Paris, the City of Light, shined even brighter than usual when it hosted the 2024 Summer Olympic Games from July 26 to August 11, 2024. For 16 days, fans from around the world enjoyed watching the Olympics on television and following athletes on social media. For senior Maya Pater (‘25), attending the Paris Olympics with her family was a dream come true and something she can check off her bucket list.
When Pater’s family planned a summer trip to Europe, they knew that they wanted to experience the Paris Olympics. Pater’s older sister purchased tickets to several Olympic events about a year ago, and the rest of the trip was built around attending the
Olympic Games.
Despite initial concerns about safety and crowds in Paris during the Olympics, Pater was surprised to find that the atmosphere in the city was calm and well-organized.
“The Olympics were there, so obviously there were a lot of people . . . but security was everywhere. It was very safe,” said Pater.
Visitors could easily navigate Paris using clearly marked signs and detailed information for public transportation to each Olympic venue. Security guards and dozens of volunteers stood on every corner outside the subway to direct people to the different events.
“It was so welcoming to any group of people. A lot of different languages. It was so great. You could ask them where to go. They were very informed,” said Pater.
Pater’s family attended three different Olympic events for soccer, tennis, and wrestling. Highlights of the events Pater attended include watching Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, currently ranked third in the world, win a tennis match against Tallon Griekspoor of Netherlands and seeing Team USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt wrestle and defeat Dolgorjavyn Otgonjargal of Mongolia in the semi-finals. Hildebrandt went on to win a gold medal in her weight class at the Olympics.
“We were so lucky with all of the tickets and seats that we got. We were third row for tennis and wrestling and for soccer, sixth row,” said Pater.
Before attending the Olympics, Pater was most excited to see the tennis matches, which she loved. However, all the events she attended, including the Dominican Republic versus Uzbekistan soccer game, had great energy. It was easy to get excited because it was the Olympics. After watching some of the top athletes in the world compete at the Olympics, Pater also considers herself a new fan of wrestling.
“There is so much that goes into wrestling that I did not think about . . . I enjoyed watching it, and I would watch it again,” said Pater.
In addition to attending the Games, Pater and her family were able
to sightsee in and around Paris. They enjoyed many iconic landmarks and experienced French culture, including the Louvre, Versailles, the Moulin Rouge cabaret show, Café de Flore for hot chocolate, Laduree for macarons, authentic Parisian cooking, shopping, and a trip south to Cannes.
Pater had a few fun surprise appearances of her own at the Olympics, appearing on the Jumbotron and on TV twice during the tennis match. She learned about the TV appearances when she started receiving text messages from her friends in Cherry Hill. Pater will always remember her incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience attending the 2024 Paris Olympics.