Patrick Kinas, who is calling preliminary swimming heats at the Olympics for NBC, says he's spent eight to 10 hours a day studying the backgrounds of hundreds of athletes to capture and related their stories.
A WRITING SENIOR, SOPHIE HANSEN COULD MEDAL FOR SWEDEN. SHE IS SWIMMING IN THE FINALS FOR THE WOMEN'S 100 METER BRUSHSTROKE. >> THE VOICE OF DURHAM IS ALSO IN TOKYO. PATRICK WILL HOST 24 HOURS OF LIVE SWIMMING COVERAGE AND WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW OLYMPIC DREAMS AREN'T JUST FOR ATHLETES. >> I WAS JUST STUNNED. >> DOING THE TOKYO? WAS THE FURTHEST THING FROM PATRICK'S MIND. >> THIS WASN'T EVEN ON MY RADAR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, LIFE CHANGES WITH THE SPAN OF ONE PHONE CALL. >> A CALL HE DID NOT EVEN ANSWER WHILE SITTING IN A McDONALD'S DRIVE-THROUGH. >> I WILL NEVER SCREEN A CALL FROM NEW YORK AREA CODE AGAIN. >> THEN CAME A VOICEMAIL AND AN OPPORTUNITY. THEY WANTED HIM FOR THE TRIALS. >> THERE ARE SOME DAYS WHERE I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED. >> AN OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED BY THE PANDEMIC. >> LAST SUMMER, THEY HAD THEIR PORTFOLIO OF BROADCASTERS SET AND I WAS NOT ON IT AND NOR DID I EXPECT TO BE. >> YOU CALLED SO MANY SPORTS OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT MAKES THE OLYMPICS DIFFERENT? >> A TOUGH QUESTION BECAUSE THE OLYMPICS ARE LIKE NO OTHER. >> PARENTS AND COACHES AND TEAMMATES OF THESE ATHLETES CAN'T GO. ALL OF THESE ATHLETES AND ALL THESE FAMILY MEMBERS AND ALL THESE FANS ARE GOING TO BE WATCHING THIS. >> SINCE THE CALL, HE HAS BEEN CRAMMING FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST TESTS OF HIS BROADCASTING CAREER. >> I HAVE BEEN SPENDING 10 HOURS A DAY WORKING THROUGH THESE ATHLETES AND SOME OF THE STORIES. >> THERE ARE WELL OVER 800 ATHLETES IN ALL WITH THEIR OWN STORIES. >> MY JOB IS TO BE THAT VOICE AND TO FIND THOSE STORIES AND PACKAGE THEM IN A WAY THAT MAKES THE PEOPLE WATCHING AND LISTENING ROOT FOR THEM A LITTLE BIT MORE. >> ROOTING FOR THOSE OLYMPIC DREAMS. >> THIS IS SOMETHING I HAVE BEEN HOPING FOR AND DREAMING ABOUT FOR YEARS AND YEARS. >> HE HAS COVERED SWIMMING FOR NBC DURING 2016 BUT IT WAS DIFFERENT. HE COVERED THE FINALS ON RADIO. >> THE AMERICANS ARE GOING TO WIN THEIR FOURTH TWO BY HUNDRED. >> INCLUDING WHEN HE WON HIS FINAL INDIVIDUAL MEDAL , MICHAEL PHELPS THAT IS. >> WHAT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND ANOTHER DREAM COME TRUE. THEY ARE EXPECTING THEIR FIRST CHILD IN DECEMBER.
