 Theresa Rah, communications director of the 2018 Winter Games Bid Committee |
Whether she wants it or not, Theresa Rah is now a celebrity. Following her emotive presentation for PyeongChang in Durban, South Africa, July 6, the 38-year-old communications director of the 2018 Winter Games Bid Committee finds herself smack in the middle of limelight.
“When we finished our presentation I thought we had made the best presentation out of the three,” Teresa Rah said in an interview held in downtown Seoul.
Rah renowned for her fluency in English, French looked like she was still recovering from jet lag, but never lost her smile.
“Because I had seen Munich’s and I’d seen Annecy’s. They were good but they didn’t have extra factors. They were very smooth and slick, professional but didn’t have anything extra. They had always said we were the favorites and if they had come out with maybe a really powerful presentation they could’ve gotten more votes in the end. It could sometimes swing some votes,” Rah said.
“The two cities (Munich and Annecy) had a good, professional presentation. But PyeongChang had that extra something.”
She said, “We really needed it and we really wanted it.”
In Durban at the IOC General Assembly, PyeongChang became the host city overwhelming other candidates. But the surprise was the margin. The number of final votes PyeongChang acquired was 63 while Munich and Annecy got only 25 and 7, respectively.
Rah mentioned about 10 IOC members decided to vote for PyeongChang after its presentation.
“There was a lot of emotion, humor, earnest longing and youth and it all came together,” Rah said.
“Even after the votes when I stay behind in Durban for a couple of days. The IOC members still came up to me and said PyeongChang’s presentation was the best. ‘You guy’s won maybe five or 10 votes because of that’, they added.”
While Rah was rehearsing the final presentation, she was choked up.
“I knew I could not choke up at the final presentation. Someone said that it would be very powerful if I did. Then some others said don’t, the IOC members don’t like it. Then special ambassador Kim choked up and I decided that I couldn’t choke up,”
The tired but happy Rah is now spending some time with her family.
“I will disappear in August,” Rah said as she is going to Canada to see her family-in-laws.
Rah was very careful about whether she will work for the PyeongChang Winter Games Organizing Committee.
“It is hard to say now, but I will be at PyeongChang in 2018 at least as a spectator,” she said.
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