Omaira Gill grew up counting down the days to each Olympic Games.
鈥淚t was a big deal in our house,鈥 Omaira tells CNN Travel today. 鈥淚 remember watching with my parents and I used to always think, 鈥業鈥檓 going to go one day. I鈥檇 love to go to the Olympics.鈥欌
Omaira wasn鈥檛 especially sporty, so she ruled out the prospect of competing pretty early on. But she still harboured Olympic dreams 鈥 even just spectating would do.
In 2004, the year Omaira turned 22, the Olympics were set to return to their birthplace of Athens, Greece.
Omaira grew up near Birmingham, in the United Kingdom. Athens was a little less than four hours away by airplane.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥極kay, Athens, that鈥檚 the closest it鈥檚 ever come to me in my lifetime,鈥欌 recalls Omaira. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know then that eventually the Olympics would come to London as well. So I thought, 鈥楲et me see if I can go to the Athens Olympics. I鈥檒l see if there鈥檚 tickets for gymnastics or something like that. Maybe I could go to the opening ceremony鈥︹欌
Several months before the start of the games, Omaira was finishing up her journalism degree and staying at her parents鈥 home for the holidays. Noodling around on the family computer, Omaira spent hours researching the logistics of attending the games.
Eventually, she found herself on the official Athens 2004 website.
鈥淚n the corner of the site there was this little banner saying, 鈥榁olunteers,鈥欌 recalls Omaira. 鈥淎nd I thought, 鈥榃ell, that鈥檚 even better. Because that puts you inside the Olympics. And you get the full experience of the Olympic Games. That would be amazing.鈥欌
Omaira signed up right away, registering interest in the media village 鈥 the obvious choice for a journalism student.
鈥淎nd then a couple of months passed. Uni finished. This, that and the other happened鈥nd I still heard nothing back from my application.鈥
Summer rolled around. The opening ceremony was imminent. There was still nothing in Omaira鈥檚 inbox from the Athens volunteer team. She was starting to think her Olympic dream wasn鈥檛 meant to be.
鈥淎nd then out of the blue one morning, I got a phone call saying, 鈥楢re you still interested in volunteering at the Olympics?鈥欌
The speaker barely finished their sentence before Omaira confirmed that yes, she was definitely still interested.
鈥淲ould you mind if it鈥檚 the shooting center and not the media village, like you requested?鈥 asked the voice on the other end.
Omaira didn鈥檛 even hesitate.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 care,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檇 just love to be there.鈥
The unknown speaker told Omaira the job was hers 鈥 as long as she could make the necessary travel arrangements, and find somewhere to stay for the duration of the Games.
鈥淚 think he also gave me a really basic rough outline of where I would need to be for initial training, and where to pick up my uniform,鈥 says Omaira. 鈥淭hen I hung up and started screaming. My dad was like, 鈥榃hat鈥檚 happened? What鈥檚 the matter with you?鈥欌
As luck would have it, Omaira had a friend from college who lived in Athens, who offered her a room for the duration of the Games. Within days, Omaira was on a flight to Greece.
An unexpected opportunity
From the moment Omaira landed in Athens, everything was a whirlwind. She was invited to watch the final dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony. Omaira teared up as she watched the opening countdown, in giddy disbelief that she鈥檇 finally made it to the Games.
And then Omaira was off to work at the shooting center, where the Games鈥 shooting events were held.
鈥淢y very first day at work 鈥 well, first day of training, let鈥檚 say 鈥 I was late,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淭he shooting center was way out in the sticks, around the area where the airport is. I took the train, and later worked out that the bus was actually a lot faster.鈥
Omaira, along with a few other latecomers, eventually arrived that first day embarrassed and flustered. Omaira tried to apologize, but her words were batted away by the guy heading up the shooting center.
鈥淭hese things happen,鈥 he said.
Instead of berating them for tardiness, the shooting center manager suggested the volunteers reconvene that evening in the city center, for a city tour and a few drinks.
鈥淪o then we turn up at Syntagma Square (Athens鈥 main public square) that evening. And we were all kind of more fresh, more relaxed,鈥 recalls Omaira.
The shooting center manager arrived last. He smiled and waved as he approached the rest of the group.
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 what I noticed,鈥 recalls Omaira. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥極h, he鈥檚 quite good-looking. He鈥檚 quite cute.鈥欌
She also learned his name: Dimitris Athanasiou. Early thirties. Born and raised in Athens. Warm, friendly, welcoming. Omaira liked him right away.
