KAILUA-KONA — Ever wonder what it’s like to be an Olympian, competing on the world stage? Team USA shot putter Felisha Johnson lived that experience, finishing 14th in the event and missing out on the finals by mere centimeters.
While on vacation on the Big Island, she took some time to chat with West Hawaii Today and break down her Olympic memories in Rio.
How did the Olympics match your expectations heading in?
It was incredible. I tried to treat it like a normal meet, but it was pretty much the biggest stage in sports — it’s crazy. You are competing in front of the world. The stadium is packed at 10 a.m. in the morning, which is something you don’t see at a lot of track meets. I got a little nervous, but was able to calm down, eventually.
Outside of the Olympics, track and field doesn’t get the same amount of traction in the U.S. as it does other place in the world. Why do you think that is?
Probably because all the other sports — like football, baseball and basketball — are so big, so it just doesn’t get the same amount of attention it gets overseas. When we go over there for meets, track and field is a big thing. People are waiting at our hotels for autographs.
What were some of the highlights away from the competition?
I tried not to do too much before I competed, but seeing everyone at the Opening Ceremonies was awesome. I also watched some of the basketball and swimming. After I was done competing, I played tourist with my family and we saw pretty much everything — Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer and Copacabana.
Things seem a bit tougher for the track and field athletes, having to wait a while after the Olympics start to actually compete. The swimmers get there, compete, and then get to enjoy the experience. What did you do to pass the time?
You try to get out. It can feel confining in the small rooms. In the Olympic Village there was a lot to do. I hung out in the video game room and chilled with the other athletes. Nike hospitality was also about an hour away and they had really good food.
Any athlete encounters leave you starstruck?
No, not really, but it was crazy to look around and think like, ‘Oh, there’s a famous person. And another famous person.’ Pretty much everywhere you turned. Serena and Venus (Williams), Michael Phelps and the basketball guys were around. It was a little weird because you see them on TV a lot, but when you are all in the same place, they are just like everyone else.
There was a lot of buildup coming in about the negatives of having the Games in Rio. How did you feel about your safety and the overall experience there?
I was never really worried. Coming into it, I felt they would fix everything by the time the athletes got there, and I think they did a good job at that. It was pretty much the same thing you do anytime you travel — don’t go places by yourself, try not to get lost and stay with the group.
What’s next?
I’ll take two weeks completely off to recover and then get back to work. Next year is a World year, so that’s another team to try to make. It’s like the process starts over again, but a little bit smaller scale than the Olympics.
After that, hopefully there’s a chance to get back in 2020. The door is still open. For a shot putter the peak — I’ve heard, I’m not sure if it’s true — is 30. I’m only 27 so I feel like I haven’t got there yet. If I make it back, I will have the experience from this year and be much more prepared.