Faye Gulini | Beijing 2022 Olympic Profile
The Team USA snowboarder explains why the Olympics - before, during and after - are an emotional rollercoaster.
Video Transcript
FAYE GULINI: My name is Faye Gulini. I race snowboard cross. I have been on the national team for just under 12 years. Yep, three-time Olympian, so this will be my fourth go around.
I think the Games themselves are exactly that. They are the highest highs and the lowest lows that, you know, 99% of the athletes at the Games are ever going to experience, you know? But the six months, eight months leading up to it is right there. It's equally as high and low, and the roller coaster is exhausting because a lot of times your success comes at the expense of your teammate's failure.
And so having to share those experiences-- and a lot of times we're-- for us, we're close friends. We're like, you know, best friends. And so seeing how one, you know, athlete is celebrating that they made the Olympic team or that they won the Olympics and watching another suffer because, you know, they lost their Olympic dream or they didn't qualify or whatever it is is exhausting.
It's like nothing I've ever experienced in my life, and I honestly hope I don't outside of this world. But the highs are worth it. The highs are worth it. And to see everyone push themselves to, you know, that next level, that extreme is inspiring. And to just be walking there in the opening ceremonies with all those people and share that excitement with, you know, the other athletes and the people that are watching and then the people back home, family, friends, all your support network-- having everyone believe in you and believing in yourself to that, I guess, caliber is so freaking powerful, and I wouldn't-- I wouldn't give it-- you know, give it up in exchange for all, you know, the hardships of it.
