So an email from the Vancouver 2010 website came through to my inbox regarding tickets for the games.  At the outset the information seems positive – financially, the tickets appear to be accessable by even the budget challenged.  Of the 1.6 million tickets to be available, 6% are $25 and 50% are going to be available for $100 or less.  Well that certainly sounds promising.

Reading on however, the process to acquire tickets sounds long and painful.  In October 2008, applications will become available to anyone registered on the Van2010 website.  I will have to fill out and send in an application for the specific tickets and events we wish to see.  Lotteries are then held and I will be notified if we are successful in securing tickets.  Later in 2009, seat assignments will be made.  Any tickets not assigned during the lottery process will be offered to registered spectators and then to the general public.  

So the ticketing process is the big unknown.  The problem arises if we do secure tickets, we are unable to book flights or hotel until a later date.  A little unnerving at best to have event tickets but nothing else!  Seems like a slightly backward way to approach it, but upon reflection, really the only way to handle it. 

So with the unluck of my irish roots, what are the odds I will succeed in this “lottery” process?  I, who have never won anything in her life …..  our Olympic dream may end before it even begins! 

So back in 2006, I already knew I was headed to the games.  My biggest question – would I be going it alone or would I be able to find someone to join me?  I put the word out and had little interest beyond “that’s nice – have a great time”.   That is until my sister-in-law, Colleen, piped up at a family function, “I’ll go”.  Just like that we became 2girls.   Her reasons are the same as mine – when will I ever get another chance to go to an Olympic Games on Canadian soil?  Lucky for me, Colleen is the adventurous type and we get along wonderfully well.   As my partner in crime,  I know the challenges we face on our road to the games will not hurt our family relationship at all.   So one less unknown … only several dozen more …

The question is: can two average Canadian women attend the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games as spectators?  VANOC (Vancouver Olympic Committee) is advertising that the games are accessable by “anyone” wanting to attend.  They are advertising that 6% of the 1.6 million available event tickets are priced at $25 and half of all tickets are being offered at $100 or less.   It would appear at the outset that the games are accessable by “average” people.  But are they really?  Join me in this four year journey in my quest for the games!