guardians of the flame we deliver the message of hope to many communities in Greece until we reach our final destination in Athens, where we will safely deliver the flame of hope to open the 2011 world summer games on June 25. (More cheers from the crowd..)
The games will host 7000 athletes from 180 countries, 2,500 coaches, 25,000 volunteers and family and friends. I am especially proud of one Canadian athlete, who is from my community, Stacey Kohler. She will be competing in several track and field events. She runs every year with me in our local torch run and has won 3 gold metals in the National Games in Canada.
She holds a special place in my heart. This is a flame of hope. (I point to the large caldron on the stage) It stands for hope, courage, opportunity, inspiration and equality for all our athletes. And I am in. Imemesa!!! (Greek for I am in the slogan).
Thank you very much for the privilege here today.
Yasas,(hello in Greek). My name is Debbie McLeod, I am from Vancouver British Columbia, Canada. I am a police officer with the Delta Police Dept, just outside of Vancouver (some cheers from the crowd).
I first became involved in LETR in 1999 and have been have been hooked ever since. Each year I coordinate with other police officers to promote the message of hope in a 4 day 100 kilometer LETR through several communities.
Tonight I am truly honored to be here with the Final Leg Team of law enforcement officer from around the world along with our three athletes;
Panos from Greece, Stephane Smith from Ontario Canada, and Adam Hayes from Maryland USA. (I point to him on stage) They keep us strong. (The crowd cheers and I knew then I could get through this…)
As guardians of the flame we deliver the message of hope to many communities in Greece until we reach our final destination in Athens, where we will safely deliver the flame of hope to open the 2011 world summer games on June 25. (More cheers from the crowd..)
The games will host 7000 athletes from 180 countries, 2,500 coaches, 25,000 volunteers and family and friends. I am especially proud of one Canadian athlete, who is from my community, Stacey Kohler. She will be competing in several track and field events. She runs every year with me in our local torch run and has won 3 gold metals in the National Games in Canada.
She holds a special place in my heart. This is a flame of hope. (I point to the large caldron on the stage) It stands for hope, courage, opportunity, inspiration and equality for all our athletes. And I am in. Imemesa!!! (Greek for I am in the slogan).
Thank you very much for the privilege here today.
Last days in Crete
We have run through many parts of Crete and leave here tonight by boat to go to island of Sifnos. Thursday we had 6-7 stops, which are referred to as ceremonies and each village and some larger towns put on ceremonial dances and tables of food etc. I’m not sure if I mentioned it but our group is Route 3 which consists of 3 teams of ten of us. We also have 3 Special Olympic athletes who are part of our team…it is a way of including them as they are not competing in the Games. All of us (including the athletes) are tasked with doing speeches at the various stops.
At the end of the day (10 pm last night)it was my turn with Special Olympic athlete Adam Hayes from Maryland USA. He is a very good speaker so I knew I had to be up for the challenge. The town, Agios Nikolaos is a tourist town with a lot of British influence.
As the bus dropped our team off, we mustered in threes and began our short 1 kilometer run through the cobble stoned streets. Some local athletes joined in and many people cheered us on from shop fronts, restaurant patios etc. As Adam and I approached the large plaza the crowds became larger and I could here the band playing the theme song for Special Olympics. The crowd became bigger and bigger as Adam and I led our 3 teams into the plaza - I couldn’t believe how enthusiastic and outwardly gracious these people were. This is bigger than I ever imagined.
We ran up on stage and then as the music continued many local athletes joined us shaking our hands hugging us, wanting just to touch us like we could really change their lives.
The mayor did his welcome speech followed by a few other speeches and then it was Adams turn. He was incredible (wow talk about pressure for me)! As they introduced me I thought to myself…if Adam can do it so can I. By the way the crowd estimated at approx 1000 people.
Keep in mind the majority are Greek so we need an interpreter. So after a few lines I had to stop so our so rep could repeat in Greek.
As I approached I leaned over to Adam and said “hey no big deal right just a small family gathering…” he laughs “oh yeah sure!”
I’ll post my speech in a separate blog in a bit.
