Coated with pins and adornments, Vivianne Robinson is sun-baked to pass over in the streets of Paris.
The Olympics superfan has attended seven Summer season Video games over the span of 40 years. However this travel to Paris got here at a hefty value — $10,000 to be actual.
Robinson, 66 and from Los Angeles, maxed out her bank cards and labored two jobs to find the money for the travel and the 38 match tickets she bought. She labored on Venice Seaside all over the occasion, striking names on rice necklaces, and bagged groceries at evening. She stated she has to paintings two extra years to manufacture up for the cash she spent following her pastime for the Summer season Olympics to Paris.
“It was hard to save up and it’s a big budget, but it’s a thousand times worth it,” she says.
Even nonetheless, she was once upset to pay $1,600 for the outlet rite handiest to finally end up looking at a display on a bridge. “You know how long that takes to make that much money?” she asks, sooner or later including: “But things happen in life and life goes on and you win if you lose a few.”
All over her interview, a passerby suggests Robinson worth her status to viewable an account and ask nation to assistance treasure her pastime.
“That doesn’t matter. I can make the money eventually,” she responds.
Robinson’s fascination with the Olympics began when her mom labored as a translator for athletes on the College of California, Los Angeles, all over the 1984 Olympics within the town. Her mom would come house next paintings with pins from athletes that she handed to her daughter.
Her newfound passion of gathering pins led her to Atlanta 1996, the place she made rice necklaces for athletes in alternate for his or her pins.
“I got all the pins and I got to meet all the athletes. And in those days, it wasn’t high security like now,” she recollects. “Now you can’t even get near the athletes’ village.”
From there: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, London 2012 and Rio 2016. She tie a visa for Beijing 2008, however couldn’t in the end find the money for the travel. Tokyo was once in a similar way doomed: She purchased tickets, however were given refunded as COVID-19 soared and the Video games had been held with out spectators.
Robinson’s outfits began merely however have change into extra advanced over moment. She spent a 12 months operating on her Paris outfit, adorning it with masses of adornments. Tens of Eiffel Tower embellishes hold from her hat, simply above her Olympic ring earrings. Affixed to her garments are patches, pins and minute flags.
Her outfit draws consideration. No longer a slight is going via prior to any individual stops Robinson to shoot a photograph with or of her. She does it with a grin on her face however admits that it might probably get extra.
“It is a little bit overwhelming. I can’t really get anywhere because everybody stops me for pictures. It takes a long time to get to the venues, but it’s OK,” she says.
And she or he says she feels a minute like the stars she’s so excited to have unmistakable — like Tom Cruise, Girl Gaga and Snoop Dogg at gymnastics.
Once those Olympics finish, she is going to get started operating at the after Summer season Video games, from operating on outfits to preserve up for tickets, it doesn’t matter what it prices — even though it’s on her house turf, in Los Angeles.
“Oh, I’m going to do it forever. I’m going to save all my money and just concentrate on Olympics,” she stated.
