My Intercultural Takeaways from Olympics 2024

I love the Olympics! Yes, I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a band waggonist because I’m not a true die-hard fanatic of Track and Field as many of my friends and family members are, but nevertheless, every 4 years, I get all pumped up in the weeks leading up to the mother of all Sporting events! Out come my national black green and gold colours from the closet, I stock up on some more tee shirts if necessary, (it’s always necessary!) check that the flag for vigorous waving is intact, and ready the pot covers (it’s a Jamaican thing!)

But apart from the thrill of watching the events and supporting my national team, there’s always that extra boost I get from watching dozens of different cultures on display every day for two whole weeks. First off, there is the Opening Ceremony which is always an opportunity for the Host country to show off not only its geographical attractions and sites, but also to showcase its culture in a live often Broadway-like performance. And boy did France do just that at the theatrical opening of the 2024 Games, as live and virtual audiences were treated to a magnificent display of French culture with a mix of global influences.

I really appreciated the fact that the French organizers made a concerted effort to ensure that the Opening Ceremony conveyed a strong sentiment of inclusivity. Couched in a myriad of magical scenes reenacting historic moments and creating imaginative artistic scenarios, we saw Diversity Equity and Inclusion on full display in the vibrant performances which demonstrated a deliberate mix and representation of races, generations, genders, physical abilities as well as references to other cultures. Yes, some of us - myself included - didn’t get it right away, but kudos nonetheless to the Ceremony’s Artistic Director for that inclusion of the mythology character, Dionysus - the Greek god of celebration, meant to be an intentional nod to Greece, the original hosts of the Olympics.

Spectacular Openings out of the way, we get down to the brass tacks of the event – the sweat, grit and tears poured out on the track, in the sand pits and in the throwing cages. This is where I find a rich demonstration of different cultures coming to the fore, merging and blending together in an intriguing bond of healthy rivalry, camaraderie and sportsmanship.

At the 2024 Olympics, just as in previous Games, athletes repeatedly crossed imaginary borders to greet, encourage and even support their fellow competitors. Admiration, mutual respect and awe of talent were a common language, melting away cultural differences and dissipating competitive tensions. In a priceless moment – no pun intended – our Jamaican Olympian and 100M sprint queen Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, found her way to the New Zealand camp to meet Michaela Blyde, New Zealand Rugby player after the latter’s Tik Tok video of her shrieking with excitement upon seeing her idol Shelly Ann at the Olympic Village went viral. ?The ensuing hugs and girlish laughter spoke volumes, and the friendship for life was clearly cemented when Shelly Ann went to watch one of Michaela’s games and regaled her friends and supporters in the stands by teaching them a few words and phrases in Jamaican Patois.? It was heartwarming to say the least.

?And, if that is not enough of a feel good inter-cultural moment, how about as a contender, the tweet from one spectator that read “I sat by a lovely man from Australia. He kept pulling out new flags from his bag & waving them. I asked him about it....

"I bring the 9 smallest nations flags with me as they won’t have many people in the stands”.

Somebody please give that man an A+ for Cross Cultural Understanding and Awareness 101!

But the Gold Medal for Olympic Spirit goes to the supporters who lined the last two kilometers of the Marathon on the final day to cheer on Bhutan's Kinzang Lhamo who finished the course an hour and a half after the winner had crossed the line. Slowing to an exhausted walk at points, she was urged on through the last kilometres by spectators cycling and running alongside her waving flags from all around the world.

And this is the glory of the Olympics – where colour, race, ethnicity, nationality don't matter. What does matter is human empathy, identifying with the other person's race, with their struggle and running with them or cheering them on to the finish line. At the end of the day, it's what we all want isn’t it - to just finish the race. And whether we're the first or the last across that line, ?we all need that support, encouragement, recognition and understanding to help us get there.

And you can't help but wonder - wouldn't this life, filled with strife, division and man-made barriers be so much better if we just lived each day as if we were all at the Olympics? Close your eyes for a moment and visualize how tomorrow could look if we intentionally sought out opportunities to cheer someone on, choosing to focus on the commonalities rather than the differences that separate us.

?(PS: How good is YOUR Patois? Click here for a quick lesson from Shelly Ann!?

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