After I was done, there was incredible dance performance on the stage. After about an hour Adam and I lit the torch from the caldron and led the teams back out with the 1000+ crowd cheering us on.
After all of this we hopped back on a bus for more travel time. Most of us cat nap to catch up on sleep. But also we get our Greek officers Marita or Panos to get the radio turned up with great Greek music. Panos made us instant Greek coffees in to-go cups. I have helped Gonzalo from Portugal translate his speech into English - although he is quite fluent in both speaking and writing we have all had many laughs with some of the translations.
Our team leader, Bill Buford from Arkansas is an old hat at this and there is too much in his bio to go into but he served in Vietnam, and at 66, only recently retired from policing. He wears a cowboy hat and often has an unlit cigar. Lots of us posed with his hat and at his request we all signed it. We are known as the roadkill team. He is one of those once in a life time kind of guys and I am so lucky I was picked for his team.
We are pool-side today and it is a nice break after lots of long days. I think it was after 2 am before I hit the pillow. I caught up on what happened with the Canucks. It sounds very disappointing and really embarrassing for our city. I hope everyone that had to work it came out unscathed.
At the end of the day (10 pm last night)it was my turn with Special Olympic athlete Adam Hayes from Maryland USA. He is a very good speaker so I knew I had to be up for the challenge. The town, Agios Nikolaos is a tourist town with a lot of British influence.
As the bus dropped our team off, we mustered in threes and began our short 1 kilometer run through the cobble stoned streets. Some local athletes joined in and many people cheered us on from shop fronts, restaurant patios etc. As Adam and I approached the large plaza the crowds became larger and I could here the band playing the theme song for Special Olympics. The crowd became bigger and bigger as Adam and I led our 3 teams into the plaza - I couldn’t believe how enthusiastic and outwardly gracious these people were. This is bigger than I ever imagined.
We ran up on stage and then as the music continued many local athletes joined us shaking our hands hugging us, wanting just to touch us like we could really change their lives.
The mayor did his welcome speech followed by a few other speeches and then it was Adams turn. He was incredible (wow talk about pressure for me)! As they introduced me I thought to myself…if Adam can do it so can I. By the way the crowd estimated at approx 1000 people.
Keep in mind the majority are Greek so we need an interpreter. So after a few lines I had to stop so our so rep could repeat in Greek.
As I approached I leaned over to Adam and said “hey no big deal right just a small family gathering…” he laughs “oh yeah sure!”
I’ll post my speech in a separate blog in a bit.
After I was done, there was incredible dance performance on the stage. After about an hour Adam and I lit the torch from the caldron and led the teams back out with the 1000+ crowd cheering us on.
After all of this we hopped back on a bus for more travel time. Most of us cat nap to catch up on sleep. But also we get our Greek officers Marita or Panos to get the radio turned up with great Greek music. Panos made us instant Greek coffees in to-go cups. I have helped Gonzalo from Portugal translate his speech into English - although he is quite fluent in both speaking and writing we have all had many laughs with some of the translations.
Our team leader, Bill Buford from Arkansas is an old hat at this and there is too much in his bio to go into but he served in Vietnam, and at 66, only recently retired from policing. He wears a cowboy hat and often has an unlit cigar. Lots of us posed with his hat and at his request we all signed it. We are known as the roadkill team. He is one of those once in a life time kind of guys and I am so lucky I was picked for his team.
We are pool-side today and it is a nice break after lots of long days. I think it was after 2 am before I hit the pillow. I caught up on what happened with the Canucks. It sounds very disappointing and really embarrassing for our city. I hope everyone that had to work it came out unscathed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Crete
Tuesday was our longest day; pulled into a new hotel at 1am. We are traveling to at least 5 to 7 villages a day. Some are really like traveling back into time, others more modern. We are treated like royalty and given gifts each time.
One town ceremony was held in front of an olive tree that was 3000 yrs old. I was a little worried with our torch. Don't think that would have gone very good for us if it had caught fire. At another town we were given olive branch wreaths to wear.
We also visited the Moni Arkadiou Monastery up in the hills. Beautiful.
