After returning from Sochi on day 1, I went straight to the Olympic Park to connect with a friend and we headed straight to the Canada Olympic House for their Valentines Day open house event.

The idea behind the Canada Olympic House is that it is a sanctuary away from the media for athletes and their friends and family to connect during the Games and is not open to the general public or other Canadians. The open house event gave all Canadians the opportunity to visit the house for a few hours to mingle with the athletes and enjoy a beer from the open bar with other Canadians.

I met so many amazing people, including one lovely lady in particular who had brought me clothes and Canada gear to use until my luggage arrived! It was even appropriately wrapped in a Canada flag. I was so excited to see the Canadian Olympic Spirit shining through right from the moment I arrived. It was truly incredible! Thank you Bailey Edwards for your generosity and your awesomeness!

The highlight of the visit to Canada House though, was a surprise visit from President Putin! He had been next door at the USA House and made an unscheduled appearance at Canada House! He was given a pair of official Canada mittens and then he made a speech wishing our athletes luck. Well… most of them anyway… with the exception of our hockey team! (He laughed it off, but I don’t think he was joking… Not even a little bit.)

I stuck around Canada House as long as I could to chat with the athletes about their Olympic experience. I spoke with Gold Medalist Dara Howell (slopestyle skiing), and athletes Jenna Blasman (snowboarding) and Taylor Henrich (ski jumping). It was so inspiring to hear of their experiences and their excitement for the opportunity to compete and represent Canada at the 2014 Olympics!

So my first day was a raging success (despite the luggage issues that morning). Experiencing true Canadian Spirit inside the Canada Olympic House and being there for President Putin’s visit were an incredible way to kick off my Sochi 2014 Olympic experience. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better day if I tried!

My flight from Amsterdam to Sochi was smooth. I enjoyed some classic Dutch pub food (bitterballen & een biertje) at the Schiphol airport pre-flight and then boarded the plane for the first leg to Istanbul. The layover in Istanbul was short and the board was already flashing “last call” for my next flight, so I was once again running thought he airport. It was probably one of the more confusing airports I’ve seen with unclear signage and odd organization. But after some confusion and asking around, I found my gate. This was my first experience boarding a bus to get out to the plane on the tarmac. (I’ve never shared the road with giant airplanes before!) It was kinda cool to feel how big these machines actually are by standing with beside it on the ground and then climbing the stairs to board.

I sat down beside a man who turned out to be an agent for many of the USA hockey team’s NHL players and he told me that he had been sitting beside the Stanley Cup on display in the airport lounge for about 8 hours that day. Then he told me that the Stanley Cup was on the plane with us! How awesome is that?! Ya, pretty awesome!

We landed at the Sochi airport at 4am and it took about 30 minutes to pass through passport control and then I went to the luggage belt to I wait for my bag. I waited and waited and in the end, no bag. Arg!

photo: Kyle Brayer

I spent the next 2+ hours filling out paperwork and trying to figure out where my bag got held. It seems this isn’t uncommon with Turkish Airlines, as I was one of four people whose luggage didn’t arrive. So after much frustration, they found that my bag had been left behind in Istanbul and it would be on the next flight out. On Monday. Today was Friday. I’m not looking forward to 3 days in the same clothes.

After activating my Spectator Pass, I went looking for a taxi to get me to my hotel. The 10 minute drive took a half hour because he had no idea where he was going, even though I had printed out a map to the hotel. After much convincing, he finally called the hotel and we were only a block away. I thanked him, paid him and he ended up giving me some money back for the inconvenience. Pretty sure THAT has never happened before!

It was now 7am, and I was finally in my hotel. Evgeny, the lovely man who runs the hotel, doesn’t speak more than about 5 words of English, so he communicates through his mobile phone’s translator app. He’s pretty awesome. Finally, everything was done and I creeped into the room where my new roommate was sleeping, apologized for waking her, brushed my teeth and flopped into bed for a much needed nap after a long night and frustrating morning of travel.

I think I more than doubled my Canadian Olympics attire in the past week and I have NO idea how I’m going to pack it all to Sochi! Not only am I bringing stuff to wear, but I’m also bringing some things to trade with other fans and photograph around the Olympic venues.

Additions to my collection this year include a reversible down jacket from the Bay, a couple of hoodies from the Sport Chek Olympics collection, and of course this year’s mittens and toque from the Bay. It’s so easy to get carried away when shopping for this stuff! Seriously, I could have bought one of everything but I was able to restrain myself. I was seriously coveting the wool sweater, but had to hold back for budget reasons.

