The End of the Games is Bitter Sweet
By the time Friday and Saturday of the second week of the Huntsman World Senior Games roll around, I am often asked, “Are you ready for this to be over?” My feeling to that question is always the same. “It’s bitter sweet.”
It’s sweet because there is something incredibly satisfying about getting to the end of a job well done. And despite the little bumps, mistakes and missteps that are bound to happen in an operation of this size and complexity, these Games, the Games of 2023, were a job well done. Thanks to the staff, the sponsors, the vendors, the athletes, our sport and committee directors and the VOLUNTEERS, all of whom have such a vital role to play in a well-executed event. As I said on a Facebook post earlier this week, “This doesn’t happen without you.”
It's sweet because I have so many great memories of the Games this year. The Opening Ceremonies with the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble was incredible. The Concert & Celebration with the music of John Denver was top notch. Socializing and watching athletes do the same each night of the Friendship Festival, stands out. Big smiles as you crossed finish lines or ducked into ribbons, with medals hanging from them, standing atop medal stands and the harvested fruits of your labors made me smile. (You can see the cornucopia of these fruits here on our results page.) Or better, the hugs given across nets and at center courts and home plates and arms around shoulders walking off of fields or pool decks, these are the memories that remind me why we do this every year. It is sweet.
It's bitter because the end of the Games means I have made so many friends that I won’t get to see for another year. We talk a lot about the Games being like a family reunion. And it is. Over the years, so many of you have become like family to me, and that circle just keeps growing and growing. I miss you athletes throughout the year, as we prepare for the next Games, which in 2024 will run from October 7 – 19. But then I remember that I’ll run into many of you when we hit the road for recruiting trips at various events around the world. Some of you I’ll get to know even better when we interview you for our weekly podcast, the Active Life. I appreciate that.
I mentioned at both the Opening Ceremonies and the Concert & Celebration, that next year is my first year of eligibly as a senior athlete. Thanks to each of you for leading the way and showing me, personally, by example, what active aging actually looks like.
I can hardly wait until the 37th Huntsman World Senior Games come around when I will not only get to see all of you again, but I will finally get to JOIN you.