Walking the Future Site of the LA28 Olympic Village at UCLA
I wasn’t supposed to be moved. I’m a Trojan. I have been to the UCLA campus many times, but somehow, I have a different connection to USC. Fight on.
Bruin Bear
Today I found myself walking across the UCLA campus, specifically De Neve Plaza, which will serve as the official Olympic Village for the LA28 Games. It was just a work assignment, or so I thought.
Until I looked up and saw a campus streetlight banner: Go Bruins. Bright, bold, and right over my head. Then I passed a sign near the Bruin Bear statue that read, Walk Your Wheels. Dismount. It was meant for scooters and bikes, sure, but something about it felt symbolic. Like maybe this was one of those places you don’t rush through. So I didn’t.
I gave myself permission to look around. And UCLA gave me something back.
The Bruin Bear statue stood grounded and unbothered. Nearby, I noticed the plaque for the Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center, a reminder that greatness isn’t just physical, it’s holistic. A few steps later I saw the Jackie Robinson 42 Complex and its powerful statue. That number speaks for itself. The legacy does too.
But the moment that stopped me cold was a quote etched into a statue of Coach John Wooden, UCLA’s legendary basketball coach. It read:
“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.”
It was carved in bronze, but it felt personal, like a message meant just for me.
Because this campus isn’t just a campus. These dorms, paths, and plazas, so ordinary on a regular day, are about to become the Olympic and Paralympic Village for LA28, welcoming thousands of athletes from around the world to Los Angeles.
I thought, 2028 will be here in the blink of an eye, and I started to feel something I hadn’t expected: a quiet hope. A pull.
I don’t have a title or a plan. I’m not aiming for a credential or a badge. I just want to be there. To witness it not just the competition, but the convergence. The energy. The legacy.
The Olympic Games aren’t just historic. They’re human. This is about civilization choosing to come together across borders and boundaries. The fact that this ancient rhythm, this practice of gathering, will happen here, in the city I call home, is something I don’t want to miss.
Even just to stand nearby, to feel the gravity of it. that would be enough.
And it’s not lost on me that when the Olympics come to Los Angeles in 2028, the world will be watching, not just the athletes, but us. The host country is always on display. How we welcome others shows our values. It shows our ability to organize, to provide safety, to demonstrate care and respect, not only for visitors, but for our own people. I hope we rise to that moment.
Because this is the same city where police helicopters circle low, where unhoused neighbors are displaced before dawn, where neighborhoods live under pressure instead of protection. How can we host the world with grace while raiding our own streets?
I don’t have answers. But I believe in asking the question. And I hope that when the torch is lit in Los Angeles, we don’t just showcase our talent, but our humanity. Because sometimes all you need is to say yes. Quietly, steadily. Without fanfare. And sometimes, that’s what opens the door.
I also walked the USC campus recently, see the future Olympic Media Village here. The energy was different, but the thread is real. Read more about that visit here: Statues, Space, and Sweat: What Neil Armstrong Teaches Us About Training for the Unknown
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