Vancouver 2010: The Legacy

Unfortunately my pre- Olympic blog disappeared when we recently revamped and moved our website. I'll just give a brief synopsis as it sets up for the post Olympic blog. 

Pre- Olympics
From the beginning,Vancouver 2010 created three camps of people: positive, negative and apathetic. I shared that my opinion had been somewhere in between but decided to go positive based on the inspiration Olympic athletes can be for children. I talked about buying my Team Canada hoodie and like with any good party, dealing with the hangover after- that being, my concern regarding cost over runs, budget deficits and so on. 


Post Olympics
So as promised, I did go out and buy my Team Canada hoodie and found myself catching the enthusiasm and passion for the games that swept through Vancouver. And now here we are. With the exception of the Paralympics coming next week, the citizens of Vancouver find themselves asking 'now what?'


Pundits say they have proven that past Olympic cities do not benefit at all from the games. That the costs far out weigh the advantages of having world class sporting facilities such as the speed skating oval in Richmond.


Why is this? Is it because people sit back and wait for someone else to step up and do something? Or because we put these decisions in the hands of the government and then wait for them to take action? Remember that while we wait, the facilities remain idle in terms of usage and revenue but still incur operational costs.  


I am not an economist specializing in urban planning issues but I do know a little about strategic planning and how powerful the concept can be if applied properly.


How about if we start some dialog with statements such as:

1. 'Wow, look at what we've got here. Let's make it count!' 

2. 'What an opportunity for the future of sports in Vancouver if we are smart about it!' 

3. 'Now that the facilities are here, let's build a plan for making the finances work.'

The business community and the citizens of Vancouver (not another government funded entity) need to remain inspired to get into action and ensure a successful legacy. The stories that resulted from the games are more than plentiful to help keep people engaged. 


Here is one. Click on the link included below and watch Joannie Rochette address the media upon her return to Montreal. She really is a new and somewhat unlikely heroine of the Vancouver 2010 games, for Canadians and others around the world. 


When you watch the video, pay special attention to her story of the eight year old girl who sent her a message regarding the sudden passing of her Mom. In it the little girls says: 'The same thing happened to me and the next day I went out, skated and won a medal. If I can do it- you can do it!'


Joannie goes on to say how much the message from the little girl inspired her to go out and compete at the highest possible level.  


Looks like I had the 'athletes inspiring children' concept backwards. Here is the link to the video:  http://bit.ly/c8DIhF


Have a good week,


Kevin