THOMASVILLE — Over the course of 32 years, Dr. Jim Story and his wife Carolyn of Thomasville have traveled the world as spectators of the Summer Olympics. 

This year, they added Brazil to the list of countries they’ve seen. With another edition of the Olympics came new experiences and stories. The trip came after a good amount of deliberation after concern from some that Rio was not prepared enough. Ultimately, the Storys decided to continue their travels.

“We had a great time there,” Jim Story said. “They did a good job with the venues. Everyone was saying how they weren’t going to finish them, but they were all complete. It was unbelievable how they pulled it off. They had a lot of Brazilian volunteers.”

The couple were able to spectate at a good amount of different events, seeing Usain Bolt win gold once again on the track and U.S. gymnastics sensation Simone Biles on the balance beam.

“We happened to see her the night she got second on the balance beam,”Jim Story said. “It was a difficult routine. For some people, there was some controversy. We were there for that and for men’s artistic gymnastics.”

They were also able to watch some basketball, but not a game from the eventual gold medal-winning Americans. They saw Serbia take on Australia, as they bought tickets a year ahead of time.

Their favorite event, however, was probably beach volleyball, where Kerri Walsh Jennings was perhaps playing in her last Olympics, winning a bronze medal. The couple actually had a run-in with an athlete on the night after the women’s tennis final.

“That night, Venus Williams came to our hotel to stay,” Jim Story said. “She had lost. I walked up to her and said, ‘My wife and I enjoy seeing you play. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the U.S. Open. You’ll be playing another 10 years, won’t you?’ and she and her agent kind of smiled.”

Outside the games themselves, the Storys also had an opportunity to be tourists. In a place like Rio de Janeiro, there was a lot to do, from the visiting the Sugarloaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer, to the very famous beaches of the city.

With the tourism, there was huge influx of people in Rio. Security was high as a result, with a lot of guards scattered throughout.

“There are some bad areas of Rio de Janeiro just like there are in every major city,” Jim Story said. “It may be the only city in the world that has mountains, beaches and tropical forests. It was amazing what they had in some areas.”

The Storys were also fortunate enough to meet a lot of the Brazilian people. However, the language barrier was sometimes a challenge in the Portuguese-speaking nation.

“There were students there that served as guides,” Jim Story said. “They were very interesting. They’re very proud of their country. They spoke good English. Out of all the countries we’ve been to, we probably had more trouble communicating there when were were out by ourselves than any place.”

One person they met seemed familiar, but not because of their appearance. Outside a venue, the couple recognized the style of a painting a vendor was holding. It was similar to prints the Storys had purchased in London and Beijing. 

“There was an artist there that we ran into,” Carolyn Story said. “He was commissioned to do the paintings. We just happened to walk by and we recognized the print from our China print. So we got to meet him and his son.”

Next up is Japan, which will be hosting the Summer Olympics in 2020. It’s a little early to talk about a potential trip there, but the Storys have enjoyed all of the places that the games have taken them so far.

“When we go to these countries, we enjoy the people,” Carolyn Story said. “They learn from us but we learn from them. They ask us a lot of questions about the U.S. and we learn a lot about that country. We enjoy that.”