Article by Colin Grylls, video by Tony Sandleben, Nathan DeYoung, Madeline Grosh and Colin Grylls
Last weekend, the Road to Rio Tour swung through Indianapolis’ Monument Circle, complete with live music, Olympic memorabilia and a zip line dressed to resemble Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain.
Fans in attendance also got a chance to meet several former Olympians.
Former gymnast Shawn Johnson East, who won gold on the balance beam in the 2008 Beijing Olympics along with three silver medals, said she’s still not used to signing autographs and posing with admirers.
“It’s still weird,” she said. “It will always be weird. I’ll never get used to it. It’s kind of that 'pinch me' moment, surreal. Having girls come up to me and say, ‘You’re my idol,’ I never believe it, but it kind of shows that all of the hard work pays off.”
Johnson East also introduced country singer Hunter Hayes to the main stage June 25, where he performed a free concert. The day before, country artist Thomas Finchum, a former Olympic diver who competed in the 2008 games, performed.
Retired rower Mary Whipple was also on hand. Whipple will be NBC’s rowing commentator in Rio, but in Indianapolis she showed off her gold medal from the 2012 London Games as people lined up to take photos with her. She said she enjoys seeing people react to holding an Olympic medal for the first time.
“It’s really great to see the expression in people’s eyes about how big they are and how heavy they are,” she said. “And I don’t mind sharing it. It’s a part of my journey, it’s a part of my story and it’s a unique gift I can give.”
Attendees could also take photos against green screens that would place them on top of an Olympic podium, arching over the bar in the high jump or standing on top of the diving board.
A trailer carried memorabilia ranging from a pair of 1950s track shoes to the torch used by the late Muhammed Ali during the Opening Ceremonies at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
All of the displays might make some fans starry-eyed, but four-time silver medalist Kara Lynn Joyce, a swimmer who competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics, said she thinks meeting the athletes at the Road to Rio Tour helps make Olympic dreams seem more realistic.
“That’s the coolest thing, when kids can meet you and realize, 'Wait a minute, they’re human just like me,'” she said. “It brings you kind of down to earth for the kids.”
That approachability is the goal of the Road to Rio Tour, said David Giglio, United States Olympic Committee associate director of marketing activation.
“It’s just really kind of triggering the Olympics and Team USA,” he said. “We have a lot of youngsters here and if it’s their first time experiencing what Team USA and the Olympics are, hopefully we’ll have some fans for life.”
The Road to Rio Tour has two more stops scheduled for Chicago July 6-10 and Los Angeles July 23-24 before the Olympics kick off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5.
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