鈥淏ut I didn鈥檛 make anything of it,鈥 says Omaira. 鈥淏ecause I thought, 鈥極kay, you鈥檙e young, free and single. It鈥檚 great. It鈥檚 summertime. Just enjoy your time here.鈥欌
Later that evening, Omaira found herself seated at one end of a long table filled with excited Olympics volunteers. Dimitris was at the other end.
鈥淗e kind of waved, saying, 鈥楥ome sit over here,鈥欌 recalls Omaira. 鈥淎nd I would have never done that normally, but I got up and sat next to him.鈥
Right away, Omaira found Dimitris easy and fun company.
鈥淚 just remember thinking, 鈥榃ow, he鈥檚 really interesting to talk to,鈥欌 she says. 鈥淚 was quite a sheltered person growing up. I was raised Muslim, my family is modern, but they鈥檙e still quite conservative about things like dating and stuff like that. So I didn鈥檛 really talk so much to guys. But I found Dimitris really interesting to have conversations with.鈥
Over the course of the Athens Olympics, Omaira worked in spectator services at the shooting center, checking tickets, pointing Olympic visitors toward the bathrooms. She loved soaking up their excitement and enjoyed the insight into the Olympics鈥 behind the scenes. But she also spent a lot of time thinking about Dimitris.
鈥淚 would live for those two minutes when he would come and change my shift,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淚鈥檇 be like, 鈥榃hat time is it? What time is it? Have three hours passed yet? When is he coming?鈥欌 And then I鈥檇 see him walking towards me and I鈥檇 be like, 鈥楢ct normal, try and act normal.鈥欌
Omaira and Dimitris always exchanged a few friendly words. But the conversations were brief. Dimitris was busy heading up the volunteers, and Omaira was busy working.
鈥淲e spent no time together, really,鈥 Omaira says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know why we clicked.鈥
Meeting Dimitris
As Omaira got to know Dimitris, she learned he didn鈥檛 grow up with the same reverence for the Olympics as she had. He told her he saw the Games more as a 鈥済ood job opportunity鈥 than anything else.
But Dimitris was happy to see Athens abuzz with activity. And he enjoyed sharing his city with the shooting center volunteers 鈥 he took the group out most nights, guiding them around his favorite Athenian spots.
鈥淚t was exciting knowing that the games were in Athens,鈥 Dimitris tells CNN Travel today. 鈥淭he public was a little split about the cost of hosting the Games, and as we know, they eventually were a big factor in how much debt the country got into. But at the time they kicked off, people were excited. It felt like a chance to present modern Greece to the world.鈥
Dimitris鈥 official job title was Markopoulo Olympic Shooting Centre venue manager. Early on, he realized shooting hadn鈥檛 attracted the same numbers of volunteers as some of the other Olympic sports. In a quest to increase headcount, Dimitris ended up going through the other centers鈥 applications. He discovered Omaira鈥檚 application right at the end of this process. It was Dimitris who鈥檇 called her that day earlier in summer 2004, to ask if she was still interested in volunteering. Omaira was the last person he recruited.
Once he鈥檇 gathered his shooting center group together, Dimtiris was determined 鈥渢o make sure they had fun.鈥 Sure, they needed to work hard 鈥 but this was also a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Dimitris encouraged the volunteers to make the most of it.
That鈥檚 why he was lenient when Omaira and some of the others were late that first day 鈥 and why he suggested going out later that evening.
He enjoyed getting to know all the volunteers 鈥 who hailed from across the world and ranged in age. Everyone seemed fun and friendly. But Omaira stood out.
鈥淚 do remember walking up to the fountain in Syntagma Square, where they were all waiting that first night and thinking she was cute,鈥 Dimitris recalls.
Dimitris liked speaking with Omaira that first evening. And he enjoyed their brief workday interactions, and looked forward to their friendly chats on nights out. But while Omaira was cultivating a pretty heady crush, Dimitris didn鈥檛 really have time to engage with his potential feelings.
鈥淚 thought she was pretty,鈥 he says. 鈥淏ut I was so busy I didn鈥檛 really have time to pay much attention.鈥
Working the Olympics was 鈥渂usy and exciting,鈥 Dimitris recalls, unlike anything he鈥檇 done before. And as well as working constantly, Dimitris was also hosting several of the volunteers at his apartment. Plus, the shooting center gang were regularly going out until the early hours of the morning.
On the final night, the group went out together for the last time. As they weaved in and out of bars, walking through the cobbled Athens streets, Omaira and Dimitris ended up side by side.
