Sydney Olympics, 2000, by Ashley Wroten

From MemoryArchive

Who:  Ashley Wroten
What:  The Sydney Olympics
When:  Summer 2000
Where:  Sydney, Australia

I was in Sydney in the summer of 2000 playing junior circuit tennis for the United States. Let me clarify that I was not ON the Olympic team, we were a junior team playing there at the same time. Team USA was competing against Team Australia and Team New Zealand in tournaments in Auckland, Sydney, and White City. The Aussies and the Americans became very close friends over the course of several weeks, and there was a sense of friendly competition that is hard to find. As in the spirit of the Olympics, we were not simply playing tennis, but celebrating the sport and international camaraderie.

As a team, the US visited the giant Olympic stadium as it prepared for the events to come. The whole city of Sydney was buzzing with excitement. The roadway signs and the local radio all focused on the upcoming Olympic games. Everyone was wearing the gear from the 2000 games, and there was definitely no better place to be than Sydney!