An 鈥榰nreal鈥 experience: Connecting with Olympic and Paralympic alumni
A career-long focus on building networks helped 天美传媒alumna Lisa Milne land a "dream job" with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
July 29, 2024
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Seated on the starting block of lane five during the USA swimming trials, the full impact of Lisa Milne鈥檚 (BSSpS 鈥02) new job came to her.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an alumni swim,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淵ou have Olympians, and you have Team USA athletes鈥ringing their kids.鈥
In her capacity as director of alumni relations, Milne鈥檚 role was to interact with the Team USA Alumni swimmers. In this instance, that meant soaking in the ambience and snapping photos as the athletes reunited with former teammates from different points in their illustrious careers.
鈥淭hey were like kids again,鈥 she says, going on to describe the experience as 鈥渦nreal.鈥
That鈥檚 when the gratitude hit her.
鈥淪o I'm firing off emails and texts to every woman that ever got me where I am,鈥 she recalls.鈥 I was like, can you believe this?鈥
Lisa Milne and John Moffet (鈥80, 鈥84 Olympian) at USA Swimming Trials, Indianapolis, Indiana.
"Hugs and stories"
Milne has been with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements for just under a year, continuing work she鈥檚 done for multiple universities by coordinating alumni relations. Her official title is Director of Alumni Relations for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, but Milne says she has found 鈥渉er calling,鈥 and has a simple way of describing the role.
鈥淚 don't know how to put it into words other than I like to give hugs and collect stories.鈥
That鈥檚 exactly what she鈥檒l be doing in Paris over the course of the 2024 Olympic Games. Milne is spending three weeks building relationships with the alumni who visit the Team USA House in the , where she will get to collect more stories like the ones she hears in her meetings with the athletes.
鈥淲e usually spend about an hour and a half just talking about rowing or like, the good old days 鈥 and learning how those moments impacted their lives,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd how they still use those things to be the successful person that they are. So that's just amazing.鈥
Milne rowed crew as an exercise physiology undergrad at OHIO, and her time as a seven seat in the Bobcat boat has influenced almost everything she鈥檚 done since.
鈥淚 was learning how to network and connect when I was at OHIO,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 had all these random pieces that came out of that [rowing experience] that I really utilized the rest of my life and still to this day鈥
Lisa Milne's official headshot for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
Finding her "power corner"
After graduation, Milne would go on to coach rowing and work in various capacities at several institutions, eventually finding her way to alumni relations鈥攁nd back to her alma mater, where her husband Spencer continues to work as the assistant athletics director for the Bobcat Club.
When she saw the job supporting Olympic and Paralympic alumni, she knew it would be a chance to continue her 鈥渉ugs and stories鈥 work, this time with world-class athletes from across the United States. Part of her role is to expand alumni operations to encompass all Team USA athletes, whether they made it to the Olympic or Paralympic Games or not.
鈥淲e are really developing a journey for these athletes,鈥 Milne says, describing the approach of the organization to its alumni. 鈥淲e are the people that are supporting their journey and trying to make it the best one that we can possibly do.鈥
An especially poignant example of the unique Olympic journey came her way recently, when a contact shared a 鈥渂eautiful letter鈥 written by the 1976 US men鈥檚 swimming team to the women鈥檚 team.
鈥淭here was a lot going on [that year],鈥 Milne explains. 鈥淎nd the letter said 鈥楬ey, we support you. We are proud of you. With luck,鈥 and the entire men鈥檚 team signed it.鈥
Back at the USA Swimming trials alumni swim, Milne was sending her own version of that letter. Messaging the people who helped her get there, she reflected on the 鈥減ower of building a great network and community.鈥
鈥淎s long as you've got this little power corner, you can get wherever you need to be.
And that was definitely what happened to me.鈥
More Bobcats in Paris
Whether they're working for the USOPC or covering the Games, we're seeing news of 天美传媒alumni in Paris in various capacities. Here are a few of their stories:
- (BSJ '08), no stranger to the Games, is attending as an NBC4 morning anchor for WCMH in Columbus. Barnes seems to take his 天美传媒flag everywhere, bringing it out for photo ops with fellow Bobcats. (Catch the photos on his !)
- serves as a technical delegate for the track and road para-cycling events of the Paralympics. 鈥淚 take a lot of pride in organizing a really strong event that helps the sport grow," Fraser says in this story from the Niagara Gazette.
- will help Team USA look their best at this year鈥檚 Olympics. As a volunteer with Team USA, Stell will make the most of her background as a French teacher.