Last night we ran into the large town, city of Rethimno. Unbelievable - the cobblestone streets were lined for 1 - 2 km, then into a large plaza for ceremonies.
Got to go, bus is leaving.
One town ceremony was held in front of an olive tree that was 3000 yrs old. I was a little worried with our torch. Don't think that would have gone very good for us if it had caught fire. At another town we were given olive branch wreaths to wear.
We also visited the Moni Arkadiou Monastery up in the hills. Beautiful.
Last night we ran into the large town, city of Rethimno. Unbelievable - the cobblestone streets were lined for 1 - 2 km, then into a large plaza for ceremonies.
Got to go, bus is leaving.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Cyprus and Crete
It's Tuesday 7:40 am, just trying to do a quick update. Everyone is very friendly in every town we run through. Some are small villages and other bigger tourist centers; the crowds are quite something. There has been lots of media coverage too which helps. In each town the Mayors give speeches of thanks and there are stage dances in traditional ceremonial dress by the youth. Some offer huge lunch and dinners to us to support us.
Sunday was a travel day—bus, then plane, then overnight ferry to Crete. The ferry was just like a cruise ship, quite spectacular. We slept in berths of 4 beds, woke up at 4:45 am then checked in at hotel and on the road quickly.
I am so glad to hear the Delta run went well And thanks to everyone for that. Can't wait to see Stacey on Rhodes.
We are traveling throughout Crete until Friday.
Something interesting for you—the Flame of Hope. When it was lit each of the athletes that were selected to run with our teams lit small 500 ml lanterns. When we were on the plane I was seated by two Greek police officers from our support staff. They each had lanterns on the floor that they were guarding, with small flames glowing in each. So the flame never goes out!!
As we travel through the beautiful country on our bus I look ahead sometimes and see our motorcade of support vehicles and motorcycles, it is quite amazing. We are now all listening to Greek music on the bus and trading stories. My vocabulary consists of Greek, English and Spanish.
Our last stop on Monday was the beautiful resort of Chania. Absolutely spectacular. A very large crowd was waiting in the square as we ran in.
Bus is loading, we have about 4 or 5 ceremonies today.
» See photos on Flickr (there is an option to view as a slideshow).
Sunday was a travel day—bus, then plane, then overnight ferry to Crete. The ferry was just like a cruise ship, quite spectacular. We slept in berths of 4 beds, woke up at 4:45 am then checked in at hotel and on the road quickly.
I am so glad to hear the Delta run went well And thanks to everyone for that. Can't wait to see Stacey on Rhodes.
We are traveling throughout Crete until Friday.
Something interesting for you—the Flame of Hope. When it was lit each of the athletes that were selected to run with our teams lit small 500 ml lanterns. When we were on the plane I was seated by two Greek police officers from our support staff. They each had lanterns on the floor that they were guarding, with small flames glowing in each. So the flame never goes out!!
As we travel through the beautiful country on our bus I look ahead sometimes and see our motorcade of support vehicles and motorcycles, it is quite amazing. We are now all listening to Greek music on the bus and trading stories. My vocabulary consists of Greek, English and Spanish.
Our last stop on Monday was the beautiful resort of Chania. Absolutely spectacular. A very large crowd was waiting in the square as we ran in.
Bus is loading, we have about 4 or 5 ceremonies today.
» See photos on Flickr (there is an option to view as a slideshow).
Friday, June 10, 2011
Off to Cyprus
Friday June 10th....Sorry this one is a little long but so much is happening!
The teams split up today, to travel to three different routes. Basically there are 3 routes: my team is running in the Greek Islands, and the other two are on the mainland. There are 30 of us, police, and 3 Special Olympic Athletes, who stay with us the whole time; they are not competing in the games, so this way of including both them and numerous support staff in the experience. First stop Cyprus until Sunday. Today we got to the Athens Airport and were greeted by many media people and the Airport Manager did a speech. From there a 1 hour flight to Cyprus, the Captain did a special announcement on the plane, which had approximately 80 to 100 people on board. Upon arrival we were met once again with more media cameras, etc... We then waited a long time to proceed into the airport and were greeted by several officials, Special Olympic Athletes and a big police band playing in the back ground. At each of these ceremonies one of us is designated to give a speech along with one of our athletes. At the airport it was our officer from Cypress and our athlete Adam Hays from USA. The Cyprus police chief gave a speech.
