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Reports from Belo Interactive contributors at the Olympics in Sydney, AustraliaJosh Davis' e-mail home Sept. 14, 2000 09/15/2000 
As I walk down the Village sidewalk lined with the flags from some 200 countries, I think how awesome it is to be at the Olympic Games again!
People always remember the competition highlights shown on TV, but half the fun is being in the Olympic Village. My hope is to bring you an insider's view of the Games. An athlete's point of view from inside the venues, the Village and from inside my heart and mind.
It seems like it was just yesterday I was enjoying the Atlanta Games. It's hard to believe that 1,400 days and three kids later that I am here again.
Making the team is similar to having a baby: nine months of preparation, extreme pain and pushing and then a beautiful baby. They say once you hold the baby all the pain doesn't seem so bad. Four years of training, most of it painful and frustrating and then next thing you know you're enjoying all the free stuff an Olympian gets.
My wife probably would disagree with my analogy because she's had three babies in three years. (That's an Olympic feat in itself!) My son, Caleb, will be 3 years old in October, daughter Abby is 1 1/2 and Shantel, my wife, just gave birth to another boy, Luke, on Sept. 3. I probably shouldn't compare my job of swimming to the toughest, most important job of all: being a mom!
Even though I'm captain of the fastest USA swimming team ever, surrounded by the most amazing athletes in the world and next to the biggest and best cafeteria that's free 24/7, I find my mind thinking of my wife and kids. Thankfully, I was able to see Luke born two weeks ago, but my total time away from them for the Olympic Trials and the Games is 45 days. My son will be totally different when I get back. I think often of my wife's smile, her hugs and reading bedtime stories with my children. I pray for her strength to take care of the three babies while I'm gone.
We both know this is a very special opportunity that comes once every four years and for others once in a lifetime.
I'm inspired knowing there's so many people cheering me and praying for me in Dallas, Austin and my hometown of San Antonio. I meet as many people as I can and I always say, "I'm Josh, from Texas!" I love saying that because Texas is the best state in the best country! I always strive to represent us well and be a polite and good conversationalist, in hopes they realize that Americans, especially Texans, are the best at everything, not just sports.
Today I was still getting settled in to Village life. Things will get much more exciting from here on out.
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Josh Davis, U.S. swim team captain, offers his thoughts on the Games. Davis,
originally from San Antonio, lives in Austin.
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Track star 
1996
swimming gold medalist Ryan Berube 
