2 Years to London 2012

I still can't believe yesterday marked the 2 year countdown to the London Olympics. It feels like everyone is still reeling from Vancouver...literally. The pure adrenaline that I was running on the entire time threw my body into shock when I got back to the East coast. Don't get me wrong, it was totally worth it. I wouldn't trade the days without sleep and deliciously fatty foods for anything...not to mention screaming at the top of my lungs day in and day out either.

Everything about Vancouver was unbelievable. I have never seen so much Canadian pride. The streets were littered with Canada gear and there was something in the air. For the first time I could enjoy a huge sporting event, without the stress of actually having some sort of responsibility. Wait - I can go to that concert, only get 4 hours of sleep and still have time to grab that hockey ticket for tomorrow? You mean I don't have to dedicate 4-6 hours of my day to the gym and miss all the other events going on?

I could get used to this.

Not being an athlete anymore has its perks, but with London fast approaching I'm not sure how I feel about it. It's the next Summer Olympics and Beijing is becoming a distant memory for some. As our athletes look ahead, setting their sights on that podium in London, we all move on with them. It dawned on me that I am going to be just another Rhythmic Gymnastics spectator, cheering on the girls that gave it their all to grab that Olympic berth. My generation, my time in the sport is over and you know what - I'm ok with that. Maybe a year ago I wasn't in this place, but I've become a different person then I ever could be if I was still training. I'll never forget the incredible moments I had as a Canadian athlete, but I couldn't go back there now.

I stood at a press conference at the Canadian Athletes Now Fund yesterday afternoon downtown Toronto and was so proud of my former teammates. They came from all different sports, but all have the same thing in common. They are sacrificing it all for a shot in London. Let's do everything we can to support them.

Please check out www.canadianathletesnow.ca/ and make a difference in the life of an athlete. They need all of us behind them now in the home stretch to the Games.

Go Canada!

Moving Nightmare...

Ever since I heard that Toronto was throwing themselves into the ring to bid for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games I have wanted to get involved. Being in the right place at the right time I stepped into the Bid Office two years ago. The space became home to the Bid family - a quaint little office in the St. Lawrence Market took on a whole new identity.

By now you should all know that we WON the bid and have now successfully transitioned into the Toronto 2015 Host Corporation. This is where we ran into a little bit of a problem. Our little home is just too little. So long story short...after months of negotiating we are all packing up and heading down to our new building after the long weekend.

Unfortunately, what that means for all of us trying to work this week is that we're stuck in the middle of a moving nightmare. Everything is being packed away in boxes, there are no supplies left for anything (internet is going down in about an hour) and there are people on ladders kicking us off our stations to take down artwork and flags hanging from the ceiling. Did I mention the noise level? Not cool.

You can probably tell I'm not impressed and am seriously counting down the minutes until we're in our new spot. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed this morning really doesn't help either.

Will send pics of the new digs asap...get me outta here :)

A

$40 MILLION ON NATHAN PHILLIPS?

Toronto has a spending problem. You know it, I know it. Even our mayoral candidates know it.

“Toronto doesn’t have a funding problem. It does have a spending problem”
- George Smitherman

“Toronto has a spending problem, not a revenue problem”- Rob Ford

It seems as if Smitherman and Ford have been drinking the same kool-aid.

The biggest challenge for our new Mayor is definitly going to be handling that beautiful budget of ours, but that’s a given. How they are going to do it is actually what we should all be worried about.

Ironically enough, today an article on some improvements to Nathan Phillips Square caught my eye. I took a closer look and what I thought was just a minor enhancement turned out to be everything but. Can someone please explain to me why we are spending $40 million dollars to give Nathan Phillips a face lift?

Alright, so it’s not the most modern or technologically impressive of places, but it’s not supposed to be either. Apparently the upgrades are going to make it a more inviting place. Well, I walk through it every day and the last thing I’m thinking is that it’s empty and cold.

Once the cold Toronto winter passes, the place is packed. It’s full of tourists taking a break from walking under the sun, kids running around playing and even couples enjoying a quiet romantic moment near the water.

There’s beauty in simplicity sometimes.

How will building yet another restaurant (that we don’t need) and creating a fancier landscape really benefit Torontonians? This multi-million dollar project is coming right out of the city’s capital budget too. Just what we need.

But hey – I’m all for an information and tourist Kiosk on Queen Street.

Let’s hope our new mayor can put this city’s money to good use because this sure isn’t a good way to start.

Your City, My City

The Star has asked 30 members of the community to blog about what they think should be done to make Toronto a more livable city. What kind of city do we want to live in - and how should we get there? To start a dialogue, we've asked dozens of people from across the region to offer ideas on how to make our community more livable, more successful and more just. They are posting suggestions on the Your City, My City blog, but we also want to hear from you. So sign on to thestar.blogs.com/yourcitymycity and join the debate to help shape where we live.

I have been a part of this incredible project and just posted my second blog up on the site today. CHECK IT OUT and CONTRIBUTE!

What do you think would make Toronto a better city?

Olympic Fever

I have been in Vancouver for literally three days and I haven't had a moment to stop for one minute...so here's a point form blog for you all to enjoy because I have 2 minutes before my volunteering shift starts...here we go

I have been running on...

- NO SLEEP
- Incredible LIVE Music (Concerts are EVERY night!)
- Meeting the World's best athletes
- Watching Jennifer win our first Silver Medal!!!! (teared up just a little bit)
- Molson Hockey House (enough said)
- Introducing the Minister of Tourism and Culture at Ontario House
- CanFUND House with Jane Roos :)
- Rain, rain and more rain (aka my hair is so curly its insane)
- So much red and white clothing we all look sooo patriotic i LOVE it
- Volunteering at Canada Olympic House with the best crew ever...team song soon?

Alright got to jet...having the time of my life!

Be back soon (hopefully)
xo

VANCOUVER

I didn't know what to expect flying out to an Olympics as Beijing starts to fade from people's memories. I was so excited that we were hosting the Games and bringing the world to this incredible city, but had to really come to terms with the fact that I was coming as a volunteer and spectator! Definitely a weird feeling, but the second I got here it has been unbelievable. The streets are lined with people in red and white, there are so many languages being spoken around me I find myself answering people in french or spanish and the Olympic spirit has definitely arrived.

Today I sat on the bus coming into downtown for my orientation meeting at Canada Olympic House and had a little girl plop down next to me. She was hard to miss. In a bright turquoise jacket, red Canada hat and big Canada purse, she was quite a sight. What caught my eye first out of everything was the lanyard around her neck covered in pins! For those of you who don't know this, athletes trade pins at every big Games with other countries and try and collect as many as they can. It sounds kind of weird, but my pins from the Olympics will be something I cherish forever.

It made me so happy to see her with all of them that I had to ask her about them. She proudly chatted my ear off for the next 20 minutes explaining where she got each one of them and why some were her favorites. She was so excited to be at the Olympics (also a Toronto native) and thought this was the biggest adventure of her life. I will remember that forever. Come to think of it, it's one of the biggest adventures of my life. My first Olympics in my country, working for the Canadian Olympic Committee, writing for CBC and soaking in this incredible feeling. It doesn't get any better than this.

WRITING FOR CBC SPORTS

Hey Everyone!

Check out my articles on www.cbc.ca/olympics! I will be writing through the 2010 Games on my experiences out West and would love for you all to follow them :)

GO CANADA!

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/alexandraorlando/2010/02/pressure-and-the-canadian-athlete.html

http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/blogs/alexandraorlando/2010/01/the-icing-on-the-cake.html