London 2012 12/08/12

Everything good has to come to an end and today was the end. The London 2012 Olympics was hours away from doing it's curtain call to the world. I spent most the day at work but as soon as I got home I unpacked my bags I took to London and sat down with a deserved glass of scotch ready to watch the closing ceremony.

James was still in London chasing down stories around the Olympic Park while I sat with the rest of the world and watched the greatest show on earth come to an end for another 4 years.

It wasn't until towards the end of the closing ceremony when the British flag entered the stadium that it began to hit me what I had accomplished. “God Save The Queen” bellowed out around the Olympic Park and the realisation I was apart of what the world was seeing was incredible. Slim chance that the Olympics will be held in London again in my lifetime so the fact I made the most of it being on home soil will definitely stay with me for life.

The people I met and the sights I've seen wouldn’t of happened if I didn't believe I was a good enough journalist to cover the Olympics. I could go as far as saying this experience could be a the game changer in my career. After University I'm taking just under two years out to travel 6 continents so I'm trying to get as much experience as possible to show on my CV now. Just from the last 17 days I'm able to add these to that list:

• Spoke live on air to over a million people in the USA
• Taken part in a feature film being aired on ESPN as well as a documentary and behind the scenes film
• Interviewed fans, security and volunteers around the Olympic Park
• Visited the Team GB House
• Personally met and interviewed Team GB athletes
• Got several stories published for different outlets
• Met and spoke personally to Jason Whitlock
• Got contact details of Team GB athletes to follow their careers as Olympians

I've learnt a lot about myself and the ability to conduct myself as a professional journalist. I think the biggest thing I've learnt from this experience is although you have the down days where nothing goes your way and the good days where you do something amazing it's all part of the day job as a journalist.

Although this is my last blog post I will continue to get coverage for the London 2012 Paralympic Games and chase up athletes to interview in the coming weeks. Future stories on the Olympics which are published in different media will be posted. Thanks for reading my blog and being apart of my journey though the London 2012 Olympic Games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxhiyLGK03A&feature=player_embedded#!



My BSU T-shirt!



London 2012 11/08/12

Today was my last day in London and the penultimate day of the London 2012 Olympic Games. I had no plans set for today but that soon changed when Taylor Bussick invited me to come along with him and PR student Jordan Dimit to Buckingham Palace.

Taylor wanted to do some photography and I knew the Men's 50km walk was taking place around the Palace and thought it would be great to watch another event and get more stories from fans.

Before we set off Jordan gave me some PR experience by showing me how he had controlled the flow of work the BSU team were producing for several different outlets. It was really interesting to see and he showed me how to use social network sites such as Twitter to publicise work. I found the PR guidance he gave me really enjoyable and will try and get some PR experience with the University when I go back in September.

I asked James if he wanted to come along and eventually myself, Jordan, Taylor and James got a taxi to Buckingham Palace. When we got their we found it was going to be fairly hard to move freely as there were fans everywhere trying to get a glimpse of the trail the Olympians would walk through. Taylor took pictures of fans while me and James got interviews with them. We met a large group of Chinese fans who were singing and waving a massive Chinese flag around near the front of the crowd who we got speaking to and managed to get a story from. It was crazy to see so many people creating an amazing atmosphere for one of the less popular events in the Olympics.

After watching the athletes pass we left the Palace and got a call from Katelynn who told us we had been invited for a meal at Westfield Mall in the evening. We then decided to take the scenic route through London rather than the underground so hired bikes. We spent the next few hours cycling along the Thames looking for anything interesting to get stories from.

Soon after returning the bikes in Waterloo we put the notebooks and cameras away and made our way to Stratford for the meal. Upon arriving at the Brazilian restaurant we were met by Ryan Sparrow (BSU leader of Olympics project) who showed us to our table. This wasn't a normal meal however as it was all being paid for by Jason Whitlock a FOX Sports writer who's a alumni of BSU.

