Final blog - happy birthday Dad!

Friday 21^st February 2014 (the day after the gold medal game) would have been my Dad’s 61^st birthday if he was still with us. 

People always tell you that when someone close to you dies that you will miss them most on birthdays, Christmases and other special occasions.  For me I have certainly missed him on those occasions but in reality I probably miss him more at other moments.  Moments when I know I would have turned to him for advice or support or moments when the world catches up with me and I realise he is not with us anymore.

The day after the gold medal game would have been one of those moments without a shadow of doubt.  I would have loved to talk to him about the game, to relive the excitement of it all and to hear his thoughts and see his reactions.  So it was an emotional day not to have him around and knowing that it would have been his birthday too probably made it even more so. 

Coming into the Olympics I knew I would be out here for his birthday and I wasn’t quite sure how I would feel about that.  My sister sent me a picture of his grave with flowers she had put by it for us both and this made me sad and happy at the same time.  It was nice to feel close to her and to him yesterday even though I was still living the Olympic dream. 

On days when I miss him and don’t know whether to feel happy or sad it is always best to keep busy.  Luckily for me it was my last day at the Olympics so there was a lot to see and do before the long journey home.

Early morning team photo

My last moment on Olympic ice

Friday morning we travelled to the Bolshoy ice dome as a full group of male and female officials for a team photo.  Whilst the 7am wake-up the night after the gold medal game was not ideal, it did give us all an opportunity to skate together with our friends and colleagues for the last time on Olympic ice.  After the official photo we all took a moment to look around us and fully appreciate where we have been for the last few weeks.  We have been at the Olympics refereeing the best hockey in the world and that is pretty awesome.

Watching the men’s semi-finals

The day held two very exciting games on the men’s tournament: the semi-final between Finland and Sweden; and the semi-final between Canada and USA.  Scott and Cat were very excited about the opportunity to watch both games and to see first-hand the best players in the world.  We were lucky enough to be able to get them tickets to watch the games so we could all marvel at the skill and ability of all the players.

Watching the men’s curling final

In-between the two semi-finals we were lucky enough to get offered tickets to the men’s gold medal curling match between GB and Canada.  I was excited by the opportunity to cheer on GB and it was nice to sit in the curling venue surrounded by other Brits as they sang and cheered loudly for our team.  Unfortunately the Canadian team were too strong for us and team GB conceded at the end of the 8^th end meaning we walked away with the silver medal.  This is a huge achievement for the curling team and contributes to the GB medal tally of 4.  This quadruples our medal tally in Vancouver and makes the Sochi 2014 Olympics the most successful Winter Olympics for team GB ever. 

What an honour and privilege for me to have been a part of it.

Meeting Matthew Pinsent

With Matthew Pinsent at the Curling final

No blog is complete without a celebrity spotting and certainly my work colleagues would lose all respect for me if I did not mention that whilst at the curling venue I met Matthew Pinsent and finally got a chance to thank him personally for tweeting messages of luck to me.  I was with one of the USA supervisors and had to explain to her who he was which I was outraged at.  However once she appreciated just how awesome he is she was only too happy to take my picture with him.

What Dad would have said?

Overall Friday wasn’t as bad as I had expected in terms of missing Dad.  I spent the day with Cat and Scott soaking up my last few minutes of the Olympics which if I am going to be anywhere without Dad on his birthday then I think it is a pretty cool place to be and he would have approved.

People tell you that when you miss someone you should try to think about what they would have said and what they would have done at that moment in time.  Well I know whatever he would have said and done that he would have been so very proud of my achievements. 

When I got back from Vancouver he made me relive every moment with him and as I talked him through practically everything I got slightly irritated because a lot of his questions were about things I had written in my blog.  I remember thinking that he hadn’t even read the blog and getting quite annoyed with him.  It wasn’t until last year when my sister and I were clearing his house that I found a folder with a picture of us officiating together on the front.  Inside the folder was each blog I had written in Vancouver, printed, individually placed in a plastic wallet, and filed in order.  It turns out he had read it after all and I guess he just wanted to chat about it all with me and share the excitement in person.

I have written this blog knowing that he wouldn’t be able to read it but I know that he was there with me living the dream.  I also know that so many of you have been reading it because of all the messages, emails and calls of encouragement and support which have helped me more than any of you will know.  Scott’s Dad has been my number 1 supporter and is now an expert on the women’s game.  I’m sure if you told him a few years ago that he would be cheering for the referee and looking at the statistics for women’s hockey he wouldn’t have believed it.  But after every game the analysis with him has been fantastic and I feel very lucky to be a part of the Johnston family.

