Two gay “Olympaholics” go above and beyond to get the real stories in Vancouver

Take two outgoing guys, a charity, dreams unfulfilled, and a passion for the Olympic Games. Give them a video camera and some air miles, and the next thing you know they’re chronicling the Olympic Games on their popular Web site Olympics or Bust. Charley Cullen Walters and Tyler Duckworth may not have achieved their goals of competing on the world’s biggest stage

– Charley was an all-around athlete and Tyler excelled in swimming – but they have made it to the Olympics nonetheless.

After attending their first Games in Beijing in 2008, the duo recently returned from Vancouver, where the U.S. captured more medals than any other country … not that that’s important. Their goal: to cover the Games with a rarer perspective not touched upon by mainstream media outlets. They go behind-the-scenes to interview athletes, tourists and drunk locals, all of which can be seen on their video blog at www.OlympicsOrBust.com. They do all this while raising funds for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, hoping to provide enough funds to help paralympic athletes in need. After coming down from their Vancouver high, Charley and Tyler have already entered the planning stages for the 2012 London Games. But first, they answered some of Compete’s pressing questions.

COMPETE: Your Olympics or Bust adventure began with a trip to the 2008 Games in Beijing. When (and how) did you decide you wanted to keep this project going at future Olympic sites?
CHARLEY: I think our passion for the Games was committed long before we even knew each other … this was just the way it ended up manifesting itself! We tossed around a whole bunch of ideas involving reality shows and interactions with former/upcoming Olympians … but the blog ended up being the most feasible way to express ourselves. We never really planned on it becoming as large as it did, but once we started to get a bunch of hits we were actually approached by different outlets to help expand it into something even greater. I guess the momentum just kind of took off from there! It’s really satisfying to get messages of support from all over the world – that’s one of the things that keeps us going with it even when it becomes a lot of work.

COMPETE: Vancouver has a reputation for being one of the friendliest cities in the world. Can you compare the Canadian people with the locals you encountered in Beijing?
CHARLEY: Oh boy, that one’s easier than I ever wanted it to be! Obviously, the language barrier in China was huge; I didn’t speak a lick of Mandarin although Tyler has this skill where he can pick up phrases impressively quick. Still, the process of doing EVERYTHING – from securing our apartment (aka O.O.B. “Headquarters”) to taking a taxi to making sure we weren’t ordering cat and dog – made that trip a whole different kind of adventure. Even at the Olympics, most of the volunteers didn’t speak. English and you could tell they were under some pretty “strict orders.”
Canada has this interesting dichotomy when it comes to “friendliness” – at first I would say everyone was extremely welcoming and so supportive, especially those who helped to “sponsor” us in one way or another, but come Games time, they get pretty crazy competitive for their medals! Believe it or not, I got a “friendly Canadian” punch in the face after I wore my USA Ralph Lauren vest out in the streets after their final hockey victory. I had to turn it inside our and throw on some maple leafs just to get to Closing Ceremonies in one piece!

COMPETE: Who's the most fascinating person you've gotten to interview thus far?
TYLER: In very particular order:
1) The female voice of the Beijing Subway. (seriously)
2) Nastia Liukin
3) Debbie Phelps (Michael Phelps' mother)

COMPETE: OK - how much of this is work and how much is play?
TYLER: Like all complicated relationships, the two are intrinsically connected. During some days at the Olympics, our job can mean getting to the Media House to edit at 7 a.m. and not leaving until 10 p.m. It can also mean skiing down Whistler Mountain, watching the Men's Super-G competition. Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of fun moments, but at the end of the day, it is entirely a labor of love.

COMPETE: Is it possible to make the Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies even gayer? If so, how would you do it?
TYLER: Absolutely! There's always room for more gay. The real job lies in contextualizing it properly, given the shifting host cities. With that in mind, the following items would assist the process regardless of location:
 sequins
 high kicks
 an emotional montage on the big screen of Michael Phelps' historic 8-gold medal haul, topless celebratory photo included
 a performance by Celine Dion
 an exhibition skate by Michelle Kwan to “Fields of Gold”

COMPETE: There was a lot of criticism of the Vancouver Games by the media and public. Do you think it was fair? What kind of grade would you give to the Vancouver organizing committee?
CHARLEY: I always feel kinda bad when the organizing committees get attacked (which they almost always do, except for Sydney – widely renowned as the best organized Games ever and I would agree whole-heartedly!). But, yes, there were a few things that VANOC glazed over that you kinda said “really, you didn’t think of this in seven years of planning?!”
Things like part of the torch getting stuck are somewhat inevitable and I think should be treated with levity; however, that issue with the cauldron being barely accessible to the public did irk me quite a bit, (especially) when I found trouble getting that classic money shot myself! Another thing that actually made me a bit nervous was the fact that our Opening Ceremonies tickets were only checked by one volunteer at any point and she was about 85 and could barely read.
The moral of the story is, watch for Tyler and Charley to be planning the Games in – let’s say – 2054, and prepare for them to be another equally “organized mess.”

COMPETE: Everyone I know is now in agreement that bobsledders are the hottest athletes, hands down. Which Olympians catch your eyes the most?
TYLER: I'm going to have to kindly disagree with you. While it IS true that bobsledders are extremely impressive, especially if you're into bears, the top prize goes to speed skaters (long track). If you have any doubts, I suggest you Youtube Chad Hendricks – any of his Olympic races. Or, try Sven Kramer. Just go ahead.

