One More Flight – One More Week

One more travel day from Tianjin back to Shanghai basically for the duration of the tournament. Although Thursday night’s game will be played in Hangzhou, the team will be living and training in Shanghai with a day trip to Hangzhou. Along with several of the other photographers and journalists, I will take the train to Hangzhou for the game and then stay there for just one night.

Once I arrive home, I am sure that it will take me several weeks to fully process and appreciate my experience in China. The trip and the experience have been moving like a speeding freight train and I have been doing my best to catch up and hang on!

Shooting the photos for our book project - Portrait of Passion has been going extremely well. As important as the game photos are the off-the-field shots and the girls have been enthusiastically supportive.

Our book, which is being written by Gail Stewart is for 11 to 14 year-old girls and will focus on the lives of several of the Team members. In the short time that I have been here, I know there are some great stories to tell; stories that will bring to life the personalities of these truly wonderful women.

The website www.portraitofpassion.com has launched with many more photos than are included in my blog as well as more information.

This morning I packed, checked out and although the hotel personnel kept asking me, “Airport?” I headed for the Sheraton where the team was staying. The girls had an early practice, lunch and then were planning to head out at 2:00. In the meantime there was some relaxation and not so serious Mahjong (an ancient Chinese game, which I remember as curiously being played by my Russian grandmother and her friends). Standing a few yards from the girls was the equally curious Chinese hotel staff, watching them play.


I arrived at the airport before the girls and near the gate, notice an interesting group of what appeared to be rather weary Americans. The blond hair and the University of Illinois t-shirts seemed to be a give away, but I have been fooled before by a group of Swedish journalists.


As it turns out it was Natalie, Leslies Osborne’s childhood friend and former roommate. Due to travel delays they had arrived at the game last night, just in time for the final whistle. There were hugs, signs, tears, more hugs and presents for Lindsay Tarpley, who turned 24 yesterday!


Another adventure in air travel via Air China, but I was thrilled to get the last seat on the plane. Traveling with the ESPN guys always makes me feel as if I am traveling light. Jaime Motta, who packed his broadcast suit and tie, left the plane with the waiting paparazzi on the tarmac (that would be me).


The girls’ luggage arrived as the first shipment with the bulk of the Team’s training gear coming in at 1:30 AM via airfreight.