Rachel Clapp WCNC

Beijing here I come!

We are in the process of preparing our coverage for the 2008 Beijing games. Throughout the games we'll be airing a nightly show, called "The O-zone." It will feature Olympic stories, tidbits and reports from some of Charlotte's very own who are attending the games.

It takes a lot of planning and scheduling. We shoot a lot of the stories in advance because once we get closer to the games, the people involved are busier and busier.

Wednesday I went to Raleigh to shoot a story on the Olympic torch. Why do I head to Raleigh for that, you ask? Well, Lenovo, which has an office in Raleigh, beat out 300 designs and they designed the Olympic Torch. I interviewed the head of the U.S. design team. They had torch design teams in Beijing and Yamato, Japan. A lot goes into designing a torch and it's not all that different, surprisingly, from designing computer products, which is what Lenovo is known for. The torch is meant to look like rolled up paper, which is symbolic in Chinese culture.

At the end of our interview, the Lenovo folks suggested my photographer Mike Hanson and I get our picture taken with the Olympic torch. I brushed it off, but then they said, really it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I thought, you are right! Seize the Moment! So I got my picture taken with the torch. There I am. I could've run back to Charlotte if I wanted to. I felt super cool. When I watch the opening ceremonies, I'll be thinking of myself holding the same thing! That's the closest I'll probably ever get to being an Olympic athlete. Hope I didn't make you too jealous...You can Photoshop yourself in the picture if you want. I won't be offended. Here's to Beijing!

For full local coverage of the Olympics, visit www.nbcolympics.com/wcnc.

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