London 2012: A day in the life

Covering the Olympics requires Olympic-level endurance. Going into London, I knew I was looking at three straight weeks of hard work, no play, and very little sleep. After all, as a mentor told me, “This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Heading into the last weekend of the Games, everyone’s tired. We’ve all been tired for a while now. I’m running on caffeine and sugar, and a lot of it. The “quiet room” is more full than usual, with journalists taking up every lounge chair, trying to catch forty winks before heading off to their next event.

Or the main room. That works too.

I know every journalist’s experience is different, especially depending on roles (reporter vs editor; director vs producer vs talent) and the sports they cover (especially if you have to travel from venue to venue). Even for me, every day is completely different. So I can only give an idea of how my days are spent — some days I’m mostly in the Main Press Center; others I’m out conducting interview or going to media events. However, here is a general pattern of how I’ve been spending my long days:

Anywhere between 6:00-8:00: Depending on the time I went to sleep the night before and what’s on the agenda for the day determines if I wake up early or late (late being…8. Man, is 8am bliss). Shower, pack up my gear for the day: laptop, DSLR, point and shoot, iPhone, BlackBerry, and all relevant chargers.

Head out, stopping first into the store below the flat to chat to the friendly shopkeeper and grab a liter of water for 80 cents. It’s a marathon after all, you need to hydrate — plus, a bottle of water costs a silly £1.05 at the MPC.

Mid-morning: If I have a special event like an interview or media event, I head there and won’t arrive at the media center until afternoon. Otherwise I take the bus or tube from Angel to King’s Cross, and cross the street to St. Pancras International. The brilliant Javelin bullet train has me in Stratford in six minutes.

When I arrive at Stratford, I head straight for the media entrance, which is across from the Athletes’ Village; passing the line of hardcore pin collectors waiting outside like vultures, eyeing up media and athletes alike for possible trades.

Security the first few days was run by the military; now it’s all G4S folks in bright green shirts. The military still run some other checkpoints, though.

The classically British double-decker bus only takes a few minutes to get through Olympic Park. If I’m in the MPC in the morning, I’m usually there by 10; 11 at the latest. Most days I stop at the media center McDonalds first for breakfast.

I head to our office on the second floor, pausing outside the L’Equipe office to read their latest newspaper, which they tape to the walls next to their door.

11:00: I head to the main conference room on the first floor for the IOC daily media briefing. They give stats on attendance and drug tests, talk about a chosen daily subject, then open the floor to questions from the media, whose questions always run the gamut.

Afternoon: I write, I edit, I do some research going into the evening’s events. Editing for the website may be thrown in there as well. Some days I go to watch heats in the venues, but usually I follow them on the internal television channels.

Even though we have an office, I actually prefer the media workroom — there are loads of televisions down there, meaning I can follow more events at once; plus there’s something about being surrounded by hundreds of Olympic journalists that makes me want to work harder. And it’s warmer down there — our office is freezing.

For lunch I’ll either head to the mini-cafe on the second floor, where I’ve become friends with the staff and they sometimes give me free coffee, or at the very least some fun conversation and a nice break. Other days I walk along the media high street and get McDonald’s.

17:00-18:00: Head for the venues, getting onto the media buses while trying to avoid the photographers’ massive kits that are undoubtedly worth thousands of dollars. If it’s a big event, like a final with Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt, I head over early to grab a good seat in the press tribunes.

19:00-21:00: Watch the event from the press tribunes, meaning with the luxury of power outlets, ethernet cables, and a television that shows us the action going down on the field of play.

21:00-23:00: Head down to the venue’s media conference room to listen to post-event press conferences with the athletes.

23:00-02:00: File story. Take media bus back to Stratford, then Javelin to St. Pancras, then tube to Angel, then walk home. Fall asleep immediately and go to bed dreaming of what it’d be like to sleep in past 8 am.

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13 Comments

  • Reply
    kristen (@unefemmeparis)
    August 11, 2012 at 05:41

    How exciting!!! What a fantastic experience you’re having. Every time I watch anything I think of you and wonder if you’re there covering the event I’m watching (clearly 5 hours behind). By the way, I can tell you’ve been hanging out with English people for the past three weeks. You’ve definitely incorporated a lot of common “English” speak into your writing :) And I’m not just talking about “tube” and “flat.” I’m allowed to say that since I’m married to one and also incorporated “bits” into my daily vernacular over the past three years. xx

    • Reply
      edna
      August 11, 2012 at 09:53

      Haha really? I’ve always said tube and flat and thought I spoke kind of British, seeing as Mike’s English…maybe I just haven’t let it slip into my writing yet :)

  • Reply
    travellingmo
    August 11, 2012 at 07:49

    Wow! I am equal parts impressed, exhausted, and jealous by your accounts of what it’s like to be a working journalist covering the Olympics. I kind of missed the beginning of your tale though. What publication are you working for and how did you get into that? I’ve been thinking of going into journalism and writing and can only dream of such an opportunity! Hang in there!

  • Reply
    Sara
    August 11, 2012 at 09:42

    Sounds exhausting, but what an opportunity! I’m so glad that you’re also able to take the time to update us here on what it’s actually like doing this kind of work, it’s really interesting reading. Enjoy the last of it!

  • Reply
    Ann Mah
    August 11, 2012 at 10:05

    So the breakfast of champions is… McDonald’s french fries! Sounds like a wonderful, busy, exciting whirlwind. Enjoy, Edna!

  • Reply
    Jessica
    August 11, 2012 at 21:41

    Wow, what an amazing experience! It sounds tiring but so worth it. Enjoy the final stretch!

  • Reply
    Laura
    August 12, 2012 at 13:53

    It sounds like an amazing experience for all the hard work and I’m sure you’ve made the absolute most of the opportunity!

  • Reply
    Louise
    August 13, 2012 at 09:50

    80 cents?! we spend the queen’s pennies in England! haha. Sounds like you had a great time though, I’m so pleased! x

  • Reply
    Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)
    August 14, 2012 at 13:57

    Thanks for this look behind the scenes – I can only imagine how exhausted you must be but the adrenaline must have kept you going. I enjoyed following your tweets during the Games. Hope you enjoy the rest of your time there and get some SLEEP when you get back to Paris.

  • Reply
    [email protected]
    August 14, 2012 at 18:30

    How exciting to be at the Olympics!

  • Reply
    Tom Stockwell
    August 15, 2012 at 12:16

    Damn girl, that sounds hardcore! Although I must admit, I still have no clue why Mcdonalds are the official partners of the Olympics…get some integrity, IOC!

    I’d love to have gone to the Olympics – as a spectator, not a reporter – and seen some of the events, but alas television will have to do. Also, I wish they could have a Quiet Room at my job. It’s much needed after two hours of dealing with rambunctious seven to nine year olds.

  • Reply
    Emily in Chile
    August 16, 2012 at 04:20

    I cracked up at your mention of the pin collectors! My husband has played in three Pan American Games, one of which I went to, and some of the athletes go crazy trading for pins. I didn’t even know about the pins until I showed up and asked why everyone was walking around the PanAm Village saying “pin? pin? pin?” over and over.

  • Reply
    Michi
    August 23, 2012 at 18:10

    Despite the lack of sleep, you know you’re loving it! You’ll look back at this crazy summer at the London Olympics with great fondness and think, “Those were the days”. :)

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