GILBERT, Ariz. — It is the biggest sports stage in the world. Athletes from all four corners of the globe gather to go head-to-head in a contest of athletic prowess. Events filled with dignitaries, fans, and pageantry.
It takes a team of people behind the scenes to pull off the Olympic Games every couple of years, and that’s where people like Gilbert resident Nathan Schweinberg come in.
“I think just loving the game of sports,” Schweinberg said. “Growing up since I was a little kid, playing basketball, soccer, football, running, just to stay on the field; I love sports.”
Schweinberg’s love of sports drew the Lincoln Preparatory Academy graduate towards a Sports Management program at Ohio’s Baldwin Wallace University. His skills and leadership on the basketball court and track earned him a place in Lincoln Prep’s Hall of Fame.
Those leadership skills now earned him a place in the Olympics.
“I'll be going to Paris to help Team USA in their performance center,” Schweinberg said. “We'll be there for about 15 days. We'll get to help the track athletes, soccer, and a lot of the other sports. Most of the teams will be there, and then we'll help them with whatever they may need.”
While spectators won’t see Schweinberg on their TVs or in the stands, his efforts will be on full display in the background. For a Sports Management major, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.
“It'll be neat. It'll be my first time going overseas to Paris, so it'll be a little bit exciting, for sure,” Schweinberg stated. “Maybe a little bit overwhelming, since I'll be alone and I won't be traveling with my family, but I know they'll be proud of me and what I've accomplished through my first year [at BW University].”
Schweinberg feels he’s grown a lot over the past year, working events like the PGA’s FedEx St. Jude Championship last August, the Super Bowl in February, and the NHL 2024 Draft in Las Vegas in June. One takeaway Schweinberg learned was the importance of being ready for anything.
“Have confidence and know what you're doing,” Schweinberg advised. “Don't be afraid to do something. If somebody asks you, let's go. Can you help me with this? Go do that. I mean, that's how somebody will come back to you and say, ‘Hey, you can come again.’”
With his infectiously positive personality, Schweinberg is ready to make a big splash in Paris.
“Excited to go to Paris man, it'd be fun,” he proclaimed.
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