There are only three such places in the U.S. - Lake Placid, NY, and Chula Vista, CA, are the others. Colorado Springs is the smallest, at only 35 acres, but works with the most athletes. Here we are outside the building in front of the metal world sculpture.
Since this is my tour, you will see homage to my favorite Olympic sport -Ice Hockey.
MyMike's favorite sport- Water Polo. Its usually only televised at 3 am so we have to record those games for later.
Still outside the building here. Notice even the hockey graphic. Next to it is a clock in constant motion counting down to the next Olympics in days, hours, and seconds. I assume the athletes look at that clock differently than I do.
There is a moving movie at the beginning of the tour. What moves me most is the para-Olympic athletes. It reminds me to "never say never" again. What these people do without their limbs and even lower torsos is pretty impressive. It also helps remind you the true thrill of victory, reliving it on the faces of those we remember well like Dan Janssen and Mary Lou Retton - fun memories! I love this saying in one of the buildings. As true for playing the piano as it is for athletics.
This is the walkway through the flags of every country that participates, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. I imagine it would feel way more exciting if I were wearing a TEAM USA cool track suit, but you know, its still neat to be here.
This is looking back towards the main building. Notice the soccer ball and goal to the left. Lots of visuals everywhere and even a wall to remind you of the corporate sponsors who pay for it. We learned that Apolo Anton Ono stayed ten years at this facility, even though his sport is a Winter sport.
That's because of all the sophisticated training equipment they have here. They have low-gravity treadmills to reduce the wear on the athletes who use their legs so much, all kinds of testing equipment to measure stride and step and speed, etc. I have been here twice, however, and never once seen an athlete on any of this equipment. Maybe this is just the "show room."
Here is the Olympic pool. Notice the catwalks on the top. Those are for the coaches to follow on top. They also have tows that they put on the athletes so they can feel how fast they need to be going - makes sense, but I imagine they're a little miserable after the first time they were forced to swim faster than they ever have before. Michael Phelps was here two weeks ago, the first time I visited here. This week the Univ. of Michigan athletes were all here. We saw them in the pool, the weight room, and playing volleyball.
Here is one of the three gyms. The ceilings are high enough for regulation volleyball. They have the capacity to set up a full size boxing ring. This is the main area for the gymnasts. We saw a young man with a Houston Gymnastic Invitational going back and forth. His arms looked solid! The bleachers pull out to house 3,000 spectators when needed, and there are Panasonic TV's all along the walls - you can see three on the far wall, and there were five behind me, so the athletes can instantly rewind and watch their performance and review it. There was a good sized room for the guy who was running all this equipment behind the wall where I stood.
Here is the 2nd largest indoor shooting facility in the country. Again, why is there rarely anyone here? Where are all the athletes, is what I want to know? It is neat to see, however, the computers at the shooting stations, to help the athletes, when they are here, more precisely practice and hone their skills. There were several large safes also, where I assume they keep their guns or ammo.
This is the warmest and smelliest part of the entire tour but finally we see lots of athletes. Oh yeah! Sorry, again college kids here for training camp. Imagine lots of male sweat with the heat turned up in this rather large room. This is where both the Greco-Roman and judo wrestlers practice. Here are pictures on the wall of Rulon Gardner training here and others you would know if you were a major wrestling fan. Even though he was a weight lifter, the weight room is right next door, and they apparently cross train a lot around here too, so they all motivate each other. Got it? Good. Its the spirit of the Olympics, remember, that really infuses the athletes here. By the time they get here, they don't need to be reminded to practice or to develop discipline. They are carefully selected because they are the hope of the future of Team USA, and they do work hard. I guess they do most of it all at night or early morning. I always come to the afternoon tours. Oh, and its hot here to help the wrestlers get down to the weight class they want to compete at, and to keep their muscles loose. We also learned there is a three year waiting list for the doctors to help these athletes - seriously competitive this place is! And, I also realize that they don't want us to see the athletes. They keep us at a distance because they need to concentrate and not get distracted by tourists with cameras.
I've given birth to two of my children while the Olympics were going on, and I sort of thought I deserved a medal for my heroic efforts also. Just kidding. The poster from past Olympics brings back good memories for me, as an Olympic athlete offers hope that we can do things never done before. Its exciting and exhilarating to watch and certainly you feel a unity as the whole nation comes together to cheer on their team, but my world is truly much smaller. I will not ever win an Olympic medal. Its not even my dream. I have other heroic endeavors which are taking me an entire lifetime of practice and I just hope in the end, my whole team is there with me, on the ultimate winning team. 
Lately in our home we've talked a lot about being our best selves. Remembering that we are literal children of God, that there is no Satan inside of us, but only God-given Spirit and gifts, is easy to forget when the voices whisper we aren't good enough. Its a hard, daily fight, to overcome that voice, and to listen only to the Spirit that coaches us on to every good thing our divine natures were meant to be. Like an Olympic athlete, we must train our minds and hearts to not give up, to be so disciplined in the things we've been taught, constantly making adjustments and improvements, so we can reach our potential, no matter what that may be. We all have individual and team assignments given to us, and no one else's ideas on what makes a perfect "10" or not really matter, except the Chief Judge, Jesus Christ. It must be hard to be an Olympic athlete especially in a sport with subjective judging. How grateful we are for the perfectly fair and loving Judge we will all stand before someday.
Loving them along the road to glory, coaching them through the days when they're frustrated, and ready to give up, that's my job, and my greatest joy! They have already accomplished so many good, hard things. They are my champions. I will continue to cheer loudest for them!
Since this is my tour, you will see homage to my favorite Olympic sport -Ice Hockey.
MyMike's favorite sport- Water Polo. Its usually only televised at 3 am so we have to record those games for later.
Still outside the building here. Notice even the hockey graphic. Next to it is a clock in constant motion counting down to the next Olympics in days, hours, and seconds. I assume the athletes look at that clock differently than I do.
There is a moving movie at the beginning of the tour. What moves me most is the para-Olympic athletes. It reminds me to "never say never" again. What these people do without their limbs and even lower torsos is pretty impressive. It also helps remind you the true thrill of victory, reliving it on the faces of those we remember well like Dan Janssen and Mary Lou Retton - fun memories! I love this saying in one of the buildings. As true for playing the piano as it is for athletics.
This is the walkway through the flags of every country that participates, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. I imagine it would feel way more exciting if I were wearing a TEAM USA cool track suit, but you know, its still neat to be here.
This is looking back towards the main building. Notice the soccer ball and goal to the left. Lots of visuals everywhere and even a wall to remind you of the corporate sponsors who pay for it. We learned that Apolo Anton Ono stayed ten years at this facility, even though his sport is a Winter sport.
That's because of all the sophisticated training equipment they have here. They have low-gravity treadmills to reduce the wear on the athletes who use their legs so much, all kinds of testing equipment to measure stride and step and speed, etc. I have been here twice, however, and never once seen an athlete on any of this equipment. Maybe this is just the "show room."
Here is the Olympic pool. Notice the catwalks on the top. Those are for the coaches to follow on top. They also have tows that they put on the athletes so they can feel how fast they need to be going - makes sense, but I imagine they're a little miserable after the first time they were forced to swim faster than they ever have before. Michael Phelps was here two weeks ago, the first time I visited here. This week the Univ. of Michigan athletes were all here. We saw them in the pool, the weight room, and playing volleyball.
Here is one of the three gyms. The ceilings are high enough for regulation volleyball. They have the capacity to set up a full size boxing ring. This is the main area for the gymnasts. We saw a young man with a Houston Gymnastic Invitational going back and forth. His arms looked solid! The bleachers pull out to house 3,000 spectators when needed, and there are Panasonic TV's all along the walls - you can see three on the far wall, and there were five behind me, so the athletes can instantly rewind and watch their performance and review it. There was a good sized room for the guy who was running all this equipment behind the wall where I stood.
Here is the 2nd largest indoor shooting facility in the country. Again, why is there rarely anyone here? Where are all the athletes, is what I want to know? It is neat to see, however, the computers at the shooting stations, to help the athletes, when they are here, more precisely practice and hone their skills. There were several large safes also, where I assume they keep their guns or ammo.
This is the warmest and smelliest part of the entire tour but finally we see lots of athletes. Oh yeah! Sorry, again college kids here for training camp. Imagine lots of male sweat with the heat turned up in this rather large room. This is where both the Greco-Roman and judo wrestlers practice. Here are pictures on the wall of Rulon Gardner training here and others you would know if you were a major wrestling fan. Even though he was a weight lifter, the weight room is right next door, and they apparently cross train a lot around here too, so they all motivate each other. Got it? Good. Its the spirit of the Olympics, remember, that really infuses the athletes here. By the time they get here, they don't need to be reminded to practice or to develop discipline. They are carefully selected because they are the hope of the future of Team USA, and they do work hard. I guess they do most of it all at night or early morning. I always come to the afternoon tours. Oh, and its hot here to help the wrestlers get down to the weight class they want to compete at, and to keep their muscles loose. We also learned there is a three year waiting list for the doctors to help these athletes - seriously competitive this place is! And, I also realize that they don't want us to see the athletes. They keep us at a distance because they need to concentrate and not get distracted by tourists with cameras.
I've given birth to two of my children while the Olympics were going on, and I sort of thought I deserved a medal for my heroic efforts also. Just kidding. The poster from past Olympics brings back good memories for me, as an Olympic athlete offers hope that we can do things never done before. Its exciting and exhilarating to watch and certainly you feel a unity as the whole nation comes together to cheer on their team, but my world is truly much smaller. I will not ever win an Olympic medal. Its not even my dream. I have other heroic endeavors which are taking me an entire lifetime of practice and I just hope in the end, my whole team is there with me, on the ultimate winning team. 
Lately in our home we've talked a lot about being our best selves. Remembering that we are literal children of God, that there is no Satan inside of us, but only God-given Spirit and gifts, is easy to forget when the voices whisper we aren't good enough. Its a hard, daily fight, to overcome that voice, and to listen only to the Spirit that coaches us on to every good thing our divine natures were meant to be. Like an Olympic athlete, we must train our minds and hearts to not give up, to be so disciplined in the things we've been taught, constantly making adjustments and improvements, so we can reach our potential, no matter what that may be. We all have individual and team assignments given to us, and no one else's ideas on what makes a perfect "10" or not really matter, except the Chief Judge, Jesus Christ. It must be hard to be an Olympic athlete especially in a sport with subjective judging. How grateful we are for the perfectly fair and loving Judge we will all stand before someday.
Loving them along the road to glory, coaching them through the days when they're frustrated, and ready to give up, that's my job, and my greatest joy! They have already accomplished so many good, hard things. They are my champions. I will continue to cheer loudest for them!Gooooooooooooo TEAM!!!
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