1996 Summer Olympics

Some family vacations require more planning than others. When we learned that the 1996 Summer Olympics were coming to Atlanta, we knew we wanted to go. Our daughter Erin was a gymnast, and watching Olympic gymnastics in person was an opportunity we wanted to share with her.

Planning meant working out which competitions we could get tickets to and building our trip around them. Gymnastics was a priority, but we also wanted to experience other events. We made it a family road trip to Atlanta, stopping at historical sites and other places of interest along the way. The journey became part of the vacation, with the Olympics as its destination.

We attended track and field, volleyball, and other events, but gymnastics had a particular meaning because of Erin’s involvement in the sport. Watching Olympic gymnasts brought that familiar work onto a much larger stage.

The moment that remains especially memorable for our family was watching Shannon Miller win the gold medal on balance beam. At the Atlanta Games, Miller became the first American gymnast to win Olympic gold in that event. She also earned gold as a member of the United States women’s team, remembered as the “Magnificent Seven.”

What became part of Olympic history also became part of our family’s history. We had planned the trip around an interest our daughter already held, and we found ourselves present for a milestone in her sport.