I must admit I didn't know much about Jason but when Katelynn and Jordan explained to me who he was and what he does I knew he was a big deal. All the BSU team plus me and James wined and dined while Jason told us about his successful career under Foxsports.com, Kansas City Star, AOL Sports, ESPN and radio stations WHB and KCSP. It was amazing listening to him emphasise the route to becoming a successful journalist and we all managed to talk to him personally about our journalism aspirations. Wanting to be a sport journalist I enjoyed getting the chance to meet Jason and hear his story as well as being able to tell him where I want to be in 5 years time! I have his contact information to keep in touch over social network sites and hopefully will be able meet up and get work experience when I visit the States next year. It's worth a shot!

FOX Sports Jason Whitlock in centre!

After the meal we watched Mo Farah win gold in the men's 5000 metres. Our table was in front of a massive screen with a projector showing the event. There was no sound but we were only a stone throw away from the Olympic Park so the roar of the fans filling the stadium echoed through the restaurant. This was helped by hundreds of fans outside the Park who were standing at the window staring inside at the screen. It was crazy.

I had to get the last train back to Worcester as I had work early the next morning. Before I left I thanked everyone in the BSU team for everything I've achieved in the last two weeks. After saying thanks I gave a personal thanks to Katelynn who had managed to get us into the Team GB house. I thanked Ryan Sparrow for sorting out accommodation for us and Chris Taylor who allowed me to go live on air in the US and be apart of the Olympics Sports film. It was sad to leave the team but their all close friends who I will no doubt stay in contact with and most of them have already offered me a place to stay when I pass through Indiana next year!

London 2012 10/08/12

Treated myself to a lie-in this morning but when I eventually got up, I found I had a text from Chris Taylor asking to meet him at Trafalgar Square at 2. I got ready and met up with Taylor Bussick, a BSU graduate who was making a documentary on the teams time down in London. In the taxi on the way down to Trafalgar Square he set his camera up and did a short video interview with me which he said would feature in his documentary.

It didn't take long to find the team as they were right at the top of the Square overlooking Nelson's Column, Big Ben and the unusual sunny London skyline. Chris Taylor greeted me and explained the BSU sports team were making a 60 minute feature film on their time at the Olympics. Professional cameras were set up facing towards BSU students dressed in smart suits set up with mics ready to pitch their stories.

The professionalism the team conducted was second to none. It was like clockwork, members working on audio, cameras, directing, behind the scenes film crew and members refraining the public from getting in the way of the filming. I was asked to join in and that was an offer I couldn’t refuse!

I helped with the audio setting and managed one of several cameras before being asked to be apart of the film. I was set up with a mic and took position next to student sports anchor Pat Boylan before taking part in an interview. We spoke about what it means to have the Olympics in my home country as well as how I've used that to my advantage being a Journalist reporting on the Games. I was told to end the interview with “Cheers Mate”, as I had to be typically British! I later found out that the feature film would be aired on BSU campus and even ESPN! Chris said he would email me the DVD when finished editing.

http://ballstatesports.com/

We then moved closer to Big Ben as they had a story to pitch on an American athlete who was ironically nicknamed “Big Ben”. As they filmed I was approached again by Taylor Bussick who was also directing the behind the scenes film and asked me if I wanted to take part in that too. After swiftly agreeing I was filmed explaining what was going on in the background (BSU filming) and spoke about what I've been up to over the last two weeks at the Games. Again Taylor told me the behind the scenes film would be aired on BSU campus TV and radio and would email me the finished material.





Before we packed the equipment up to leave Chris asked me if I would do a video postcard to the BSU President, Jo Ann Gora which I thought was a great idea. The fact that the President of BSU will see me personally give a message on behalf of the University of Worcester and more importantly myself is overwhelming. The realisation that I had no idea about reporting for the Olympics months ago to now be delivering a personal thank you to the President of BSU is phenomenal. I thanked her for the opportunity I've been given and about the new relationship I've built with the BSU team along with how the experience will benefit my career. Chris said I should get a response which would be fantastic for my portfolio.

