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She didn’t
win a medal, but cyclist Deirdre Murphy ’80, at 41, had the experience
of a lifetime as the sole female 120-km road race competitor for Ireland
in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
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We asked Murphy, whom we profiled
in our 2000/no. 2 issue, to file a daily report from Sydney. Here are
excerpts:
G’day! After finally
arriving at New Castle, I got off the three-hour train ride with my 10
valises, looking as if I’d packed for a three-year exploration. Everyone
had left the platform except the ticket collector and me. So much for
a hero’s welcome! After I rummaged through my luggage for contact numbers,
the ticket collector called to discover that my team manager had overslept
due to jet lag.
Meanwhile, on the
train platform a trio of teenage Aussie sheilas, cigarettes hanging out
of their mouths, showed up and asked which country I was from, ignoring
my Irish tracksuit! After learning that I was not from Australia,
they started heckling me: "You’re going to lose." The New Yorker
in me came out and said, "At least I’m not going to die of lung cancer."
I was left to do my
intervals solo. My coach prescribed long intervals on the flats. The locals
directed me to Highway 1, the main highway to Sydney. Now, hailing from
the Big Bagel, I like to consider myself adept at riding in traffic, but
I rode on the shoulder of the highway with lorries passing at 110 kph!
It still hasn’t set
in that I’m at the Olympics.
I now know what it’s like to be a rock star or Derek Jeter. People stop
in the streets and stare! I’m soaking in every minute of it, as I know
it won’t last for long.
My mother informed
me yesterday that every athlete will receive 50 condoms on entering the
village. I think it will be a herculean effort if any athlete uses the
full supply.
I’ll
be wearing the green blazer, as the fashion police in NYC would fine me
severely if I wore the mustard-colored jacket they provided the other
women. My roommate will be the only other woman in a blazer.
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