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PicturedShannon Miller competes on the balance beam in the team all-around competition at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992WHAT THE OLYMPIC GAMES MEAN TO METhe Olympic Games mean so many different things to me. As an athlete, it meant the opportunity to represent my country in competition and show the skills I had been working on, trying to perfect, for years. As a young girl, it meant learning and understanding the bigger goal of the Olympic Games – to bring people together. As a mother, it means the opportunity to talk to my children about sports they’ve never seen before and imparting the Olympic ideals in a way that is fun and exciting. Of course, as an Olympic fan the Games give me the opportunity to learn about the athletes now in competition, and to enjoy being with family and friends while we cheer on these outstanding athletes!MY FIRST GAMESI was a very modest, very shy 15-year-old [in Barcelona in 1992]. On top of that, I wasn’t expected to make that team. I had dislocated and broken my elbow just a few months prior to the Games. I was just happy to be on the team and have the opportunity to compete. When I came home with five Olympic medals I had no idea or real understanding of that accomplishment. I was back in the gym a few days later working on new skills and looking to the next competition. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand that the Olympic Games were a big deal or wasn’t appreciative of that experience. On the contrary, I had so much fun; I wanted to do it again! At such a young age, I didn’t really understand the magnitude of the Games. I had competed at a World Championship the year prior, so the size of the immediate audience wasn’t the biggest shock. It was understanding that millions of people around the world were also watching. I always loved having a large audience; I would use that support to help me through some of my more difficult skills or routines. However, the aftershock of media and cameras after the competition was over was quite shocking. COMPETING IN A ÔHOME’ GAMESThe Olympic Games in 1996 were different for me in many ways. I was older – a veteran at the ripe old age of 19 – and had a better understanding of the Games beyond the competition ÔTHE LIFE LESSONS I LEARNED THROUGH THAT JOURNEY TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT I’VE EVER LEARNED’ SHANNON MILLERfloor. It was more nerve-racking in some ways. I wanted so badly to do well on home soil and win a gold medal for my country. I also think I had that added understanding that this was my last Olympic Games. MY FAVOURITE OLYMPIC MEMORIESThere are so many great memories, but I think standing on the medal podium with my team as we received the USA’s first-ever Olympic team gold medal in women’s artistic gymnastics was absolutely magical. There is nothing like standing up there seeing the American flag being raised to the sound of your national anthem. Simply amazing. I can also still remember the day we arrived in Barcelona at the Olympic Village. The first athletes we bumped into were some of the “Dream Team”, the 1992 US Olympic basketball team.They were all very sweet and took time out to say “hello”. As a young athlete, a little homesick having already been away for two weeks, it was comforting to meet other athletes from different sports and gain that understanding that we were all in this together. OLYMPIC REVIEW 71MY GAMES