Everyone was having a quiet night in after a long day filming but I made my way down to Hyde Park to see one of my favourite bands, Feeder performing on behalf of BT London Live. However still in a journalist mindset I invited my friend Zachary Park who was on a week long job trial in London. He's a semi professional photographer and bought one of his best cameras with him. We teamed up to cover Hyde Park for interviews and met a woman who expressed how much of a big role Hyde Park has played in the Olympics as it brings thousands together through sport, culture and music.

Eventually after a long hard working we enjoyed the rest of the concert and went out for a few drinks as it was Zac's 21^st birthday.

London 2012 9/08/12

Today I woke up early to catch the train back to Worcester with Kate as I had work in the afternoon. Arriving in Worcester I went straight to work where I read the Worcester News on my break. They had run a story on the Olympics and how Team GB were raking in the gold medals. I thought I could do a spin on the story for the London 2012 Paralympics as Team GB have high hopes which I could send it into them and maybe even BBC Hereford and Worcester if I can get broadcast material from an interview with the athletes I’m chasing up!

After my shift I headed straight back to the train station where I got a train back to Paddington before taking the tube to Wembley Stadium. I was so exhausted but still excited to witness a gold medal match!

While stuck on the tube I sat next to Japanese and American fans who I interviewed about their Olympic experience and what it would mean to see their country win gold.

Finally arriving at Wembley Stadium, I pushed my way through the thousands of fans filling every square inch of pavement towards the ground. Eventually I found Katelynn who was covered in stars and strips! We entered the ground and made our way upstairs before walking out into a 80,000+ crowd roaring as the woman football stars walked onto the pitch. The atmosphere was completely overwhelming. My country wasn't playing but my hairs were definitely standing on end from the patriotism shown by both nations. Japanese and American flags flooded the stadium. The BSU team were sat a tier down from us with hundreds of fellow American fans but unfortunately for me and Katelynn, we were surrounded by Japanese fans screaming Nippon!

The half-time score was 1-0 Team USA so going to get a drink inside the ground was full of cheering Americans. I took this time to interview two American men who had travelled from the State of Washington for the Games and whether they thought taking price and time into consideration was worth it. Needless to say they thought it was worth every penny as they said they were witnessing history. We then watched Usain Bolt win the 100m final on the TV's inside the stadium. Again the atmosphere was unbelievable. Although the Team USA athletes never clinched gold, it was incredible to see the Americans, Japanese and all the other mixed nationalities unite in cheering Usain Bolt's triumph which I think would make a great feature piece.



Fans Cheering Goal!

Making our way back to our seats we went on to watch Team USA win 2-1 and after the final whistle went screams of pride and victory covered the ground for a good couple of minutes without pause. But it was the medal presentation which caught my attention the most. Sepp Blatter was booed as he handed Japan Silver medals. I know he's not well liked in this country but to see American and Japanese fans show their dislike too made me intrigued to write a piece for TNS and Golden Foot; publications I write for.

The “The Star Spangled Banner” ringed through the stadium, as BSU team wept with their hands on their heart I could feel why the Olympics was reborn and has dated back hundreds of years. It really was one of those moments where you have to be apart of it to understand it.

Soon after we were stuck in a river of 80,000 fans trying to make their way to the tube and rail station so I put the time we had waiting to use by interviewing Japanese and American fans. Even a group of English who burst into “God Save The Queen”. After getting their views on the game I could put together a detailed match report for Football Exclusives which I was pleased about as being the Worcester City FC reporter I haven’t had much to write about this summer!

Eventually we got back to Farringdon where our flats are and decided to go out for a few drinks to celebrate the win. Still covered in stars and stripes, the BSU team had British people honking their horn as they drove passed shouting “I love America”. And in the pub British punters were cheering and exchanging friendly banter with them which was great to see but also in my eyes fairly surprising as they were getting a lot of attention. I'll look into this more and see if I can get a feature from it.