COMPETE: Did you get to visit the Gay House at the Olympics?
CHARLEY: We did! We attended both openings for the Whistler AND Vancouver city “Pride Houses” and ended up spending quite a bit of time especially at the Whistler one. This was actually one of our “assignments” since we were covering for a lot of GLBT outlets who were interested in documenting the FIRST-EVER sanctioned GLBT house. In Vancouver we even shot a segment there with Steven Colbert!
I must say it was all quite awe-inspiring; we were expecting it to be a bit cheesy but we both felt that the guys who organized this took on a huge challenge and executed it well. The fact that these even existed was a great landmark story in itself. One of my other favorite things was seeing the allies and supporters show up. For example, Jon Montgomery, who was the first Canadian to win a medal. That to me is what this was all about: not just having a place of community gathering but an outlet for supporters as well to prove, as Dean Nelson the organizer often said, “inclusiveness instead of solidarity.”
That all being said we have a LOT of ideas for how it could be made even better in the future, but you’ll have to show up in London to find out how! Oh, and this answer wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to Pride House bartender Anita, and her famous “shotski.” Long story, but check out our videos for more.

COMPETE: Which events (Summer and Winter) have you enjoyed the most?
TYLER: Without a doubt the Opening Ceremonies at both games. It almost goes without saying. The entire world is watching, breathless, to see what will transpire. To be a part of that celebration is humbling.
Beyond the Ceremonies, my favorite event thus far has been Gymnastics. I scored front row tickets from a Swedish gymnast in Beijing and got to experience the Women's All-Around in a way I never thought possible. I still have to pinch myself to make sure I didn't dream it up. Charley can attest – I was up at the crack of dawn that day. I'd never been more excited to experience something in my life.

COMPETE: The Canadians didn't "own" the podium like they said they were going to do, even though they finished strong. Should we really feel sorry for them?
TYLER: I'm glad you brought this up. I think the whole mentality and philosophy behind the "Own the Podium" initiative was flawed to begin with. It was antagonistic towards the Olympic charter, out of character for Canadians, and let's face it, an especially bad way to welcome the world. It is essentially saying to everyone, "Hey, Welcome to my city, have fun, compete, but just remember, I OWN THIS PLACE!!!"
Most Canadians were up in arms about the cost and relative "lack of payback" for such a cockamamy investment. It applied an incredible amount of pressure on a group of athletes already suffering from the weight of the world coming to compete on their doorstep. In addition, even the name is incongruent with the image that Vancouver was trying to convey. Athletes in the U.S. get minimal funding from the government, if any at all. We would joke in Vancouver that, despite our tight budget, at least we had more than the men's skeleton team.
The "Own the Podium" project turned the spotlight on money invested on athletes instead of the spotlight highlighting the incredible achievements by athletes fueled by passion.

COMPETE: One of my favorite parts of the Games was watching skiers wipe out on the course. Am I wrong for that?
TYLER: Ask my dislocated shoulder and torn adductor. I was a victim to one of the many wipe outs on Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains. Skiing is no joke.

COMPETE: Without outing anyone, did you get to hang out with any gay Olympians in either Beijing or Vancouver?
TYLER: Yes, and yes!

COMPETE: You are planning on going to London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but not Sochi in 2014. Why not?
TYLER: Well, never say never. However, given our careers, obligations, and certain fears of geo-political tempers flaring during the Games, it seems less than likely.
Fact: Sochi is located less than 25 miles from the Georgian border. A country Russia fought a war with in August 2008. Not to allay fears, Grozny is less than 80 miles to the east. Grozny is the capital of Chechnya. Wikipedia the relationship between Russia and Chechnya, then you'll know what I'm getting at. Despite all this, I DO love me some Russia though. I know that when the time comes, Charley and I will strap on our boots and make the trip!

COMPETE: You've said the Paralympic athletes impress and inspire you even more than the regular Olympic athletes. What do you think the rest of us would think if we were exposed to the Paralympic Games?
CHARLEY: You would be JUST as inspired! The first Paralympics I attended were in Sydney and I was blown away with what near-record times those athletes were able to achieve with a LOT more obstacles in their way. Also, there are a lot of other cool sports (or versions of existing sports) that are extremely interesting; you will leave with a sense of “THOSE are the even greater heroes!”
I heard a really cool phrase on a Paralympic commercial this year that really resounded with me – it showed a diver with one leg hopping their way to the end of the board, and then said quite simply: “Save your sympathy for her competitors.” Awesome!
I will say this: they need to hold the Paralympics BEFORE the Olympics! In order to better boost attendance. I’ve been recommending this along with many others for years; hopefully one day the organizers will catch on!

COMPETE: What's the deal with Evgeni Plushenko? Is he a total douche or what?
TYLER: Understandably, Plushenko was disappointed by not winning another Olympic gold. However, simply put, Evan (Lysacek) put down two incredibly solid programs. His short and long programs were perfect, both artistically and technically. Evan actually beat Evgeni on technical merit. Had Evgeni thrown an extra double toe loop on that quad of his, the gold would have been his. He did not, therefore he is not (Olympic champion). It’s nothing more than a wounded ego and overly-inflated nationalistic pride. The real issue at hand is that mullet. He's had it since the 2002 Salt Lake Games. What's the deal guy?

To learn more about Charley and Tyler, watch their video blogs, or to donate to their cause, visit www.OlympicsOrBust.com