Becky Marsh figures she鈥檚 slept an average of two hours a night since the Pyeongchang Olympics started.
The diehard Olympics enthusiast from Spruce Grove, Alta., watches the Games daily from the time they start airing live in late afternoon until the wee hours of the morning, when she pulls the couch right in front of the TV and turns the volume down so she doesn鈥檛 wake up her husband or three kids.
鈥淚 nap on the couch for about 10-minute periods and literally watch the Olympics all night long,鈥� says Marsh, who works from home.
鈥淚 have not missed an event, I have not missed a medal, I have seen them all. I know the channels and I flip back and forth, back and forth, back and forth so that I do not miss one live.鈥�
OLYMPIC ROUNDUP:
With Korean Standard Time over a dozen hours ahead of this country鈥檚 times zones (in Alberta, it鈥檚 a 16-hour time difference), Olympics junkies in Canada have to stay up late or get up at the crack of dawn to catch events live.
Citing data from ratings tracker Numeris, the CBC said Monday that almost two-thirds of all Canadians (65 per cent) have tuned in to CBC/Radio-Canada鈥檚 coverage of PyeongChang 2018, with a total of 23.4 million in Canada watching at least part of broadcasts across all English and French television network partners and digital streaming simulcasts on the CBC鈥檚 Olympics websites and its apps. The data was from Feb. 7-11.
For some, like Marsh, it鈥檚 a labour of love.
The 33-year-old says she鈥檚 watched every Games since she was a toddler and buys official Olympic clothing for her family to wear during the competition.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the same getting it second-hand. It鈥檚 fantastic to watch them live and achieve their goals that they鈥檝e worked so hard for,鈥� she says, noting she played the Paralympic sport goalball for Team Canada for three years and knows the work and dedication that goes into such training.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e amazing and I cheer like a fool, even if it鈥檚 three in the morning and I wake up my whole house, knowing that even if they鈥檙e half a world away and they can鈥檛 hear me, that I鈥檓 probably the loudest person cheering in the whole world.鈥�
Lauren Simpson of Toronto is also a lifelong Olympics fan who has been juggling the odd Games hours with her day job and motherhood.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter the time, I watch every single event,鈥� says the 51-year-old activities co-ordinator at a long-term care home.
鈥淲hen it鈥檚 something that I love, I am more than happy and willing to wake up at whatever ridiculous time to see it live, because I don鈥檛 want to hear, 鈥極h, did you hear how this person did鈥� or 鈥榊ay, we won another medal.鈥� I really do prefer the experience watching it, whenever possible, live.鈥�
On Sunday night and early Monday morning, Simpson had an added reason to tune in live: Her niece, Gabrielle Daleman of Newmarket, Ont., won the gold medal in the team figure skating competition.
鈥淚鈥檓 a little bit tired but it鈥檚 an elated tired,鈥� says Simpson, noting she functions well on four or five hours of sleep.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a short price to pay for being proud of Canada in everything that they do and their accomplishments. When a flag gets hoisted and I see someone winning a medal and they get to stand on that podium in front of thousands in person and millions on TV, there mustn鈥檛 be a better feeling in the world.
鈥淚t does sometimes bring me to tears, just the experience of watching them take it all in.鈥�
Shireen Jeejeebhoy of Toronto is equally enthusiastic about the Games but is feeling the fatigue, noting 鈥渢he odd hours are just really confusing and tiring.鈥�
鈥淭he weird time zone differences kind of blur all of the events together and makes it difficult to know what day you鈥檙e in,鈥� says the 55-year-old writer and photographer.
鈥淚 set my alarm for the opening ceremony so I wouldn鈥檛 miss anything鈥�. I tried to do that the next day, do the same thing, but it鈥檚 very, very tiring to do that.
鈥淪o instead I seem to be staying up much later, like midnight, 1 a.m.鈥�
Still, it鈥檚 worth it, adds Jeejeebhoy: 鈥淭here鈥檚 an excitement and fear and thrill about watching live TV that you don鈥檛 get watching tape-delayed or packaged.鈥�
Victoria Ahearn, The Canadian Press