Of course the entire Quatchi family in this photo will not be making the trip to Sochi. Only one of the small ones… Quatchi will be my “travel Sasquatch” for this adventure. He has accompanied me on a few trips now, including Thailand, Bali, and Costa Rica. Quatchi will be posting to his own Twitter account: @QuatchiTravels, so please follow to see what he’s up to!

Only one more sleep until I board a plane and start my journey to Russia! I can’t wait to get to Sochi to capture and share the Olympic Spirit with you all! I’m pretty sure I’m all set… Am I missing anything?

Go Canada GO!

The last 25 days have been one heck of a ride! WOW!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Kickstarter campaign, the Olympic Spirit Project went from a dream to becoming a reality!

Thanks to a few last minute contributions and pledge increases, final total on the campaign came to $7290 from 94 project backers!

So I am sending all my backers giant cosmic hugs today, as I say…

“Thank you!” and express my #Gratitude to all of you who backed the project! I’m blown away by your generosity, and would like to reiterate that #PeopleAreAwesome!”

Thanks you you all I’m headed to the #Sochi2014 Winter #Olympics in Russia!!

To seek out and document Olympic Spirit and cheer on Team Canada! #GoCanadaGO!!!!!

I invite you to Follow Me at @mariskar on Twitter and Instagram, and to like the Mariska Richters Photography page on Facebook. Quatchi will also be joining me on the journey, and you can follow him on Twitter at @QuatchiTravels.

The Olympic Spirit Project is now officially LIVE, and I’ll #SeeYouInSochi!

“What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve!”  ~ Napoleon Hill

* Photos courtesy of Pim Richters (Thanks Dad! xo)

TORONTO, February 7, 2014 – The Canadian Olympic Team will walk onto the world stage today in a look that commands attention as they proudly unveil their official parade uniforms, designed by Hudson’s Bay, at the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony.

Canadians and fans of Canada abroad can sport the Team’s Opening Ceremony look with Hudson’s Bay’s official replica collection.  The duffle coat is available for both men and women and retails for $275.  The pompom toque and the red mittens are also available for adults and children, with $3.33 from the sale of each pair of mittens going directly to the Canadian Olympic Foundation.   The Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic Team Collection can be purchased online at thebay.com and is available at all Hudson’s Bay stores across Canada.“Hudson’s Bay has once again delivered inspiring, stylish uniforms honouring our athletes’ commitment to Canada as they take part in the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremony,” said Derek Kent, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee. “The colour blocking of red, white and black is quintessentially Canadian and the athletes will wear it with pride.” The Sochi 2014 Canadian Olympic team consists of 221 athletes and 85 coaches.   Team members will each receive 38 items as a part of their uniform including jackets, pants, leisurewear and accessories.

About Hudson’s Bay Company

Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC), founded in 1670, is North America’s longest continually operated company. Today, HBC offers customers an unparalleled range of retailing categories and shopping experiences internationally. In Canada, HBC operates Hudson’s Bay, Canada’s largest department store with 90 full-line locations and one outlet store as well as thebay.com, unsurpassed in its fashion, beauty, home and accessory designers and brands. HBC also operates Home Outfitters, Canada’s largest home specialty superstore with 69 locations across the country.In the United States, HBC operates Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the world’s pre-eminent specialty retailers, renowned for its superlative designer collections and first-rate fashion expertise.  Saks Fifth Avenue comprises 41 full-line stores in 22 states, five international licensed stores, saks.com, 72 Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH stores and saksoff5th.com. HBC also operates Lord & Taylor, a leading department store chain with 49 full-line store locations throughout the northeastern United States, in two major cities in the Midwest and in Boca Raton, Florida, four Lord & Taylor outlet locations and lordandtaylor.com. Hudson’s Bay Company banners provide stylish, quality merchandise with a dedicated focus on service excellence. Hudson’s Bay Company trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “HBC”.

About the Canadian Olympic Committee

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s involvement in the Olympic movement, including Canada’s participation in the Olympic, Youth Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For news and information, visit the COC website at www.olympic.ca and find the team on both Facebook (Canadian Olympic Team) and Twitter (@CDNOlympicTeam).

Only 41 hours remain and only $274 short of the goal. 

The Olympic Spirit Kickstarter project is quickly coming to a close, and I am completely overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who has contributed!

Whether you pledged your hard-earned dollars, shared the project on social media, brainstormed ideas with me, sent me a lovely note of inspiration and encouragement, or shared a glass of wine with me during the stressful moments, YOU ARE AWESOME!!

Back in October, I took the leap of becoming a Digital Nomad and 2014 is the year this becomes a reality.

I watched this video made by oDesk today and it has inspired me once again to believing that it’s all possible.

