After just finding out about the trip in early June, Nora Ezike ‘25 sat at the edge of her seat watching the women’s basketball game between Nigeria and the USA unfold right before her eyes on Aug. 7 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“It was surreal,” Ezike said. “I [had] never been in such an environment.”

As many already know, the 2024 Olympics occurred in Paris, France, from July 26 to Aug. 11.  The games were widely televised and broadcasted across the world for people to watch from the comfort of their own homes, but a few Lyons Township students and faculty, such as Ezike, had the opportunity to see them in person.  

“The in-person experience was much different than [watching on] the TV because you felt the nerves of the competitors in the room with you as well as the excitement of everyone around you,” Ezike said.

Aspiring audience members were able to enter a vastly competitive lottery through the Olympics’ website for Paris 2024 in order to be able to purchase the cheapest tickets for each event they wanted to see, teacher Patrick O’Neil said. There were however, no guarantees as to where their seats would be or what day the tickets would be for.  VIP tickets, like the ones O’Neil purchased, became available closer to the dates of the Olympics, which were easier to get, but much more costly.

“It was extremely expensive, but completely worth it,” O’Neil said.

The venues were filled with loud, diverse crowds, all energetically cheering on their country, Grace Karan ‘25 said. Almost everyone there had their country’s flag or was wearing a T-shirt to represent their country.

“I have always watched the Olympics on television, and they don’t really show the fans as much as they should,” Karan said. “Everyone is there to cheer on their country and they are so proud to be there.”

Despite the overflowing stands, the Paris streets were surprisingly never overcrowded or difficult to walk around, and the public transportation was better than expected, Ezike said.

“I guess that is because Paris is a pretty big city and they spread the venues out well,” Ezike said.

In addition to the Olympics, Paris also offered a myriad other memorable activities to engage in, such as going to the Eiffel Tower, tasting French cuisine, and touring around the city.

“The Olympics were fantastic, but being in Paris was half the experience,” Ezike said.