Are You a Travel Olympian?

Every time the Olympic Games come around, I find myself wondering: Could travel be a sport that I could actually compete in? Consider the potential events:

First up, weight lifting. Whether lugging a heavy suitcase from the car to the airport check-in or making the final heave into the overhead bin, we’ve all competed in this event before. It’s familiar territory for the Olympic traveler, and the key is in the preparation. Packing light is one of the hardest things to do, but as the old adage goes, “You never use what you don’t take.”

Next, the 100-meter sprint to meet check-in. Most airlines require passengers to be at the airport a couple of hours before take-off, which can sometimes catch travelers out, particularly early in the morning. The most successful competitors will have already mapped their route and will diligently avoid all fast food and souvenir concessions, passport and tickets in hand, to get to the desk on time. Some will need to slalom between other vacationers or even indulge in some light wrestling in order to get their times down. You’ve got to want it!

Synchronised swimming could be my stumbling block. I hate overcrowded swimming pools! Sometimes it’s nice when arriving at a destination, even before unpacking, to cool down with a dip. Faced with a jam-packed pool, though, I’d likely slink off with my towel to see if there were a quiet beach nearby. Synchronised swimming? Not for me.

The relay is tough. I’ve been on trips where I’ve had to transfer trains six times. My budget “saver” tickets meant I had to make every transfer (with very narrow time margins) or risk not getting to my destination at all. The period between trains is always the most stressful, frantically checking platform displays, with one eye on your watch. This can be bad in huge international airports too, with terminals sometimes being up to 15 minutes’ walk away from each other. Smooth transitions make for a smooth journey — it takes an expert traveler to score highly in the relay.

As is traditional, we should end with the marathon. I’ll put my hand up and say that long-haul traveling’s not something I enjoy. My longest trip started with 10 hours in a car, followed by 6 hours on a bus and another hour on a plane. The ultimate long-haul trip is Singapore Airlines’ nonstop flight between Newark Airport and Singapore, which takes a whopping 18.5 hours. I just don’t think I have the stamina.

— written by Josh Thomas