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Shelley Osterloh ReportingWe've found a few Utahns who have taken their experience at the 2002 games and turned it into a job in Italy, working for the Torino Organizing Committee call TOROC.
Dan Merkley of Salt Lake City does operations for the Olympic Village and Tom =Benson of Parowan is the ticketing system manager. Both say they have loved working, traveling and learning about Italy, its history and people.
Daniel Merkley, Salt Lake City Resident: "Torino is a great city. Its geographically located in a perfect spot in Italy where you are within seven hours drive of some of the greatest cities in Europe.
Tom Benson, Parowan Resident: "After my mission, I always planned on coming back to Italy at some point, so when this job came up, it's been great. Everything about Italy, the scenery, people the food, is great."
Dan Merkley: "I think about what we miss in the western US where nothing is older than 150 years, and everywhere you turn her something is several hundred years old. Italians take such good care at presenting their history and their culture. They are so good at dressing up a window, or a shop, or serving you a meal. They pay attention to these wonderful details .
Tom Benson: "We are very functional. It has to work right, but they, it's very important to them that it works, but it has to be beautiful."
Merkley and Benson aren't the only Utahns working in Torino. A handful of people we found are working in the Main Media Center for NBC and TOBO, Torino's Olympic Broadcasting network. Tom Kirkland introduced us to Carl Roepke who is a track announcer for the Luge, Bobsled and Skeleton, and Chris Jensen venue manager at Sestriere.
Everyone says all of their long planning and hard work has paid off with a successful games. And while they've enjoyed their time in Italy, they, like the rest of us, are anxious to get home to Utah.
