Cool Runnings 2018
A casual winter sports fan glides across the snow after the recent storm, dreaming of the lights and excitement of a hundred man cross-country race. For Picariello the athletes of this festival have to be above the common riff-raff. “I enjoy both Summer and Winter Olympics as athletes compete against each other. Being an athlete myself, it is the competition that drives me to do my best , no matter what the results is, Just doing my best.”
February 2, 2018
Beyond this year’s political drama and this winter’s erratic weather comes the distraction of a lifetime in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Then at once all eyes from across the globe will be fixed on television screens to see the best of the best compete for glory in the Pyeongchang athletic spectacle that is the 23rd quadrennial Winter Olympics.
The lead up to the games is a season of stress and tension for many high caliber athletes across the globe as they try to prove their mettle, while simultaneously being a season of excitement for the amateur sports fanatics or everyday folks of HB as the four-year buildup reaches its peak.
Paul Picariello, Hollis Brookline Middle School shop teacher and curling aficionado, is uniquely excited for the games as his favorite winter sport sees global coverage. “When I was first exposed to it I was a 17 year old, 11th grade student from the U.S. on a school trip to France,” says Picariello. “While I was skating at a rink, there were people on the other rink with brooms and throwing stones down the ice.” Picariello is now a regular curler down in Petersham Curling Club in Massachusetts, a curling only ice rink.
Despite its high-octane levels of tension, curling is far from the only sport to grace the olympic ice. For some, the spectacle of the year involves a couple of ice skates and a stick. Delaney MacDonald ‘19 is the manager of the HB hockey team as well as a long time lover of the sport. “I’m drawn to [hockey] because it’s been a part of my life for so long,” says MacDonald, “so being able to watch your favorite sport [played by] the best of the best? That’s what I’m here for.” For her, the Olympics still holds that magical charm, watching the torchbearer run up to the olympic flame to mark the start of the festival.
The biggest draw of the Olympics for most, however, is its wide appeal. Even those who don’t care much for winter sports can find enjoyment in seeing the spectacle. Johanna Golden ‘19, a high level dancer and student here at HB, finds excitement in the Winter Olympics, although admits that she prefers the Summer games. “I’m looking forward to watching the skating and bobsled competitions,” said Golden, appreciating the figure skaters as they relate to her own sport of dance.
Hence from the casual viewer to the dedicated fan, the Olympics seeks to impress the world. Whether a beautiful dance across the ice, a silent rink with only the sound of a sliding rock, or the aggressive bloodbath that is international hockey, the Winter Olympics is a spectacle from start to finish.
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