I suffer from Olympic fever
Lv Qingshui: honorary visitor of the official website of the Beijing Olympic Games
I have to thank my mother when speaking about my thoughts about the Olympics. I was born in Jiangsu Province, in a mountain village near the city of Xuzhou. At that time, we in the village only used the lunar calendar to assign dates, so according to this, I was born on July 13. Coincidentally, this is also the date that China was granted the honor of hosting the 2008 Games. Years later, I found out that my birthday, according to the solar calendar, is August 8, the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
I’ve had an interest in athletics since I was very young, and have been working in the physical exercise arena for thirteen years. The gymnasium that my friends and I operate has over 1,500 members, who are aware of my passion for the Olympics.
Olympic works of art
From an early age, I liked sports and drawing, so I studied advertising in college. In July of 2002, I saw BOCOG’s announcement placed in a newspaper soliciting worldwide submissions for Olympic insignias. That same day, I sent in my submission, something I had been thinking about for a year. Even though in the end, it wasn’t selected, it represents the love I have for the Olympics.
Lv poses in front of the “Bird’s Nest,” fulfilling one of his dreams
From then on, from blueprints of the “Bird’s Nest” to the torch relay with the “lucky clouds” torch, I paid very close attention to every aspect of the Beijing Games. I watched the program on the Olympics shown on CCTV every week, and even went to look at Olympic-themed exhibitions. I applied to be an Olympic volunteer and a torchbearer, and even though I wasn’t selected for either position, it was still very fulfilling for me to take part in Olympic activities. I had Olympic fever.
In January of last year, I applied to take part in an exhibition displaying Olympic collectables and symbols. Two of my works were selected for final judging in Lausanne, Switzerland. Although in the end, my submission only received second place, along with the other participants, I was able to meet then International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranc in June. I wasn’t able to speak to him at the time, but I still felt quite excited and proud of my opportunity.
Folding fans
As the Olympics get closer, I am more and more excited about the Games. In July 2007, I took second place in a competition seeking a logo for the Olympic cheerleading squad, co-sponsored by the official website of the Beijing Olympic Games and Sohu.com. I also was awarded the title of “honorary visitor of the official website” for 2008.
At the end of 2007, I was on a television show where I showcased my special Olympic “folding fan.” The words “Beijing Welcomes You” decorate the front of the fan in fifty-five languages, while the backside of the fan is printed with the 203 logos or signs representing the different countries and regions from which athletes hail who will be participating in the 2008 Games. In order to ensure that the translations of the slogan were accurate, I hired special translation companies and spoke to language schools to receive advice. During the Olympics, my friends and I plan on giving out these folding fans to our friends from abroad that have come to Beijing to take part in the Olympics. I believe they’ll really enjoy them.
Lv poses with a creation he made to commemorate the Olympics
I even took part in the hiking activity around Beijing’s fifth ring road to show my support for the Olympic Games. Although it is true that I have taken part in a large number of Olympic activities, my participation is nowhere near representative of my love for the Olympics. I am speaking as a boy who came from a village, with numerous hopes and dreams. I want to fully appreciate this rare opportunity and honor that the Olympics has provided and will continue to provide by doing anything I can and putting forth every effort to support my country, bring pride to my hometown, and play my role as an obedient son.