Then we embarked on a 40 minute bus ride to a resort area of Larnaka, Cyprus. We all ran for about 1.5 kms, into an outdoor plaza, called Europis Square, where there were several media and lots of people. More speeches (noticing a trend? J) and then a performance on stage by the locals in a cultural dance.
After that, we went on another long bus ride over 2 hours, but my team entertained themselves by taking photos of each other sleeping, I am with some very crazy and fun guys and girls! From there we went to another resort town, called Pafos, it is a beautiful resort, a lot of English-speaking tourists must come here as everything is in English. There was a giant board walk 3x the size of the White Rock one. We ran through it while many people were seated in outdoor restaurant patios along the water, Spectacular!! Everyone was cheering us on and clapping, quite moving.
We then arrived to something that I don't think I can really explain....
We arrived to a venue with over 200 people seated outside in front of a giant stage, beside it was an old army fortress, with several stage actors made up. After welcoming speeches, our athletes lit a giant cauldron flame, which continued burning the whole time we were there…speeches and more speeches…Then there was a special performance of music and dance and some kind of poetry. It was apparently the story of Odysseus; he travelled for over 10 years and was tortured before he finally came home... After that many people began clapping and cheering us on as we walked slowly out.
Now we are at resort hotel called the Paphos Gardens Hotel. We checked in and had 10 minutes to shower and show up for dinner (well after 10 pm). What happened next was amazing… each of us were given 3 separate gift bags, containing special chocolates, carvings, hats, etc... then a welcoming speech and an unbelievable buffet dinner. This place is something out of a fairy tale...
Enough about me….we have another early start and travel day lots of running and more speeches on Saturday... I do mine next week...
If my jet lag and acclimatizing aren’t making me too foggy, I think today was the completion of the final leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run in Delta. We’re all running for the same amazing cause - there will be over 7,000 Special Olympic Athletes competing after we open the ceremonies on June 25. Support from police officers across the region, province, country and world help to make this event so amazing and we should all be so proud… so thanks to all of you that ran and those of you that supported the run… you are in the hearts of every athlete here.
The teams split up today, to travel to three different routes. Basically there are 3 routes: my team is running in the Greek Islands, and the other two are on the mainland. There are 30 of us, police, and 3 Special Olympic Athletes, who stay with us the whole time; they are not competing in the games, so this way of including both them and numerous support staff in the experience. First stop Cyprus until Sunday. Today we got to the Athens Airport and were greeted by many media people and the Airport Manager did a speech. From there a 1 hour flight to Cyprus, the Captain did a special announcement on the plane, which had approximately 80 to 100 people on board. Upon arrival we were met once again with more media cameras, etc... We then waited a long time to proceed into the airport and were greeted by several officials, Special Olympic Athletes and a big police band playing in the back ground. At each of these ceremonies one of us is designated to give a speech along with one of our athletes. At the airport it was our officer from Cypress and our athlete Adam Hays from USA. The Cyprus police chief gave a speech.
Then we embarked on a 40 minute bus ride to a resort area of Larnaka, Cyprus. We all ran for about 1.5 kms, into an outdoor plaza, called Europis Square, where there were several media and lots of people. More speeches (noticing a trend? J) and then a performance on stage by the locals in a cultural dance.
After that, we went on another long bus ride over 2 hours, but my team entertained themselves by taking photos of each other sleeping, I am with some very crazy and fun guys and girls! From there we went to another resort town, called Pafos, it is a beautiful resort, a lot of English-speaking tourists must come here as everything is in English. There was a giant board walk 3x the size of the White Rock one. We ran through it while many people were seated in outdoor restaurant patios along the water, Spectacular!! Everyone was cheering us on and clapping, quite moving.
We then arrived to something that I don't think I can really explain....
