Alumnus Tim Kelchner left the first weekend of February for Sochi, Russia, where he will cover the 2014 Winter Olympics with NBC.
“The Olympic atmosphere has been incredible! The Opening Ceremony isn’t until Friday, but there’s definitely a buzz around Sochi,” he said.
In preparation for reporting on the Winter Olympics, which will begin on Feb. 7, Kelchner was sent to Salt Lake City, Utah, for several days of live-shots with NBC.
“You train and practice and try,” he said, and even after experiencing a four-hour blizzard during live-shots in Utah, the reporter expressed his enjoyment of the uncontrolled factors of his profession. “I prefer to be out in the field,” Kelchner said.
On encountering the challenges of a foreign reporting environment, Kelchner said that since Russia is an entirely different culture, many aspects of reporting will require some adjustments.
Even Russia’s technical aspects will differ from those of the United States, including European outlets. “Security is very tight,” Kelchner said.
“Since we arrived, one of the biggest challenges has been the language barrier,” Kelchner said. “Most volunteers speak a little English, but unfortunately my Russian is very limited, ‘hello’, ‘good bye’ and ‘thank you’, can only get you so far. So finding transportation, navigating the Olympics’ venues and even looking for places to eat has been a tricky, but fun challenge.”
Before the Olympic events had even started, Kelchner already had his brush with fame. “The biggest surprise was Tuesday night at dinner – I ate dinner with Apolo Ohno! He was on his way to a speaking engagement and needed to grab a quick bite, so he introduced himself and asked me if he could sit down… who am I to say no to the most decorated American in Winter Olympic history! We only spent about 10 to 15 minutes talking, but he was very nice. I told him I was from Pennsylvania, and apparently he’s very familiar with the Keystone state. He used to train in Reading. It was definitely the highlight of the trip so far!”
Additionally, a position as a reporter for the Winter Olympics requires that those selected prepare through different phases,” Kelchner said, and he emphasized that there was a necessary “research phase” involved for him. Reporters for the Olympics must have a certain level of familiarity with many kinds of sports. In addition to reviewing sports terms and other essential information about well-known events like skating and snowboarding, Kelchner prepared to report on sports that are less popular to the general audience. “I’ll have to research the men’s curling team,” he said.
“I always felt I was a step ahead,” Kelchner said. The morning anchor at WBRE-TV/WYOU-TV attributed that advantage to his communications education at Elizabethtown College. He praised the hands-on training he received from Etown, particularly through his involvement in ECTV-40, the College’s student-run television station.
As a Blue Jay, Kelchner used his education to gain skills in independently handling equipment and composing and by shooting and editing live-shots on his own. He credits his ability to work independently with being selected to cover the worldwide event in Russia with NBC and others, such as “The Today Show.”
However, Kelchner participated in more than just ECTV. He dedicated much of his time to first-year students through the College’s peer mentoring program, and he eventually earned a “Mr. Etown” title as well. Upon visiting ECTV’s station at the College for the first time in years, he noted how positively the studio had been renovated since his graduation. “I don’t recognize the place!” Kelchner said. According to his professional Facebook profile, Kelchner is already “Safe and sound in Sochi,” awaiting the Opening Ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 7.
