If there were a medal for Olympics enthusiasts, Betty Astrand would win the gold.
The 79-year-old has travelled all the way from Australia to attend the Rio Games... But this isn’t her sporting debut.
She said “I’m a fan of the Olympics as you can see. I’ve been to the last 15, every one of them. The first one was the 1960 in Rome, Tokyo, Mexico… London, and of course Rio, as yet I have not found a cloth badge.”
This morning, Betty’s on the hunt for a Rio 2016 patch to sow on her collector’s hat.
With an expert mix of sign language, English and basic Portuguese, she finds her heart’s desire.
Then, it’s off to the Olympic Park for a trampoline competition. An hour and a half, two trains and one bus later… There’s only one secret to avoid getting lost :
Betty’s look doesn’t go unnoticed, and she soon finds admirers on her way.
In 56 years, Betty has seen the Games change. And her first Olympics felt a lot different.
