Day 3 Pair Short

The Pairs Short Program was a great Event. For me there were two major highlights. First was the performance by USA Pair Team of Mark and Amanda. After witnessing their AWESOME Olympic performance and seeing the raw emotion and elation in Amanda's face, I realized right at that moment why people like me volunteer our time for a sport we love. As most of you have, I have followed Mark and Amanda for many years. Over the past several years I have been fortunate to serve as a technical specialist at many competitions in which Mark and Amanda were competing. I'm a volunteer at the Olympics for VANOC, the Vancouver organizing committee for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and I'm not an official at these Games but each judge and technical panel official tonight and the more than 800 other people inside the PAC arena were all volunteers. Without volunteers, we would of been watching a show instead of a competition. As a very lucky figure skating volunteer, getting to see Mark and Amanda's Olympic performance will be an inspiration and memory I will have for a life time. Wow! never knew volunteering paid so well.

Second is a little strange. There are millions of skating celebrities inside the arena at an Olympics so that is normal, but tonight the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden sat almost directly in front of my location in the PAC arena. All around us were several secret service personnel and it was very exciting. Peggy Fleming arrived with the Vice President and sat with him during the Pairs Short Program. This reminded me of a story Past PSA President Sandy Lamb shared with me recently. Sandy a champion of the Special Olympics had the distinct pleasure of introducing Vice President, Joe Biden at the Special Olympics held in the United States last year. Sandy told me how proud and honored she felt not only introducing the Vice President of the United States, but how proud she felt that he was at the Special Olympics. I think the Vice President really enjoyed being at both Olympics. At one point during the competition I had an opportunity to visit with Peggy Fleming and she told me how cool it was driving in the limousine and being with the Vice President. I almost got up enough courage to ask Peggy if she would introduce me to the Vice President, but I chickened out, oh well just talking with Peggy was pretty cool enough. Can't wait for the Pairs Free Skate.