Freshmen year at OSU was quite the experience. It was my first time living away from home, first time living in a different state, and first time having a roommate. When I first met my soon to be roommate Patricia, I wasn't sure what to think. First of all, she was a lightweight. Those of you involved in rowing know that there is an unspoken riverly between lightweights and heavyweights. I was shocked that she was so much lighter than me but faster than me on the erg. She pulled so hard during our initial workouts I though she might die (soon enough I realized that just meant she was working hard enough) and was doing twice as many workouts as the rest of the freshmen recruits. We set up our sides of the dorm room, and while I was pinning up pictures of high school friends Patricia was pinning up a Canadian flag signed by the Olympic men's eight. Her dedication and passion came off as a little crazy, but with out a little crazy she would not be where she is today.
Patricia worked her way into the varsity 8 at OSU. Not only was she a freshman and a lightweight, she had only been rowing for a few seasons. Making the v8 was a huge accomplishment but she wanted more. She spent the summer training in Victoria with another lightweight rower and won a lot of races. Patricia returned to OSU in the fall, but soon realized that she needed to be training with the national team and sculling rather than sweeping. She trained hard all year and was selected as the alternate for the lw women's 2x 2011 world championship race, which is an Olympic qualifying race. In the weeks leading up to the race, Tracy Cameron had a rib injury and was pulled from the boat. It was the opportunity Patricia had been waiting for to prove that she could race an an international regatta and represent Canada well. Patricia and her partner won a silver medal and qualified the boat for the 2012 London Olympics. Patricia was 19 years old.
Fastforwarding through a tough year of training, Patricia has earned a spot in the Olympic boat. She is currently in Italy, adapting to the time zone. I am so excited to have the opportunity to watch her races. She has continued to inspire me and the rest of the team to be better athletes. She truly embodies the Olympic spirit. I have never seen someone care so much and work so hard towards a goal. Canada is very lucky to have Patricia Obee and her partner Lindsay Jennerich representing them.

I will be updating Patricia's facebook fan page in London as much as possible, and a lot of information can be found on www.row2k.com.

Only 12 more days until I leave for London! There doesn't seem to be enough time to finish everything though. I have quite a bit of homework for the Olympic Class that is due before we leave, and I am also taking two courses at OSU, nannying, and practicing for 3 hours a day. The good news is that I just received my iPad in the mail! I decided to go ahead and buy one so I would not have to worry about taking my laptop to London. I will be able to easily access the internet and update this blog with pictures and snippets of my experience. 
In class we have been discussing the Olympic Charter and the definition of Olympism. It is one thing to read about Olympism on paper, it is quite another to get the opportunity to experience it in person. We have been discussing the Olympics in my other class (Socioculutral Dimensions of Physical Activity), and I have realized how narrow my perspective is. I have been extremely blessed to grow up in the community I did, and I love being a part of Beaver Nation, but we are extremely fortunate. As an female athlete I have received so much support from my family and community, but other women have not been as lucky. I also have never watched the Olympics from another country. There is a stark contrast in the media we see in the United States, and the media portrayed on government operated news stations from other countries. I expect to see less drama and fewer personal stories about the athletes, and more of the actual events. There may also be less advertisement and commercials. Speaking of advertisement, I have been reading about some of the marketing restrictions. Although it is slightly absurd, the amount of money companies are paying to be primary sponsors o the olympics is also absurd. I will just have to be conscientious of what I pack and try to only bring logo free clothes. Speaking of packing...its almost time to get started!

Here are 5 of my personal and professional goals that I would like to accomplish during my trip:

• Meet up with friend and athlete Patricia Obee and get insight on what it is like being an athlete during the Olympics
  
• Talk with locals and get their perspective on the games 
  
• Find people who have been to previous Olympics and ask comparison questions
  
• Meet and network with former athletes at the Olympic Reunion Center
  
• Find a balance between working out and enjoying my time in London