They were chatting, flirting. Omaira talked about how much she liked Greece, Dimitris quizzed her on whether she enjoyed camping, and asked about her thoughts on dogs.
鈥淥kay,鈥 he concluded. 鈥淲ill you marry me then?鈥
鈥淵eah, okay,鈥 said Omaira, laughing.
She鈥檇 bought a 鈥渢acky, souvenir ring鈥 during her time in Athens. Now, Omaira pulled it off her finger and handed it to Dimitris.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to propose to me, you have to do it properly, with the ring,鈥 she said.
鈥淥kay, will you marry me, with this ring?鈥 he said, laughing and holding out the ring.
鈥淪ure,鈥 said Omaira. And Dimitris slipped the ring onto her wedding finger.
It was just a light-hearted conversation. But to Omaira, the words felt charged.
鈥淭hat evening, as we were parting ways, I kept thinking, 鈥業 should say something to him. I really like this guy. I should say something because I鈥檓 leaving the next day and I have literally nothing to lose right now. If he says no, I鈥檓 never going to see him again鈥︹欌 she recalls.
But Omaira couldn鈥檛 bring herself to speak her feelings aloud.
鈥淪o I didn鈥檛 say anything. And I returned back to the UK.鈥
As for Dimitris, he was moving straight from working the Olympic Games to working the Paralympic Games. He didn鈥檛 really have time to fully register how he felt about Omaira leaving.
But as they said their goodbyes, Dimitris found himself thinking about the previous night鈥檚 marriage conversation.
鈥淚 remember looking at her and thinking 鈥業 could really marry her,鈥欌 he says. 鈥淚鈥檇 never felt that before.鈥
Staying in touch
When Omaira landed back in the UK, her mother picked her up at the airport. Omaira got into the car passenger seat and her mother looked at her, narrowing her eyes.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e met someone,鈥 she said.
鈥淣o, don鈥檛 be ridiculous,鈥 said Omaira.
Her mother just raised her eyebrows in response.
鈥淪he clocked on straight away,鈥 says Omaira today. 鈥淪he knew.鈥
A couple days later, Omaira caved, and confided in her mother about Dimitris.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e right,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 did meet someone. I want to go back to Athens, I have to find out how he feels about me.鈥
Omaira鈥檚 mother was sympathetic, but practical.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 do that,鈥 she said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know this person.鈥
So instead of jumping on another flight, Omaira resorted to keeping in touch with Dimitiris over MSN Messenger. Social media was in its infancy back in 2004, but instant messaging had taken off. It was an easy way of communicating with people across the world.
Still, Omaira also went old school 鈥 she handwrote Dimitris a letter from the UK, enclosing a photo of the two of them 鈥 both grinning into the camera lens, arms around each other. The picture was taken the night they met, on the first evening in Athens.
A few friends commented that Omaira and Dimitris looked like a couple in the picture. One of the other Olympics volunteers scrutinized the picture, and then asked Omaira if anything happened between her and Dimitris.
Nothing happened, replied Omaira, truthfully. Because nothing actually had happened. It was all what ifs, should haves, could haves.
Then one evening, Omaira was chatting with Dimitris on instant messenger. They both sat at desktop computers, typing messages back and forth.
鈥淗ow are you doing?鈥 asked Omaira.
鈥淚鈥檓 a bit sad today,鈥 wrote Dimitris.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 up?鈥 asked Omaira.
Dimitris鈥 reply made Omaira pause, her heart beating fast:
鈥淚鈥檓 missing someone.鈥
鈥淲ho are you missing?鈥 Omaira wrote back.
鈥淵ou,鈥 said Dimitris.
After that, their messages became more frequent. Omaira and Dimitris started chatting on the phone. They talked about their feelings for each other, and wondered aloud if they could make it work.
International visits
After a few months of regular instant messaging and phone calls, Dimitris came to visit Omaira in the UK for a few days in October 2004.
By then, Omaira had left her parents鈥 house and moved south to London to pursue a journalism masters degree.
In the lead up to his visit, Omaira practiced her favorite recipes, with the idea she鈥檇 impress Dimitris with her cooking skills.
