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Olympin Tales II

And a Note about Sportsmanship

By Rachel Tobias

August 20^th, 2016

This ‘olympin tale’ is about two, very special pins. But it’s also about two very special ladies.

This was my first pin of the Rio 2016 games, and I received it at the start of my flight from Houston to Rio de Janeiro. This flight kicked off what has ultimately been a deeply transformative experience, one characterized by intense self reflection, perspective and learning, lifelong friendships, and the unimaginable rewards of spontaneity, uncertainty and being in the right place at the right time.

A perfect example of the ‘right place, right time’ phenomenon, it just so happened that my flight to Rio coincided with the wrapping up of Team USA’s team processing in Houston, where they get outfitted with gear, uniforms, etc. I was in the very small minority of non-athletes on this flight, and very soon found myself surrounded by the USA men’s volleyball team, water polo team, fencing team, cyclists, and women’s beach volleyball team, including April Ross and Kerri Walsh-Jennings. Not to mention a slew of other athletes from Australia, Tunisia, Canada and Puerto Rico. Surprised and overwhelmed, I watched as they boarded the plane, and felt my excitement and anticipation for these 2016 Games rise, along with the hairs on my arm. Not one to shy away from a pin and a good memory, I asked a nearby gate agent if they might have an extra pin, and very soon I had my first Olympic pin in hand.

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United's official sponsor pin for Rio 2016

My seat was right in the middle of a group of fencers, and I had the great pleasure of being seatmates with Eli Dershwitz, who competed in the men’s individual sabre. A rising junior at Harvard University, this was Eli’s first Olympics, and he was brimming with excitement about what lay ahead. In particular, he couldn’t stop telling me about all of his fantastic teammates and how proud he was to be part of such a stellar team.

“Check this out,” he said, pulling out United’s Hemispheres magazine, and flipping to an article about Miles Chamley-Watson, a fellow U.S. fencer. “He’s just sitting a few rows back. “And there’s Ibti,” he said pointing to my left, where Ibtihaj Muhummad sat, the first Muslim American woman to compete while wearing hijab, and who would also go on to win a bronze medal. “She’s in this cool documentary on the United entertainment,” he said, advising me to watch. (I did, and it was great, and you should watch it too; Destination: Team USA, now available on Netflix.)

“I wonder if Kerri and April are in business class,” I said to Eli.

“She’s sitting right behind you,” he whispered, as I blushed. Luckily, Eli, Ibtihaj, and April were all more than happy to take in/post-flight selfies, which I figured would be the coolest thing that happened to me over the next three weeks.

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April Ross and I having just landed in Rio. (I promise I did not recline my seat!)

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Ibtihaj Muhammad and I set foot in Rio. She would leave (on the same plane as me) with a bronze medal in fencing.

which brings me to my second pin.

April Ross and Kerri Walsh-Jennings are world-class athletes, there’s no doubt about that. After all, Kerri is 37 years old and chasing her fourth gold medal. Beyond that however, they embody the spirit of the Olympic Movement better than nearly any other athlete I’ve seen in my lifetime.

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Kerri thanks her fans after USA's quarterfinal win against Australia

Watch the way they play. As teammates, they give each other endless love and affirmation; constant hugs, taps, high-fives, words of support. They always display the utmost level of sportsmanship to each other and to their competitors.

Read about how they train. They are masters of both physical and mental training and preparation, and strive (successfully) to push harder and be better than everyone in the world.

Notice who they are both on and off the court. They talk about tribe, and while they are committed to their sport and to chasing gold, they consider their team to be a tribe much bigger than just the two of them, and value everyone who has a role in making them great, from their husbands and children to all of their fans. Hearing their Order of Ikkos ceremony at the USA House on Thursday, a ceremony in which USA medalists present a special Ikkos award to an individual who has supported them the most, in this case, their three coaches, was a first-hand look at how they approach gratitude and love in their lives and with those around them.

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Kerri and April present their coaching staff with Ikkos medals at the USA House

By the end of the Olympics, I’ve collected enough stories of hope, courage, teamwork, sportsmanship and glory to stoke my faith in human goodness for at least a short while longer.

Stories like the swimmer who stands up for what she believes in, and isn’t afraid to have a strong and loud voice about the value of clean sport.

Two runners who pick each other up when they are literally down, putting aside foe and embracing only friend.

The Australian hockey team beating Brazil, but asking to take a photo with the home team before celebrating their win together.

The fastest man in the world, stopping an interview mid-sentence when he hears a competitor’s national anthem in the distance, and turning to show respect.

Watching Kerri and April lose in their semifinal match against Brazil was heartbreaking. I was angry in the moment, in particular because the Brazilian crowd had spent the entire game booing heavily at the Americans in what I felt at the time was a disgusting and shameful display of unsportsmanlike behavior. I’ve come to understand that the booing has cultural underpinnings, but to me, it seemed to have a significant effect on the U.S. team, as they uncharacteristically made mistake after mistake, and watched the gold medal slip out of reach.

But what the first thing Kerri Walsh-Jennings did after finishing the match and hugging her partner? She ran around the court, like she does after every single match, thanking each volunteer, official and staff member individually, shaking hands, giving hugs and high fives, and showing gratitude with that enormous, joyful smile. In what must have been an extremely painful moment of loss, Kerri turned it into an opportunity to embrace and thank her tribe and the people who had gotten her there, from the volunteer who shakes sand off the ball, to her friends, family and fans.

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Kerri thanks each and every volunteer after each match

I find immense inspiration in these two ladies and the way in which they show us what it means to push ourselves both physically and mentally beyond our limits, how to value and love those who lift us up and help us reach our dreams, and how to find the joy and the celebration both in winning and in losing.

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Tim Walsh, Kerri’s dad, in Rio, and he was kind enough to ask Kerri to come sign my volleyball and give me one of their pins. He and Kerri won’t ever know how much that pin means to me; it’s not just another one for my collection, but represents something much more meaningful and challenging, and is the token of the experience and learning I’ve had over the last three weeks. Thank you Kerri and April for being such incredible role models and making the USA so very, very proud of the women you are and the kind of people you inspire us to be.