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Meet Chuck & Judi

Faces of Rio 2016

By Rachel Tobias

August 7^th, 2016

meet chuck & Judi Brandt

One of the highlights of my time in Rio so far has been getting up early and heading over to Leme to watch the Today Show being filmed on the beach. Of course, it’s all in hopes of athlete selfies, but the real golden opportunity that has emerged is hearing the stories of those who are just as excited to be at the Olympics as I am.

I met Chuck, Judy, and three generations of Brandt family members my second time at the Today Show. All the way from Arizona, they came in matching neon yellow shirts that read “Familia Tradicao”, Portuguese for family tradition. The tradition: going to the Olympic Games as a family.

This is Chuck’s 18th Olympics.
He’s trying to make it 20 in Tokyo.

Their twelve year-old granddaughter has me tied at six Olympics, despite her being half my age. The Olympic Movement runs so deep in this family that the oldest granddaughter was named Sydney after her parents found out they were pregnant with her while attending the Games in Sydney with Chuck and Judi.

I loved everything about this family, primarily because it reminded me so much of my own. My parents have given my siblings and I so many incredible opportunities in life, but the one that makes the top three is, without a doubt, the opportunity to attend the Olympic Games. My memories of Nagano, Sydney, Salt Lake and Athens are among the most vivid, emotional and goosebump-inducing memories I have of my childhood. I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to fall in love with such an amazing event, and I was warmed by the idea that each one of the Brandt grandchildren, with pins dangling around their necks and excitement brimming from their faces, will likely have the same level of appreciation and passion for the Olympics that my siblings and I have today.

Thanks Chuck and Judi for passing the torch and sharing the Olympic spirit with your friends and family. And thank you, most importantly to my Mom and Dad for doing the same, and giving me a gift that brings me so much joy, spirit and life.