We arrived to a venue with over 200 people seated outside in front of a giant stage, beside it was an old army fortress, with several stage actors made up. After welcoming speeches, our athletes lit a giant cauldron flame, which continued burning the whole time we were there…speeches and more speeches…Then there was a special performance of music and dance and some kind of poetry. It was apparently the story of Odysseus; he travelled for over 10 years and was tortured before he finally came home... After that many people began clapping and cheering us on as we walked slowly out.
Now we are at resort hotel called the Paphos Gardens Hotel. We checked in and had 10 minutes to shower and show up for dinner (well after 10 pm). What happened next was amazing… each of us were given 3 separate gift bags, containing special chocolates, carvings, hats, etc... then a welcoming speech and an unbelievable buffet dinner. This place is something out of a fairy tale...
Enough about me….we have another early start and travel day lots of running and more speeches on Saturday... I do mine next week...
If my jet lag and acclimatizing aren’t making me too foggy, I think today was the completion of the final leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run in Delta. We’re all running for the same amazing cause - there will be over 7,000 Special Olympic Athletes competing after we open the ceremonies on June 25. Support from police officers across the region, province, country and world help to make this event so amazing and we should all be so proud… so thanks to all of you that ran and those of you that supported the run… you are in the hearts of every athlete here.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
The first couple of days...
Wow…so far Greece
Our hotel in Athens is the Stanley
It took me a couple days to adjust to the time change, basically arrived on Tuesday and was up all that day, so lost a day somewhere.
We hit the ground with a tour of the Acropolis and then to the Pnyx for a rehearsal on Wednesday.
Today Thursday, we were bused out again to the Pnyx for the special lighting of the Flame of Hope. This was absolutely incredible, lots of media…we all stood for about 2 hours while the ceremony took place, all in 30 degrees. There were all kinds of dignitaries, military officials, the Mayor, several political officials that I can not even begin to name, and finally the world spokesperson for Special Olympics, Timothy Shriver. He is very passionate and a dynamic speaker. All of the Greek Special Olympic Athletes (about 200 of them) were seated, watching.
It was a very moving ceremony, a few watery eyes. Once one of Athletes lit the Flame, we began our run with several of the athletes with us.
As we ran through the streets, there were lots of crowds of people cheering us on. Although it was so hot and we had to stand so long waiting, it was worth it. From there we then went to the stadium for another rehearsal more standing and waiting in the sun, nobody moves too quick here because of the heat!
My team consists of 10 runners. We are from all over - Paraguay, Ecuador, USA, Portugal, Spain, Greece and of course Canada :) Needless to say, translation has been interesting, but within a few short days we have all started to gel.
It has been like going to summer camp, we are all thrown together waiting in line ups and given instructions, but now starting to form friendships. What a great experience already…
Tomorrow the teams split up and we begin our treks, my team flies to Cyprus
Monday, June 06, 2011
Go Canucks Go.
Well after racing around for the last 3 days ensuring I have everything, packing, re-packing, unpacking and re-packing I am at YVR. Now the real challenge for me begins; flying and more flying. Somehow through all of this, I skip ahead a day. Aside from my trepidations about all this flying I am very excited about this incredible opportunity. I will be meeting so many people from all over the world. I wonder how many will know about our Canucks, I have no worries upon my arrival to Athens I will be educating everyone. I packed lots of Canucks souvenirs.
A few weeks back my team was told by our leader we had to pick a slow moving animal that best represented the area we were from. I had a few thoughts to this, as did some of my friends. No I decided not to go with Cougar,,, in light of representing our great city and in celebration of the Canucks, I have decided to go with the Orca. Is there any other choice!!!
Well I am off to catch my first flight to Montreal. Stay tuned,
Ps. Please check out the optimist June 3rd. Our article on Delta Athlete Stacey Kohler
A few weeks back my team was told by our leader we had to pick a slow moving animal that best represented the area we were from. I had a few thoughts to this, as did some of my friends. No I decided not to go with Cougar,,, in light of representing our great city and in celebration of the Canucks, I have decided to go with the Orca. Is there any other choice!!!
Well I am off to catch my first flight to Montreal. Stay tuned,
Ps. Please check out the optimist June 3rd. Our article on Delta Athlete Stacey Kohler
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