Michelle Kwan competing at the 2002 Winter Olympics.Photo: Anacleto Rapping/Los Angeles Times via Getty
It’s been nearly two decades sinceMichelle Kwanfirst competed in the Olympics, but she can still remember just how she felt going into the games: Both incredibly prepared, and somehow still not ready for what was to come.
“The first Olympics they try to prepare you for every little thing, like the experience at the Olympic Village,” Kwan says on the latest episode ofthe PEOPLE Every Day podcast. “Now with all the social media, you kind of get insight of what happens in the Olympic Village, but it’s [also] kind of like Vegas: ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.’ But I think everything is a surprise.”
“The enormity of the opening ceremonies gives your first taste of what you’re walking into,” Kwan says. “You walk in, they’re like ‘U-S-A!’ and the spotlight is on the whole team. And you’re like, this is it. It’s emotional. It’s a little frightening. You can see the veterans in the crowd sometimes, among the sea of athletes. But you can see the rookies, that are there the first time. They’re videotaping the moment they walk into the arena.”
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty
She also remembers the pure adrenaline of it all, which is why she advises athletes to try to live in the moment as much as it can.
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday. And hear more from Kwan in today’s episode, below.
Though Kwan doesn’t compete professionally anymore (and says she rarely skates since retiring), she says that it’s still important to support the USA athletes — especially under this year’s regulations for the Tokyo games.
Frazer Harrison/Getty
“It’s fun to watch and cheer on our athletes,” Kwan says. “And given everything that we’ve been through in the last year and a half, it will certainly be a great time to sit back and root for them. They’ve gone through a lot, training under these circumstances, and getting ready. You hope it goes smoothly. And unfortunately,there’s not going to be the viewership or the attendance in person in Tokyo, but certainly on television, I’m sure it will be very well watched.”
Check out more from Kwan’s interview on PEOPLE Every Day, airing now oniHeartMedia,Apple podcasts,Spotify,Stitcher,Amazon Musicor wherever you listen to your podcasts.
source: people.com
