Written by Peter Boukouvalas
The Olympics is considered by many as the pinnacle of sport, especially for those whose sports feature in the games. I count myself as one of the many, with my sport of archery being featured in the games consistently since 1972 in Munich.
After eight years of training, struggle and a rollercoaster of never-ending emotions over the last eight months, I was finally able to qualify for my first Olympic games, held in Paris earlier this year.
The selection process and the journey from January to now is an entire story in and of itself, but this article is all about my experience at the Games themselves.
It was an incredible and surreal experience unlike anything I’ve ever undertaken before.
The reality of the Olympics was this: 10,000 of the best athletes in the world, all being dropped into one complex and then for two and a half weeks, putting on a show in their respective sports for the whole world to enjoy.
The dining hall never closed, there was a buzz around the village and there was always someone doing something somewhere, whether that was other teams mingling with each other, going for a cycle around the village or volunteers carrying out thankless work to make our experience an unforgettable one.
This energy was always apparent to me wherever I went. Upon our entry into the village, we were escorted to the Australian allotment. With Australia being the third largest team at the games, we also had one of the largest allotments, with three buildings all to ourselves.
The Australian Olympic Committee put some amazing things together for the athletes. From the incredible barista-made coffee that reminded me of home, to the yarning circle and all the amazing uniform, luggage and kit that was given to each of us, every detail was considered.
We were made to feel that what we had achieved in just getting to Paris was an incredible achievement, and it was when you learn that since 1896, only 4,554 Australians have earned the title of Olympian.
Aside from all the amazing things, and some of the not so amazing things like the cardboard beds (they weren’t that bad, but I definitely won’t be exchanging my koala mattress for one anytime soon 😉) the hype was unreal.
The venue for archery in my opinion was one of the most picturesque of all the venues, only rivalled by the beach volleyball held beneath the Eiffel tower on the Champ de Mars. The organisers put together an incredible venue that provided a worthy backdrop to the competition.
My experiences on that field are ones that will stay with me forever. I will always remember when the French men’s team shot their first match and every time they shot a ten, the 8,000 strong crowd in the grandstands would stomp their feet in unison, creating a sound only comparable to thunder. That memory was only rivalled by the roar produced when the same team won a silver medal for their home crowd it was incredible.
I was proud of my own shooting, unfortunately losing out to the eventual bronze medallist in my first match, but that’s just the way sport goes sometimes.
The experiences I got to have, the incredible people I got to meet and the opportunities that attending the Games has created for me, has proven that the games are about so much more than just competing. They are about the love of sport, the power it has and the skills you learn along the way. It will aways be a cherished period in my life.
Once an Olympian, always an Olympian.
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