SwissMissMeg

My first recall of the Olympics takes me back to the age of 9. I was a third grader at the Ralph Wheelock School in Medfield, Massachusetts. Nancy Kerrigan, our hometown hero from Stoneham, had been attacked only a month before at the Olympic Trails. Her scream of “Whyyyyyyy???” echoed from the tv on the nightly news. Nancy had been rallying to get healthy in time for the games. New Englanders love an underdog just as much as they enjoy some sweet poetic justice (a vanilla way of putting it). All eyes were on Nancy.

The 1994 Winter Games took place in Lillehammer, Norway. I was enamored with the beauty and grace of Oksana Baiul and Elvis Stojko’s excited energy (and the jeans!). The beautiful couple from Russia, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, stunned with their beautiful synchronized skating. No one could have foreseen the untimely loss of Sergei just a year later at Lake Placid – but for that one shining moment, they were golden.

When I discovered that the Opening Ceremony would be held in Milan, it blew my mind. I knew I had to attend and I knew just the friend to ask to join.

Tammy and I worked together at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. She’s a former Stanford basketball player, PE teacher, and now yoga instructor. Sport plays a huge role in her life, as it does in mine. We both attended the World Cup in Russia and felt the Olympics might even top that experience. We began plotting in late spring of 2025, securing our tickets in July. We had tough decisions to make – should we attend multiple cheaper events like hockey or focus on big ones like the Opening Ceremony and figure skating? We opted for the latter, recognizing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Nothing could have prepared us for the electricity of the events themselves!

The Opening Ceremony was scheduled for Friday, February 6. My last class ended at 2pm and we hopped a train bound for Milano Centrale. On the metro to San Siro Stadium, the buzz was building as we spotted officials in USA garb and credentials hanging from their necks. Right off the bat, Tammy was interviewed for Italian news. We met two nuns from Kenya, then a group of guys from Florida. The vibe was electric and everyone was excited to chat. Entering the park, we managed to meet up with Bianca, our former student from Moscow, who hails from Milan. With Bianca’s fluent Russian, we spoke with a mother/daughter duo from Latvia, proudly dressed in rich red and white from head to toe. Their excitement was infectious.

We also managed to meet up with the parents of a US Olympic speed skater who I used to babysit for, Julie Letai (sitting in the red wagon above). 2026 marks Julie’s second Olympic games, the first her family could attend due to the residual effects of COVID in 2022. Tony and Jean were just as kind and wonderful as they were 25 years ago, hadn’t changed a bit. They were excited for Julie and anticipating the rest of the family joining later in the week.

As we made our way to our seats, we discovered that we had been seated with the US contingent. Our tickets were purchased by section only and, evidently, the organizers had grouped everyone by passport of origin. We were stunned to discover that our seats were only a short distance from the floor of the stadium, just high enough to have a amazing view of the stage.

The stadium slowly filled and a buzz spread throughout the crowd. Members of the US fanbase started a wave that went all around the stadium and vendors walked the stairs like at a baseball game. Food was limited but spirits were high! When the lights went down, we knew we were in for a very special experience.

The Parade of Athletes was a highlight, entering from our corner of the stadium. As the location for these games was spread across an unusual distance (Cortina is 400+km from Milan and Livorno nearly 300km), we attended the first Olympic Opening Cermony staged across multiple locations. Milan’s ceremony included hockey players, figure skaters, and speed skaters. We watched on huge screens as athletes from other sports walked at their various locations.

As host nation, Italy designed a program to highlight their artistic history. I was thrilled when the primary colored paint tubes descended from the rafters, “spilling” on dancers dressed as Roman landmarks and colorful moka pots below. We listened as organizers spoke of hardwork, sportsmanship, and unity – all good reminders in this time of war and division across many foreign lands. The joining of the Olympic rings (and Mariah Carey, randomly) helped to kick off the games. Andrea Bocelli’s voice filled the huge stadium, leaving nary a dry eye in the house.

Even after crowd control issues, we were still buzzing on our train ride back to Lugano. The whole night was a “pinch-me” moment, one I will never forget.

Our Olympic experience wasn’t over yet. Having booked tickets for the figure skating team event on Sunday, we made our way slowly to the Games, this time to a venue southwest of Milan. Along the way, we stopped in Como to see the sights, and enjoyed an affogado to fortify us for the night program to come.

After parking at a nearby hotel, we made our way into the figure skating arena and quickly found our people. I cannot say enough about the spirit of the attendees and volunteers from all over the world. Politics of the day set aside, everyone was friendly, excited, and encouraging of all of the athletes. I met a woman from Silver Spring, Maryland and we talked about the closure of the E Street movie theater in DC, a favorite old haunt. If I ever get the chance to attend another Olympics, I will definitely come prepared with temporary flag tattoos and Olympic ring sunglasses! The vibes were high!

Once again, we entered to discover that we had incredible seats – this time only three rows above the kiss and cry area designated for the skaters waiting for their scores. We watched the warm ups, eagerly anticipating a glimpse of US wunderkind Ilia Malinin.

Turns out, we were attending Night 2 of the skating team challenge. Mens and womens singles, as well as pairs were on the docket. Standouts were the Italian female skater, the Georgian pair, the Japanese male skater. Everyone was celebrated and cheered by the full stadium crowd. It was all so beautiful and exciting. My coworker even managed to catch a snap of us on Italian TV! We made friends with our neighbors and enjoyed insights from our seat mate who was once a semi-professional skater herself. The man sitting behind me grew up in Walpole and went to Xaverian. His companions were all from Cleveland, Ohio, where Tammy hails from. Such a small world.

After much anticipation, Ilia finally took to the ice. He made quick work of the seven quads in his four minute program (an absolutely insane feat). When he hit a newly legal backflip, the crowd went nuts! The whole stadium was on their feet!

Ilia’s extraordinary efforts helped guide the US to victory in the team event. I had no idea there would be a medal ceremony right then and there. The event organizers rolled out the carpets and the medal podiums, alongside the flags of the bronze, silver, and gold teams. The skaters, dressed in white warm up suits, skated out and jumped up as their team was called. It was amazing to hear the American anthem as the flag was raised. Could not have been more poignant among the violent and intolerant time our country is currently engaged in. Reminded me evermore of what is worth fighting for.

As the night drew to a close on this side of the Atlantic, my dad and brother were reunited in California for a surprise trip to the Super Bowl. An incredibly generous opportunity neither expected, it was awesome they got to go. Despite the Pats failing to show up, the game marked the end to a hell of an unexpected season. Slightly different weather out there in San Jose vs. Milano.

Olympic fever is still gripping our faculty here in Lugano, with more and more folks heading to hockey games and speed skating events each day. I will never forget these Games and I’m so thankful the world conspired to bring all of these wonderful people here together. Grateful for every moment.