Inside the Pan Am athletes’ village with Sage Watson
Insight into how athletes live at an international games
Sage Watson is fresh off a win in the 400m hurdles at the Pan Am Games, in 55.16. The Canadians have performed very well in Lima, taking home a total of 133 medals, 31 of which are gold.
RELATED: Canadian results from the 2019 Pan Am Games
Watson has been living in the athletes’ village for two weeks now, and says that the village has been great thus far–especially the Team Canada lounge. “Our rooms are nice, and Team Canada made a great lounge for the athletes to get snacks and hang out in. The dining hall is huge, and there’s an international zone where you can get food, extra snacks and see some Peruvian culture.” The village holds not just the roughly 6,700 athletes, but also coaches, medical staff and employees of each of the national sports federations.
Dining area
Athletes' village
Competition area
Weight room
She continues, “The only unfortunate part about our location is that it’s always gloomy, as it’s winter in Peru. We’ve only seen the sun once since being here.”
In terms of food, Watson says she’s been well fed, but the menu gets a little old after so many days spent in one place. “They have everything you need to eat and a lot of options, but after two weeks of living here it has gotten a bit old.”
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RELATED: Myles Misener-Daley breaks his own Canadian U20 record at Pan Ams
The one meal where athletes get some variety is dinner. “Every night at 7:30 p.m. they serve a special for dinner. People line up to get it, because it’s always better than the other food options. Team Canada has also provided us with tons of snacks from home, so we have something familiar.”
When compared to the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games, Watson says while Peru has done a good job, Toronto was a fantastic Games. “I have no real complaints, but when compared to Toronto, I feel that Toronto was a little more organized and well put together.”
Watson will compete today in the 4x400m relay. Full Canadian results from the event can be found here.
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