I have really enjoyed sharing my experiences through this blog with you all and I hope it has given you an insight into what it is like to be at an Olympics and the emotional rollercoaster it can be. 

Today I make the long journey home.  We fly to Zurich as a team of officials and stay one night there before all flying our separate ways on Sunday.  The plane is full. We have so many bags that the back six rows of seats have bags strapped in and piled up as there is no room down below. 

With my good friends Lish and Laura

I expect when we say our goodbyes in Zurich there will be tears.  It has been a tough few weeks for us all physically and emotionally and in a weird way we have become like a family together.  Each and every one of us brings something to the group.  Some days we irritate each other, some days we laugh at each other and some days we cry for each other.  For some of us we know this is the last tournament we will see each other at and whereas goodbyes at previous tournaments have always been with the caveat that we will see each other at the next tournament, this one we say goodbye not knowing when we may see each other again.  I say when because the friendships are so strong that I know we will keep in touch and see each other again but it will be away from a tournament and as friends.

By Monday most of us will be back at work and I expect trying to adjust to normal life after the incredible experience we have all shared.  It may take days, weeks, months or years for some of us to realise just how awesome the experience was and what we have really achieved by being here.

I fly home with my head held high and proud of what I have achieved for myself and all of you who have believed in me.  Looking forward to seeing you all soon.

Magical memories

Centre ice face off for gold medal game

On Thursday I refereed the gold medal game between Team Canada and Team USA and became the first Britton to referee an Olympic ice hockey final.  It is against the IIHF social media policy for me to comment on the game.  However I can say I was honoured to work on the game and extremely proud to be a part of it.  The experience and the feeling during the game will stay with me forever.

Participation gifts

Communicating with the captains in the gold medal game

A lot of people back home have asked if as officials for the Olympics we get anything to recognise our achievement in getting here or the games that we are assigned to do once we are here.  For a lot of us just being here and living our dream is more than enough; however, alongside our memories we do get something to take away from the experience to show people back home. 

On Thursday morning, the whole officiating team, both for the men’s and the women’s tournament were invited for a team meeting.  We met in one of the conference rooms at our hotel and the President for the IIHF came to meet with us and thank us for our work at the Olympics.  He presented each of us with a participation certificate which is signed by the President of the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the President of the Sochi Organising Committee.  In addition he presented us with a participation medal from the Sochi Organising Committee along with a medal from the IIHF for officiating at the tournament. 

Participation certificate

Back home I have the participation certificates from Torino and Vancouver framed on my wall alongside photos and it is nice to now have a third certificate to frame alongside them.  The participation medals are also a nice keepsake and something we can all one day show our children and grandchildren and be proud of.  Whilst we are not at the Olympics representing our countries or attempting to win medals, we have all worked hard to be chosen to officiate here and made sacrifices in order to be the best at what we do.  It is nice that the sacrifices we have made alongside the dedication and commitment we have to our role is acknowledged and we have something to come home with to show for our efforts. 

Participation medal from IIHF

I did have a sad moment when the participation medals were handed out.  The ones I have from Torino and Vancouver I had given to my Dad.  It wasn’t that I didn’t want to keep them myself but just that his face lit up when I showed them to him and I could see how proud he was of me so I let him keep them for his mantle-piece.  With this medal I won’t be able to see his reaction when I get home but hopefully just looking at it will make me think of how excited he would have been to hear all about the experience.

After the President of the IIHF had thanked us for our work, one of the officiating supervisory staff from the NHL stood up to thank us for allowing the NHL to be a part of the officiating experience.  I found what he said to be incredibly humbling given he comes from the biggest ice hockey league in the world.  He said to us that of all the officiating experiences he has had the ones that he treasures the most are the memories and experiences he has shared with us at the Olympics in Vancouver and in Sochi.  I was overwhelmed by this statement given where he comes from and the experiences I imagine he has had.  It probably emphasized to me just how fortunate I am to have been a part of 3 Olympics as an official.  He thanked us for working as hard as we do to be the best in the world and asked us to go back home and inspire others to do what we have done.  Maybe one day someone will be at an Olympics and sitting in that room as an official from Great Britain because of the support and help I have been able to give them. 

Participation medal from Sochi committee

Being part of my third Olympics has been an amazing and incredible experience and many people have asked me what is next or what is left for me to do.  Well maybe the only thing more rewarding than participating in an Olympics yourself is supporting, helping and watching someone else participate in an Olympics because you have inspired them to be there.  Personal fulfilment is wonderful but maybe it can only be topped by inspiring and watching as others fulfil their dreams as a result of the foundation you have helped to put in place for them to build on. 

