Colorado Springs Summer Guide Part 2: The Olympic Training Center

Besides being home to plenty of natural beauty (John Denver didn’t write Rocky Mountain High for nothing) there are many man made wonders to experience in Colorado Springs. One of them is the Olympic Training Center, just a stones throw a way from my house. I have a strong arm.

Recently the OTC (you down with OTC! Yeah you know me!) hosted its annual “open house”. Its not really an open house because the Olympic Training Center is open year round for guests to take free tours, but once a year during the summer the entire community is invited to come in and be part of the Olympic experience. If you don’t feel a sense of patriotism here, you need to have your “Born in the USA” card revoked. 

Yesterday the family and I drove down to the Olympic Training Center to check things out. It may be a stones throw away but you try carrying an 8-year old girl ½ a mile when she gets tired. We headed down to the very crowded OTC and walked straight into the visitors center. With the summer games quickly approaching, the vibe was overwhelmingly positive and with so much going on in the surprisingly small complex, the guests were excited.

A band was playing, free food and prizes were being given away, and Olympic athletes were available for autographs and pictures. Best of all were the athletic demonstrations. Athletes showed their stuff in judo, fencing and other sports and answered questions from the crowd. How often do you get to see that? Not very often, but even during a regular tour, the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center has a lot to offer.

The facility has been the home of the USOC since 1978 and contains some of the finest training facilities in the world. Aside from having a world class gym, weight room and pool (no, you can’t use them, athletes only), the OTC is home to the largest shooting facility in the Western hemisphere. The nearby velodrome (its something you ride bikes on) is also close by and is considered one of the top three cycling facilities in the world.

Getting to see the place where athletes from Michael Phelps to Dominique Moceanu have trained is inspiring. It’s also a major source of pride for Springs residents. 

Topics: OTC , Olympic Training Center