BSU Team!

All in all it was a surreal day just like every other. Only 3 days left until the Games end now but I'm aiming to continue getting stuck into the Olympics and all it has to offer.

London 2012 8/08/12

Today started out with James bursting into my flat to tell me he knew someone who was giving basketball tickets away for this afternoons men’s quarter finals. There were four tickets available which we snapped up for myself, James, Kate and Katelynn. We went to a block of offices to collect the tickets from a woman who James said knew his ex basketball coach which is how we managed to get them just hours before tip-off!



Whereas most basketball games were played in the temporary basketball arena, these games were being played in the North Greenwich Arena (O2 Arena). We made our way to the arena via tube and train while Kate was getting live feed from the equestrian as she was looking for stories to develop from the event.



When we got to the arena we passed through security and I showed my BAJ press pass to see if I could get media access. Although security was tight on letting people into the media area without the official Olympic press pass I managed to find and get some decent stories from fans in the stands.

The arena was nearly full capacity and the atmosphere was electric for Russia v Lithuania! It was surprising to see how many Russian's turned up. I interviewed a group of Russians sat next to us who were really helpful and happy to give their time.



Russian fans

 We then watched Spain v France which was full of big name players. James went as close as he could to court side to take pictures on his professional camera he bought and looked for interviews with officials.

 When the basketball ended we stayed behind to soak in the Olympic atmosphere and to find more stories. However we were tight on time as we had to head to the Olympic Park to collect the tickets for the football match tomorrow night. We made our way to Stratford where we got the tickets and while in the Olympic Park we interviewed volunteers who spoke about how much they were being paid whereas some weren't paid at all. They also told us about the long hours they put in but how good the atmosphere is and how everyone has come together for the Games. Like one of those documentaries where they try and uncover the truth, I was sure there was a darker side to the security of the Games as Sky News and BBC News had emphasised on lack of security and control. I wanted to find and talk to someone who was honest about how the Games security in the Olympic Park was being controlled.

My Olympic tickets!

Katelynn led us to the Team GB house which was just a stone throw away from the Olympic Park. Upon arrival we had to wait in reception before being scanned in and given our press pass which gave us access to the whole house. Even Kate and James were allowed access which was great as we planned on working as a team to get stories from whoever we could find! We were taken upstairs and into a corridor which had written across the wall “Our Greatest Team” and the signatures of ever British athlete competing in the Games. We were then taken into a room where I couldn't prepare myself for what was about to happen.



The floor was layout in a track and field style which made it's way round the champagne bar, buffet, plasma TV showing the Games and the Olympic torch. Scattered across the room were signed pictures of the athletes who had already won medals for Team GB and the back wall was glass overlooking the Olympic Stadium and Stratford station which was rammed with thousands of Olympic fans squeezing their way to the Park.

The most overwhelming part was that the room was full of Team GB athletes which included present, upcoming and former medallists. Seconds past before we decided to split up and get as much coverage as possible. Katelynn went one way and we went the other. First we interviewed three young Taekwondo athletes, Ruebyn Richards, George Lee and Jamie Abley. They were here under a programme which brings upcoming Olympians together to get a taste of the Games before it's their turn to take the world stage. The three Olympic hopefuls were aiming to star in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games. They told us that being here and seeing the Olympics first hand made it less nerving for what was to come. They had been competing in the martial arts sport for over 10 years being put through national bodies. Although originally from South London, Durham and Nottingham the young athletes had lived together for a year where they train twice a day under the programme and also get to train with current Olympic Taekwondo stars. They came across very level headed and confident towards the next 4 years and it's no surprise considering Ruebyn beat the world No.1 in Manchester last October and George Lee has been ranked world No.1 until he was beaten in the World Championships. They think the Olympic Games is incredible so far and it definitely helps being on home soil as they've managed to get tickets to almost every Taekwondo event. After the interview we gave them our contact details and are currently following them on Twitter and Facebook so we can keep in contact with them on their journey to Rio.