The speeches I heard from the IIHF President and the NHL officiating staff have filled me with a desire to come home and inspire others to build on what I have achieved but to achieve even more and to improve the game of hockey worldwide. 

We need more officials in the UK and I hope to be a part of growing our officiating community going forwards.

Game pucks

The three different coloured pucks and the reverse side

Being part of a medal game at an Olympics or a World Championships is special and perhaps that is because you become part of history.  For medal games, after each goal the puck is collected and marked up for inclusion in the hockey hall of fame. 

As I mentioned previously, the pucks for the games are incredibly well guarded and even more so in medal games.  The gold medal game used special pucks with the Sochi logo on in gold.  As with previous games the pucks were counted in and out and all pucks needed to be given to the puck guardian. 

A number of people asked me to bring them back a puck as a souvenir.  Given the limited supply of pucks and the need for them to be kept and recorded in history at the hockey hall of fame, this was just not possible. 

I did manage to take a photograph of the three types of pucks used at the Sochi 2014 Olympics.  In the Shayba Arena the pucks used had the Sochi logo in blue to match the blue Sochi branding on the boards and the arena. In the Bolshoy ice dome the pucks used had the Sochi logo in purple, again to match the purple Sochi branding on the boards and throughout the arena.  The gold medal game used pucks with the Sochi logo in gold.  On the reverse side all of the pucks had the Olympic rings. 

To most people a puck is a puck but for some reason an Olympic puck just seems way cooler and this is probably because of the dedication, passion and achievement it represents.

NHL officials

I have mentioned the involvement of the NHL officials with the Olympics in previous blogs but their support and encouragement for the whole team of officials here deserves another mention. 

They have made sure that throughout the tournament we have been a team of officials and their openness, honesty and generosity to all of us has helped to make my officiating experience in Sochi a positive one.  After the gold medal game I arrived back to the hotel lobby to be greeted by a standing ovation and a round of applause from all of the NHL officials and this moment will stay with me forever. 

Cat & Scott in their seats for the semi-final courtesy of the NHL

Not only have they supported us in terms of our performances on the ice but they have also helped to make it possible for our friends and family to enjoy the experience with us.  Scott and Cat were able to watch the men’s semi-final game between Finland and Sweden because the NHL officials had additional seats in the VIP seating area and offered it to them.  They didn’t have to do this and the fact they did shows just how much of a team culture they have helped to build for us.

Whilst I have been part of their team in Sochi I know that when we all go back to our own countries and they go back to the NHL I will be able to stay in touch with them.  Several NHL officials who I met in Torino 8 years ago are still in touch with me and have been messaging me with support and encouragement ever since. 

It can be lonely as an official, but I know I am part of a world-wide officiating community which is pretty awesome!

Resting and preparing for the game

Since finding out the assignments for the last few games it has been an emotional couple of days for all of us.

Resting and hydrating

One of my main focuses for the last couple of days has been to get the balance right between enjoying being at the Olympics at the same time as giving myself time to focus on the job I have to do. 

Focusing on the job means being mentally, physically and emotional ready for the game.  Giving my body the right fuel to be able to physically perform is important.  Equally important is giving my mind the space to focus and be ready for the intensity of the game.

I have spent a lot of time planning my meals and fluid intake to ensure physically I am in the right place for the game.  Tomorrow is game day and I have mapped out my sleeping and eating schedule and will be focusing on nothing else before the game.  I have also balanced my time alone and with people to ensure I have the space to get my mind in the right place for the game.

Whilst tomorrow I will be focusing on only the game, for the last few days I have balanced the need to be focused and ready with the need to relax and enjoy the experience of being at the Olympics.

Running into the Czech team

With the Czech team as they warmed up for their game

I went across to the Bolshoy arena to watch one of the men’s games and to familiarise myself with the arena.  All of the women’s games have been played in the Shayba arena so far, with only the bronze and gold medal games being played in the Bolshoy.  All rinks obviously are pretty much the same; however it is useful to get a feel for where everything is located.  For example where the clock is and what it shows in addition to where the teams enter and depart the ice in relation to their benches.  Getting a feel for any nuances before the game is an important part of the preparation.

Following the game I met up with the BBC commentators and the crew covering the ice hockey to do a short interview with them.  As we walked out of the Bolshoy arena the Czech men’s team were warming up for their game.  I took the opportunity to have a photograph with them.  I believe my colleagues at work had set me the challenge of getting a photograph with Michael Frolik from the Czech team. More educated hockey fans will have to tell me if I have managed to do this or not ... however there were a fair number of NHL players there which made it exciting enough for me to ask for the photo anyway!

