Light the Fire Within

The air was cold and the sun was setting. Snow was falling gently on the crowd. The music started and fireworks lit the sky. Ice skaters dressed in costumes skated across the stage. Musicians sang songs. I shined my flashlight, held up cards and sang songs with the crowd.

Everyone cheered as the Olympic athletes walked into the stadium. The loudest cheer came when the United States’ team walked in. The Olympic torch was carried into the stadium and was lit by the 1980 USA hockey team. The Olympic games had officially begun in Salt Lake City 2002.

Our first event was the men’s 5,000-meter speed skating. Two skaters skated at one time. They had to skate 12 and a half laps. The ice looked smooth and fast. The athletes practiced on the inside lane until it was their turn. The skaters from Norway and the Netherlands were the favorites. The USA skater Derek Parra was next to skate. The crowd cheered loudly for Derek. I shouted “USA, USA” as he skated by. It seemed to make him go faster. Derek broke the world record. But the skater from the Netherlands broke Derek’s record thirty minutes later. Everyone cheered for him, too. Derek was happy to win the silver medal.

Later I sat in the stands at the Delta Ice Center and watched the figure skaters practice their lifts and spins. The music played as the skaters performed their routines. I cheered when the skaters got good scores and booed when I did not agree with the judges.

The last event I saw was the hockey game between Sweden and the Czech Republic. When the players skated onto the rink the crowd cheered very loudly. People waved flags from both countries. The players skated fast when they tried to score a goal. Sweden scored the first goal. The crowd went wild. The Czech Republic kept trying. They made more shots on the goal, but still lost the game. This was my favorite event of the Olympics.

When I left Salt Lake City, I thought about the athletes. They all tried their hardest to win a medal. I was happy to be a part of the Olympics.