Noelle’s race wasn’t until the evening so we had a lazy morning and decided to get the kids out of the apartment and let Noelle rest. We took a long walk to the small town we were staying in and did a little shopping and bought a few souvenirs. Dad was continuously trying to hold conversations with the Russians who had no idea what he was saying. We ate lunch in a little café and of course, Lacee had to use the bathroom. So I went on a mission to find a bathroom with her. After a little searching and asking we found one! We had to pay to use it. When we walked in the stall we were a little confused at what we saw. A hole in the ground. So I squatted while Lacee held on to me. I thought she was done, but she informed me she still had to go #2. My thighs were burning at this point, we must have been a funny site if someone were to see us. We finally accomplished our mission without any accidents!
We went back to the apartment and got the kids down for a nap. Mom, Dad and I went to watch the men’s race. Jared was nice and stayed behind to help Noelle with her vision problem. He must have been inspired because he was giving Noelle some manipulation techniques to use and see if they would work. She said it seemed to help and would try them before each of her heats that night. We found seats at the bottom of the track for the men’s competition. We sat by Matt Antoinne’s family and John Daily’s friends. We met Kyle who was from Arizona just coming to watch the event. We all cheered loud for the guys. Dad ended up sitting next to Lizzy Yarnold’s (1st place) dad and chatted the whole time. It was nice to see the true Olympic spirit with us all having a good time and chatting with the other competitor’s families. All of the fans were cheering for each country. It was an incredible experience.
Janson and the kids along with NBC and Patrick (Noelle’s agent) all arrived. We were all a little calmer today. We knew God was with her. After her 3rd heat, she remained in 2nd by a decent margin. She called us between runs and said her vision was restored!!!
Salt Lake City was hosting their own party due to Rob and Paul’s reserving a theater. They provided breakfast for them. The News channels were there to document the race and watch the event. Many schools had assemblies where they were able to watch her event live since it was school hours in the U.S.
On the last run, she slid in curve 5. Later she said, she thought her hopes of a medal were gone. But she stayed focused and finished ½ a second in front of the Russian that was in 1st. We were all so emotional. She sprinted across the track and somehow found the strength to climb over the wall and into the stands where she cried and hugged the fans. As she hugged Janson and the kids, she repeatedly said, “WE DID IT”! What a memorable moment. Even though there was one more contender, Lizzy, who was quite far ahead, we didn’t see her finish. We were just elated with Noelle’s performance. She was now an Olympic medalist!
Now came the WHIRLWIND! She was presented flowers at the awards ceremonies. The medal would come the next night at the Medal ceremony. We were all whisked away from reporter to reporter. They were interviewing all of the family. Noelle was given her Congratulations on becoming an Olympic Medalist. She said it felt like opening a mission call! As Tuffy, her coach, and Janson were reviewing her time sheets, they were surprised to see that the run’s she couldn’t see well, she had some of the fastest time splits. It was hard to explain, but we all knew she wasn’t alone on the track, God was with her.
Noelle and Janson had to rush down to Adler for more interviews so we all took the kids back to the apartment where Traycen got sick and started to throw up. I am sure he was exhausted from the days events.
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