The Sochi 2014 outfits

With Therese and Denise in our 2014 outfits

Finally the long awaited outfits for this year!  As I explained in an earlier blog, whenever Denise, Therese and I have a tournament together we all buy a matching outfit to wear for fun on one of the tournament off days.  Today was a tournament off day and so we wore our Olympic themed Russian outfits.  During the Olympics it is fair to say that Russia has not been afraid to experiment with fashion.  This allowed us to buy some rather special Sochi 2014 branded jackets with matching branded “bum bags”!  The rather funky black and white striped hats were sourced by my friend Manda back home!  Be warned anyone back home who has asked for clothing from the Olympics ... this is the style for Sochi 2014 official merchandise.  I look forward to wearing my new outfit back in London, as I am sure Denise will be doing in Canada and Therese will be doing in Sweden!  It is fair to say you cannot buy this anywhere else in the world!

Photo challenges

With Laura and the Hare

As blog readers will be aware, my work colleagues set me a few photo challenges earlier in the week.  One of the challenges was to have my photograph with each of the mascots for the Olympics.  Having met the Leopard and the Polar Bear at the ice rink I only had 1 more mascot to find to complete this challenge.  I finally caught up with the Hare today and had my photograph taken with her.  Unfortunately she was being mobbed by enthusiastic Russians at the time and so the photograph shows me and Laura almost being ambushed as we stood next to her for a photo.  I do however believe this completes the mascot photo challenge which I am very proud about!

With Russian Santa

I also managed to run into Russian Santa Claus, which was not a photo challenge set by my work colleagues but I believe it should have been and so include the photo here as evidence!

Alpine Skiing Men’s Giant Slalom

With Therese at Alpine Skiing

As today was a tournament off day, with no women’s games scheduled, a few of us took the opportunity to go up the mountain to experience one of the events in the mountain cluster rather than the coastal cluster.  The winter Olympics always tends to be more dispersed due to the different types of events and environment needs of the sports.  In Vancouver the arena types of events were in the city while the skiing types of events were in Whistler.  In Sochi the Olympic park contains all of the arena events and the mountain cluster contains the skiing types of events.  It is always nice to experience the Olympic feel in different locations and because our hotel is on the park it can feel a bit like being in a bubble here.

With Cat and Scott

We managed to get tickets for the Alpine Skiing men’s giant slalom and so took the train and then the bus up to the mountain.  The first thing that struck me when we got there was the different feel to the event and the Olympics up there as opposed to on the Olympic park.  Everything is more spread out up there and so each event feels quite separate in comparison to the close proximity of all of the events being held at the park.  It therefore is more difficult to experience the Olympic atmosphere as much and also means as a spectator you have to be committed to the one sport you are watching because you are not in a position where you can just walk quickly to a different venue or a different sport.  To get to each different event there are different buses that you need to take and so you have to be more planned than if you were at the Olympic park.

We thoroughly enjoyed the chance to be outside of the park and to see a bit more of what the winter Olympics is about for other athletes.  You can’t fail to have respect for the skiers as you watch them carve their way down the mountain in record times.  We were also incredibly lucky with the weather as it brightened up for us today, so much so that we needed to apply some sunscreen to our faces to avoid getting burnt!  I sat in the sun watching the skiing and reflected on how lucky I am to be here and able to experience all of this.

Visiting Club France

At Club France for lunch

After a few hours we left and our French linesman invited us to join her for lunch at ‘Club France’ – the French House.  At the Olympics each country has a house which they use as a base for their athletes at the same time as it generally being a central meeting place for many of the fans from that country.  A few of the countries have houses inside the Olympic park and entry to them is reserved for athletes and athlete’s family and friends.  The French house is however up in the mountains and so we took up the invite from the French ice hockey federation to have lunch there.  The food was fantastic and it was a nice opportunity to relax and enjoy a little bit more of the Olympic culture.  Again I sat there with friends and reflected on how lucky I am to get the opportunity to see all of this and to be a part of the Olympics in this way.

Getting focused

The last few days have been perfectly balanced with rest and relaxation time.  Tomorrow will be focused entirely on the game for me.  I hope to be able to update you all following the game and write a final blog before I head home ... but please forgive me if this doesn’t happen for a few days.

I have really enjoyed the chance to capture my feelings and thoughts while I have been here and wanted to thank you all for the support.