鈥淏ut then just before he arrived, I came down with this horrible cold 鈥 so he ended up cooking for me 鈥 and he cooks really well,鈥 says Omaira. 鈥淪o eating this food I was like, 鈥極kay, now what? I played my ace and his cooking is better than mine. So that鈥檚 not going to work.鈥欌
But Omaira didn鈥檛 need to worry about impressing Dimitris with elaborate meals. It was clear he liked her. They spent a happy few days in each others鈥 company, and Dimitris went back to Greece hoping to see Omaira again soon.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know what role I would play in her life but I hoped it would be a good one,鈥 he says.
Then, a month or so later, Omaira flew to Athens to visit Dimitris. Even though the London visit had gone well, she was still nervous. Her friends and family were a little skeptical about the relationship鈥檚 longevity.
鈥淚 remember my housemates were like, 鈥極h my god,鈥欌 says Omaira. 鈥淎nd I broke out in spots, I was so anxious about it.鈥
But on the plane over to Athens, Omaira told herself: 鈥淓ven if it turns out to be a total disaster, go out in a blaze of glory, have this adventure 鈥 you keep saying nothing interesting happens in your life. So go for it.鈥
And as soon as Omaira reunited with Dimitris, the nerves vanished. The ease and comfort she鈥檇 felt during his London visit returned.
鈥淗e was very kind and reassuring and I just felt that same sense of 鈥楾his is really familiar and very comfortable,鈥欌 she recalls.
Dimitris was excited to host Omaira in Greece.
鈥淏y then we鈥檇 built a strong emotional connection talking every day on the phone, so I felt close to her,鈥 he says.
From there, Omaira and Dimitris committed to a long distance relationship, traveling back and forth between the UK and Greece to visit one another. In between, they spoke on the phone, sent emails and instant messages 鈥 and Omaira wrote Dimitris handwritten letters, which she sprayed with her perfume.
Dimitris looked forward to her mail.
鈥淥maira has a strong creative streak, she pours herself into any task and the letters were like that too,鈥 he says. 鈥淪he took a lot of care in all of the process.鈥
While letter writing wasn鈥檛 Dimitris鈥 thing, he did mail Omaira a copy of his favorite book, 鈥淭he Alchemist鈥 by Paulo Coelho.
鈥淲hen I read that book it struck me that sometimes the thing you searched the world over for was always right in front of you,鈥 says Dimitris.
Sharing the novel with Omaira felt important.
Omaira and Dimitris also got to know one another鈥檚 loved ones on their respective trips to the UK and Athens.
鈥淚 began to introduce her to my closest friends, and they all remember this because I would tell them 鈥楾here鈥檚 someone I want you to meet. It鈥檚 serious, tell me what you think鈥 as they鈥檙e great judges of character,鈥 recalls Dimitris. 鈥淭hey all adored her straight away.鈥
In between trips they missed one another, but both Dimitris and Omaira felt it was important for them not to rush their romance. Dimitris was especially conscious of this, given he was a little older than Omaira.
鈥淚 missed her, but I also knew that I would be taking something away from her if I moved things too fast,鈥 he says. 鈥淥maira has said when she met me she felt like she was at a crossroads trying to figure out where to go next. I wanted her to figure that out on her own with her own time and space, her own job, social circle etc. I didn鈥檛 want to push those decisions for her.鈥
Next chapter
Cut to 2006. Omaira finished her journalism postgraduate studies and started working in a bank 鈥 not her dream job, but a job that paid the bills. She was moving into the next stage of her life, and so she started looking into the logistics of moving to Greece to be with Dimitris. He was excited to welcome her to Athens.
鈥淪ix months before I actually moved, I started Greek lessons in London, just so I鈥檇 have a language base when I moved,鈥 Omaira recalls. 鈥淢y bank let me keep my job remotely, so I was one of the remote working pioneers.鈥
From there, Omaira and Dimitris settled into life in Athens together, making regular trips back to the UK to see Omaira鈥檚 friends and family.
It was on one of these UK visits that Dimitris proposed. Omaira jokes that it wasn鈥檛 the most romantic moment 鈥 they were barbecuing in her parents鈥 garden and she had 鈥渟moke in my hair, grease all over me.鈥 But she was delighted to take this next step.
Omaira and Dimitris got married in Athens on the hottest day of 2009.
鈥淲e did the ceremony in the morning at the mayor鈥檚 office with lots of friends and family. And then in the evening, we did a beach party with our nearest and dearest friends 鈥 so less than 50 people. The beach party was really nice, super casual,鈥 says Omaira.
Omaira designed her wedding dress herself. Her father is from Pakistan, and her mother is from India, and she wanted to wear something that nodded to traditional dress, wasn鈥檛 too heavy in the heat, and felt true to her.