George, Ruebyn, Jamie, Kate, Me and James

Still buzzing from that interview we approached an Olympic Wrestler. Oleksandr Madyarcmyk was a 28 year old who had been competing in professional wrestling for the last 10 years. The interesting thing about Oleksandr was that although he was originally form the Ukraine his coach took him to Britain to train. He has lived over here for 4 years where he has a British wife and passport. He had won the British Championships to claim the No.1 spot which made him eligible to wrestle for Team GB which he seemed very proud of. He had chosen to wrestle for Team GB rather than his home nation which was intriguing and was very excited to wear the Team GB colours with pride in the Rio 2016 Games. Like the Taekwondo athletes, we exchanged details and will stay in contact with Oleksandr as he continues his Olympic career.

Very shortly after the Interview with Oleksandr, Sarah Winckless entered the room and came over to where we were sitting. After meeting and greeting we were psyched for the interview where we were joined by Katelynn. She started by telling us about the programme she was running which began at the Beijing 2008 Games and that she was the chair of athletes commission in London. She was very keen on bringing the young athletes to London where the programme would create an Olympic experience that would prepare them for the next coming Games where they would participate. The student accommodation for the athletes is in Loughborough but before the Olympics Sarah took them to Macao where the athletes performed and were selected for Team GB. Sarah expressed having the young group of athletes in London during the Games has been phenomenal. She spoke about how they saw the Olympic torch pass through and met the Royal family. She wants to help the athletes understand where they are on their journey as well as learning along the way. She said “Nothing being a sacrifice but everything being a choice”, which she has fused into the young Team GB athletes on their journey as Olympians. She explained how the programme she's running is an adult to adult programme which the athletes love and she would have loved if she had the chance to join as a young Olympian. The programme runs for 22 days and consists of 130 athletes and 57 coaches where Sarah explains that they work as a family helping each other out.

After getting information on the programme for a story we went on to talk about Sarah's personal life as an Olympian. It came to a surprise to find out she was a discuss thrower to begin with before taking up rowing. She emphasised how special the Olympics is and how during her career she kept the right mind set as Olympic careers are short and vulnerable. It was fascinating to hear how she told us it was hard knowing she was becoming an Olympian but not in top form which pushed her harder and to the limit where she managed to clinch an Olympic medal which was the highlight of her career.

Sarah added “It's important for athletes to meet their hero. It's a hard journey where every story from past Olympians matter. It's not just about the podium.”

Katherine Grainger who won a gold in the current Games in the Double sculls is a room mate of Sarah's and a best mate. She gave us first hand quotes from Katherine which I will develop into a story and she explained how they've went through the journey to success together and how nothing comes close to that feeling as the national anthem plays and your awarded the Olympic medal.

Overall from the interview with Sarah I learnt that as the Team GB programme continues to grow and thrive, the Team GB athletes continue to win more medals than ever before.

We had photos taken with Sarah and the Olympic torch before being escorted from the building as one of the programmes activities was about to begin. As I walked out the Team GB house a sense of accomplishment ran deep through my veins. Ever since I was 7 I wanted to become a professional journalist and 13 years later at the mere age of 20 I've had the opportunity of a lifetime and have taken it by both hands. I was right in the heart of British Olympics and the best part of the experience was that I felt I should be there. It was like that 7 year old kid who walked round with a notebook and pen was finally able to say he's a full on journalist.

With emotions running high in all of us we went to get food and drinks but before we settled down we bumped into security personal from the Olympic Park who had just finished her shift. I took this opportunity to ask about the issues the Games has faced and surprisingly she took the time to explain how when the Games began the security struggled to control the thousands of fans coming and going in long chaotic days. However she did express since then the security has got tighter and managed to maintain a steady control of the Olympic Park and Olympic Village. I was grateful of how honest she was and can use the details she gave for a story in TNS.

