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WHAT THE GAMES MEAN TO METhe Olympic Games are an event where athletes get to compete against each other at the highest level in world-class venues. But for me, itÕs also about the overall experience and getting to learn about different people and cultures. You are not just meeting athletes from within your sport, but from all the different sports who are congregating in one place. ItÕs a very special thing.MY FIRST OLYMPIC EXPERIENCEMy first Games were in Sydney in 2000. I was 16 years old and it was exciting, but I was nervous. IÕd never swum in front of a crowd bigger than 50 people back home, but suddenly I was walking onto the pool deck in front of 14,000 people and it was very intimidating. But I remember an older swimmer walking past me and wishing me good luck, and thatÕs what the Olympic spirit is all about. ItÕs about helping the people next to you to achieve their goals while youÕre achieving your goals. That is something IÕll never forget. Another highlight was seeing Muhammad Ali getting a tour around the Olympic Village. At the Games you get to meet your heroes, or superstars whom you never thought youÕd have the chance to meet. ThatÕs very unique.LeftKirsty Coventry competes in the 200m individual medley final at the National Aquatics Centre in BeijingRightKissing her 200m backstroke gold medal in AthensBelowCarrying the Zimbabwe flag at the Opening Ceremony in London in 2012DIFFERING EXPECTATIONS AT THE GAMESGoing into the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, I had started doing better on the international stage and there was a lot of pressure. But I won my first Olympic medals Ð the first for Zimbabwe in 24 years Ð so it was a really big deal and very exciting. I loved Athens, and going to the place where the modern Olympic Games started was very special.Beijing in 2008 was different. Since I had won an Olympic title I was going to the Games to defend it, so the focus was taken away from the enjoyment of the Games and the expectations were very much result-based. I actually wish IÕd taken more time to enjoy everything that was going on, because my experience was very much about going from one race to the next, and I didnÕt have the proper appreciation for where I was at the time. London was different again because I was more experienced, so I knew what to expect. I had a bad few months leading up to London Ð IÕd injured my knee four months before the Games and then was in hospital with pneumonia for two months Ð so expectations were lowered and there was less pressure. I was just happy to be there and I really took it in. London was super fun.CHERISHING MY FINAL GAMESIÕm a little bit older now [32] and 2016 will probably be my last Games, so IÕm taking the time to remember how lucky I am to have participated in this sport for so long. Swimming can be a little bit individualised, and you can become selfish as youÕre trying to control everything to do with your performance, but I want to be able to appreciate everything that goes on while IÕm in Rio de Janeiro. When youÕre younger and starting out itÕs exciting, but you donÕt truly appreciate everything that happens around the Games. As athletes, we just show up, everything is built, everything is ready, it looks beautiful and you never really see what happens behind the scenes. But as you get older you realise that it doesnÕt just build itself, and you appreciate all of the workers and volunteers who have helped to make it happen. SWIMMER KIRSTY COVENTRY IS ZIMBABWE’S MOST DECORATED OLYMPIAN, HAVING WON SEVEN OLYMPIC MEDALS IN HER CAREER. HERE, SHE REFLECTS ON HER SUCCESS AT THE GAMES AND HER WORK AS A MEMBER OF THE IOC ATHLETES’ COMMISSIONKIRSTY COVENTRYMY GAMESÔTHE OLYMPIC VALUES AND THE OLYMPIC SPIRIT ARE WHAT MAKE THE GAMES SO SPECIALÕKIRSTY COVENTRYOLYMPIC REVIEW 73MY GAMES