Digital Nomads: Goodbye commute, hello world

My nomadic adventure began with a month-long trip to Costa Rica at the end of 2013. I had sold and donated all of my things and Costa Rica was the perfect place to unwind and leave my old life behind to be inspired by what life has to offer outside of an office.

I spent the month traveling around the country, exploring, photographing, learning Spanish, eating well and working out. It was truly an amazing five weeks that I often go back to in my mind when I start to have doubts about the path I’ve chosen and it brings renewed confidence.

After my return from Costa Rica, I began work on a new project and after MUCH hard work on the Olympic Spirit Kickstarter campaign, the adventure and travels will continue, thanks to my many generous supporters. In less than a week I fly to Europe, spend a few days with family and then 10 days from today I land in Sochi, Russia to capture the Olympic Spirit as the world celebrates their athletes! I can hardly believe it!

Through this project I will share the Olympic experience with my amazing Kickstarter backers and others through social media and this blog. Once the Games are over, the stories and images will be compiled into a book documenting the Olympic spirit and will be available for sale. I invite you to join me and share in the experience from wherever you are!

Napoleon Hill’s wrote what has become my mantra:

What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

This project is living proof!!

With gratitude,
Mariska

This morning I had my first ever television interview!

It was with Heather Hiscox of Toronto’s CBC News Now morning show, featured on CBC’s Road to the Olympics segment. Because of the 3-hour time difference, my alarm went off at 4:30am to be awake and ready for the 5:20am call. Here’s how it went:

The whole thing went so fast! I’ve been both excited and nervous about this interview for over a week, and waiting for my 5 minutes of fame felt like forever.  I called in via Skype and was on hold and listening to the show (I had no video on my end) for the longest 10 minutes of my life, and then Heather started talking to me and the next thing I knew, it was over.

Overall, I’m happy with how it went, despite a couple of verbal stumbles. After seeing the replay however, there are a few points I’d like to add.

The plan is to spark the Olympic Spirit back home while in Sochi. Those who will be in Sochi are driven to be there by their Olympic Spirit, which I will be there to document. But what I am really aiming to spark is the spirit back  in Canada and beyond! It’s challenging sometimes to get excited about a world event when all you hear about are the controversial issues and security threats. So I hope to spark the spirit in YOU from Sochi through the stories of my experiences and my images.

It’s time to put the focus back where it belongs: on the sports, the athletes and the fans.

I’m not saying that these other issues are not of concern to me, because they are. I am definitely aware of what’s happening and concerned but I’m also prepared to be cautious and safe. It’s not going to stop me from going and supporting our athletes and capturing the true Olympic spirit of the 2014 Winter Games.

I invite YOU to be a part of the excitement as well, through social media where I will be posting the images and stories throughout the experience. I’ll be posting to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as often as connectivity allows, so please be sure to follow along so you don’t miss any of the excitement. And of course, please share the excitement to grow that Olympic Spirit even more! (I will post the final edited images to Flickr as well.)

As of today, there are 10 days and 40% remaining to be raised on the Kickstarter.  Please pledge what you can to bring the Spirit to life.

For more information and to check out the great pledge rewards, please visit the The Olympic Spirit Project on Kickstarter.

Thank you all for the support, and I’d love to hear what you thought of the interview in the comments below!

The Olympic Spirit Project is in the news! The project was featured in this weekend’s local newspaper in my hometown of Duncan, BC, Canada. It was even the top story on the paper’s website all day Friday! The traction this project is getting is so exciting!

You can read the article at www.cowichannewsleader.com.

Other Upcoming Media Coverage

This coming Tuesday I’m scheduled for a live interview via Skype with CBC Toronto’s Heather Hiscox for the morning news! I hope to have a video to share with you after the show airs.

Project Update

I’m happy and excited to report that yesterday the Kickstarter campaign passed the 50% mark! There are still 13 days left in the campaign, so please pledge your support today and be a part of the spirit in Sochi!

I’m so excited that the Olympic Spirit is starting to spread both through all of my backers and supports as well as in the news. Thank you all for the continued support.

Sending out a HUGE thank you to Brandy’s Whistler for their generous support to the Olympic Spirit Project! Their contribution has brought the project to 33% of the funding goal!

Next time you’re in Whistler, check out Brandy’s, the best sports bar in town!

www.whistlersportsbar.com

And of course, thank you to ALL of my project backers as well! It’s because of YOUR support that this project is becoming a reality. Your encouragement is so amazing and appreciated more than you know!

We are much closer, but still a long way away from the target. This is now your project too! Please continue to share it with your friends and networks so we can reach our goal and bring the Olympic Spirit to life!

With Gratitude,
Mariska