鈥淪he looked so beautiful,鈥 says Dimitris. 鈥淣either of us felt nervous on our wedding day. It felt like a new chapter in what we had already started together.鈥
Omaira and Dimitris welcomed their first child, Hermes, in 2011. They were over the moon, but parenthood wasn鈥檛 without its challenges. At just over a year old, Hermes was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a muscle degenerative disease. People with Duchenne usually don鈥檛 live past their 30s.
鈥淲e were in shock,鈥 says Omaira.
But she and Dimitris were determined their son would enjoy a full, fulfilling life 鈥 and Hermes鈥 diagnosis lit a fire in them both.
鈥淚鈥檇 studied journalism, but I ended up working in financial marketing,鈥 says Omaira. 鈥淚 decided, 鈥極kay, I鈥檓 going to work on journalism really aggressively now. Because I have to prove to my son that if you really want something, you can get it, you just have to work hard. I can鈥檛 just tell him, I have to prove it to him 鈥 be the living example.鈥
Omaira left her fulltime job and started working as a freelance journalist, writing about politics, culture and her personal experiences.
鈥淚鈥檓 very proud of her,鈥 says Dimitiris, who has since become a Duchenne patient advocate.
As Omaira and Dimitiris came to terms with their son鈥檚 diagnosis, they only felt more solid in their certainty in each other.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough thing,鈥 says Omaira. 鈥淏ut we picked the right person to go through it with.鈥
This feeling was compounded when the couple went through two miscarriages.
Omaira and Dimitris now have three children, with their sons Hector and Orion rounding out the family.
Dimitris calls fatherhood, 鈥渢he greatest feeling in the world.鈥
鈥淭hey are the best pieces of Omaira so they are very precious to me,鈥 he says of his children.
The couple are raising their kids speaking a mix of Greek and English, and highlighting Greek, British, Indian and Pakistani traditions.
鈥淭he kids have been very aware of both halves of where they come from,鈥 says Omaira.
When they started raising their children, Omaira and Dimitris also realized the similarities between their respective cultural backgrounds 鈥 they鈥檇 both been raised with an emphasis on community and family.
鈥淎nd accepting that family is going to interfere in your business,鈥 says Omaira, laughing.
20 years later
This year marks 20 years since Omaira and Dimitris crossed paths at the Athens Olympics. As someone who grew up loving the Olympic Games, it鈥檚 special to Omaira that her life is now forever entwined with the Games.
鈥淚 get very sentimental every time the Olympics roll around, because I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 where we met,鈥欌 says Omaira. 鈥淓very time I watch the Greece Olympic opening ceremony, I will always cry because I remember how nice it felt to be there. It鈥檚 where our story started.鈥
鈥淭he Olympics have a special place in my heart,鈥 agrees Dimitris. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the reason we met and why I have the family I have today.鈥
It seems appropriate, says Omaira, that there are five Olympic rings and she and Dimitris and their sons are a family of five.
鈥淎lthough sometimes I joke with Dimtiris, 鈥榊ou gave me one ring. I need four more, because there鈥檚 five Olympic rings.鈥欌
Omaira and Dimitris excited to watch this year鈥檚 opening ceremony in Paris. And coincidentally, they鈥檒l be in the city during the Games 鈥 although not at the Stade de France. Omaira, Dimitris and their kids will be at Disneyland Paris, Paris鈥 Disney theme park, with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which facilitates memorable moments for children living with incurable illnesses.
鈥淗ermes asked for a trip to Disney,鈥 says Omaira. 鈥淪o it just so happens we鈥檒l be in Paris during the Olympics.鈥
Twenty years after her volunteer experience, Omaira is still an advocate for the Olympic volunteer program 鈥 and always encourages people to sign up.
鈥淚t was spectacular,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 still have friends from volunteering. We鈥檙e still in touch, spread around Europe 鈥 spread around here, there and everywhere. It was wonderful, because it was really what I wanted, which was to experience the Olympics, from the inside.鈥
And of course, volunteering led Omaira to Dimitris 鈥 and to a marriage of 15 years and counting.
鈥淚t鈥檚 by no means a perfect marriage, but if I was to say a final word to someone reading this, it would be, in addition to my other comments to you, that there are times when you are madly in love and there are times when you wake up and choose to love that person, because things are hard,鈥 says Omaira.
鈥淵ou can experience multiple shades of a relationship with the same person. And also, go forth and volunteer, kids, you never know what might happen.鈥
