There are only a handful of days you tend to remember, as you get older. You obviously remember the big things like your graduation, but then there are also the days that are just so awesome, they stick with you throughout the years. Those days you tend to bring up in conversations for years and years to come. I had one of those days today.

I walk into the lobby of my hotel, only to see long track speed skater and recent bronze medalist in the 1000m, Chad Hedrick. That’s right, Chad Hedrick who won the bronze in a race he had actually only raced six times! The same Chad, who received a personal farewell from his favorite Texas basketball team before heading up to Vancouver. I met up with Chad, who apparently has an e-mail box with over 4,900 emails from endearing fans and family. The same Chad who told me he had to create a new facebook page recently because he went over the limit of friends.

Chad, after going through a full day of interviews, came to hang out with yours truly for some sightseeing around Downtown Vancouver. Except, we decided not to walk because outside waiting for the two of us was a gold Cadillac.

A Nike gold car, with a license plate with the word “Swoosh,” picked us up and drove us down the busy street of Burrard to see the beautiful seawall by the English Bay. There I was, with Winter Games medalist, Chad Hedrick, in a gold car, driving down the streets of Vancouver during the Winter Games! My job just got that much cooler.

Chad and I took some photos by the iconic, Inukshuk and the old lighthouse in Stanley Park. Some fans took pictures of Chad. Chad had me take pictures for him as well. He was just as excited about the whole experience as I was. The two of us waved to fans and joked about his photography skills. For whatever reason, Chad had a desire to take pictures of every large tree in Stanley Park we passed. Which, if you’ve never been, is like all of them.

Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be forgetting this day anytime soon.

-Sarina