I’m excited for the sport

Leave a comment July 20, 2015 drworobec

“What should I blog about this week?” I asked my husband. He’s my editor, my second opinion, my sounding board. He’s got a BA in English and can spell any word you throw at him. We disagree on my use of short sentences, the redundancy of my verbage, and my overuse of adjectives. But. I. Love. Short. Sentences.

“The Pan Am Games,” he answered, “you haven’t shut your pie hole about it all week.” Okay then. Apparently I’ve made my excitement known.

I bought our Pan Am tickets way back in December, as the heart of Winter approached and the sun of July seemed to be in the far-off future. Well, here we are. TO2015 has descended upon Southern Ontario and the buzz is in full swing. My Facebook feed is bombarded with pictures of friends at events, Pan Am highlights are on our TV every night, and Pan Ams are my main conversation topic with patients these days. Add to that, the fact that I got to run with the Pan Am flame in June (the torch is now proudly displayed at Burlington Sports & Spine Clinic and has been a frequent photo op for passerby), and life is #panamazing.

I’m excited for the crowds and the noise and the sun and the cheers. I’m excited for the patriotism and the wave and the ‘Oh Canada’ and the photo ops. I’m excited for the fitness and the competitors and the athleticism and the impressions on my kids.

This afternoon we are watching the Women’s bronze medal and gold medal Beach Volleyball matches at Pan Am Park; Team Canada is battling for the bronze. On Thursday, we’re heading to York University to take in the morning session of track & field.

I’m excited for the sport.

Go Canada Go.

The people.

4 Comments June 23, 2015 drworobec

I suppose this graphic nicely sums up my Pan Am torch relay experience:

Carrying the torch through Burlington on Friday night was certainly one of those “moments.” A moment that won’t soon be forgotten. And you know what the best part was? The people.

The people who lined the streets as the shuttle bus dropped off torchbearers one by one, every 200m along the route. The people who held Canada flags and Pan Am signs and children on their shoulders. The people who came down in droves to catch a glimpse of the flame as it made it’s way along Spencer Smith Park. The people who cheered me on as I walked behind the always-impressive Teen Tour Band. The people who hugged me and took my picture and thanked me for representing Burlington. The people in my community.

It was you, the people. You are what made it so special, such an honour, and a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

Thank you.

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Passing the flame to canoeist Mark Oldershaw.

With my great BSSC team.

If you’d like to see the torch up close and personal, please stop by Burlington Sports and Spine Clinic, where it’s proudly displayed.

Friday, June 19th, 6:25pm

Leave a comment June 16, 2015 drworobec

Ah, the Pan Am torch run.

It’s happening on Friday… Friday, June 19th, at 6:25pm.

My segment starts at the Waterfront Trail, right below Spencer’s restaurant, and I run the torch into Spencer Smith Park (you can see the official Google Map here) for the official Torch Relay presentation, as Burlington is one of Pan Am’s “Major Celebration Cities.” The Sound of Music festival will be happening too, so the park will be a focal point, chalk full of people and activity.

I was nominated to carry the flame by my great friend and neighbour, Marnie, unbeknownst to me until the list of twelve finalists was released in December 2014. The City of Burlington then issued an online voting system to determine the city’s Pan Am Community Torchbearer, and the results of this vote were made public in March. It’s been a few long months of waiting for this exciting moment, and it’s finally here.

People keep asking me “what does this experience mean to you?”, and that’s a hard question for me to answer.

It means community. It means sport. It means friendship. It means honour. It means goosebumps and family and support and passion. It means my kids get to watch me do this. It means I get to do this.

These are the visions that race through my mind when I think about my 200m with the torch: