An experience of Olympic proportions; Aberdeen man has been to 7 Olympiads

The Olympics bring people together, which is why Harvey Jewett likes going to them.

 

 The Aberdeen businessman has attended seven Olympics, including the recent Summer Olympics in London.

 

 He likes to mix with people from around the world. In addition to London, Jewett has mingled with people from other countries at Summer Olympics in Atlanta and Barcelona and Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Calgary, Vancouver and Turin, Italy.

 

 The size of his party varies.

 

 “Sometimes it's a big group. Sometimes it's my wife and I.”

 

 One of Jewett’s more enjoyable experiences occurred at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, which he attended with his company's chief financial officer. They spent all day at the swimming competition’s gold-medal day.

 

 “We happened to sit next to an older woman. Her son was in the finals in backstroke. She was just excited.”

 

 The woman had taken her son to years of swimming meets and practices, Jewett said. Now he'd made the Olympic team, “and this was going to be his last race.” 

 

  The swimmer was in the finals.

 

 “We're sitting next to her, and so we're kind of excited.” The Aberdonians had talked to her all day. All around them was a large group of Australians who had “been there way too long. I think they'd been there a couple days.”