He lives on the east coast and she on the west. Despite the difference in time (zones) and space, Trevor Houchens, 25, who works in the AI team for Boeing in Boston, and Maura Driscoll, 24, a software engineer for Strava in San Francisco, coordinated for over eight months to make the trip happen. Both of them cycling enthusiasts were always clear this was the best year to visit France as they could catch the end of the Tour de France, watch the Olympics and also get in some cycling around France in the few days between the end of the Tour and the start of the Olympics.

They planned for eight months and had already bought tickets to Olympics women’s football, track and field and cycling events last November. “We got lucky with the women’s football quarter-finals as USWNT beat Japan 1-0 in that game. We had no clue who would be playing when we bought the tickets. We saw two stages of the Tour de France, cycled some of the sections of the tour’s time trial course in Nice and are now having a great time attending our first Olympics,” said Houchens.

The two have cycled more than 1,000km in the last two weeks and while that has been very satisfying, Driscoll’s highlight has been the energy she has witnessed in Paris because of the Olympics.

“Everyone is excited, it’s infectious. There are so many diverse people from all across the world in Paris at the moment and I can constantly hear new and different languages, it is wonderful. I have also loved the way the French people cheer their teams and athletes in the stadiums and on the streets, they are so loud and full of vigour,” said Driscoll.

Both made their Olympics debut this year and are sure they are going to attend a few more Olympics in their lifetimes.