Eventually back at the flat ready for bed I received a phone call from a friend Evie, who was also in London for the Games. Evie was working in “the worlds biggest McDonald's” in the Olympic Park and after a catch up I interviewed her about her experiences in McDonald's over the Games. She told me how a huge quantity of USA and Japanese tourists stormed the restaurant for photos with staff to prove they had been their. Also how a lot of filming was being done for TV shows and news programmes along with the thousands of visitors filling the whole building at all times. McDonald's had chose the best staff from branches all over the UK to head to their largest restaurant in the Olympic Park and provided the staff with luxury accommodation free tickets to events and vouchers to tours and activities all over London. It may not be a dream job but it defiantly sounded like Evie was having just as much of a good time I was having!



Another successful day down and I can only hope that the rest of my time here will continue to be the same!

London 2012 7/08/12

I woke up this morning to a call from one of the Americans. They told me to get onto the London 2012 site asap as they found a small quantity of tickets available for the woman's gold medal final at Wembley. I couldn’t believe it and went straight onto the site where I managed to get two tickets for myself and Katelynn. James also managed to get onto the site and bought 6 tickets for the Americans who asked for them. They were £120 each for pretty decent seating. I know it's expensive but knowing that it's a once in a lifetime opportunity I went for it!

Ironically later that day it turned out that the final will be Japan v the USA and the Americans were already ordering costumes and face paint which I unfortunately was going to be roped into.

Upon boarding the train with Kate to Paddington in the evening I managed to get hold of Katelynn and tell her about the ticket I managed to get for her. It's no surprise she was excited not just for the Wembley final but also because she had arranged an interview with Sarah Winckless, a Team GB rower who won a bronze medal in the Double sculls at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Katelynn had managed to get me on the guest list of the Team GB house for the interview tomorrow which is incredible! To be apart of something so exclusive is amazing and I can't wait to put my journalism skills to the test!

Before I went to bed after arriving at the flats late on the night, I went up to Chris Taylor's flat to see what he had been up to over the weekend. It turned out he had been busy preparing for the feature film which was being filmed at various landmarks around London on Friday. He told me WMDH Radio had contacted him earlier in the day and told him there interested on starting a new show in the upcoming months and want me to be apart of it. I couldn’t believe it! Chris went on to tell me they thought I was great on air and they think a British accent on the show would get great ratings as it's something fresh to the station. The idea for the show looks to be something along the lines of me talking with Sluby and the gang live after “The Morning Brew Show”, chatting about the contrast of British life compared to theirs, with an element of country music involved. They think it would be funny to have me read out the lyrics to the latest country music in the States! I follow the station on Twitter so they can keep me updated with their plans for the new show.

Overall it's been a long but fantastic day with lots to look forward to, not just for the week but far beyond.

http://wmdh.com/

London 2012 - 6/08/12

Today was my last full day in Worcester before heading back up to London tomorrow. The coach leaves in the morning but due to work I'll be getting the train with Kate at 7 in the evening to get to our flat around 10.30pm.

James left early this morning as he was told to meet Renaldo Lawrence outside Stratford station at 1.30pm to get an interview. While packing, blogging an sorting through stories I waited to hear how James got on.

When I eventually got hold of him I found out the interview was a success and we could use it to write a feature on Renaldo and his son Andrew Lawrence who were hoping to contact directly. Renaldo was even kind enough to give James tickets to the Nigeria v France basketball game after the interview!

With everything going as planned the only thing still bugging me was that I still hadn't managed to grab tickets to an event which seemed impossible.

If I could get a ticket to an event it would be the gateway to endless stories from fans and players to the match report itself.

I have one last week in London and will try one last time to clinch tickets to an event tomorrow.

Other than that I'm up to date and looking forward to heading back down to the Capital to dive straight back into the London 2012 Olympic Games.