WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A West Palm Beach resident is living her Olympic dream after attending the opening ceremony in Milan on Friday.
"I'm very excited because we just got to see the opening ceremony," Anna Kroninger said.
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Kroninger landed in Milan on Thursday and spent her evening at the opening ceremony, a moment she has been looking forward to for two years since securing her ticket.
The Olympic experience holds special meaning for Kroninger, who grew up in a household where watching the Games was a family tradition.
"I grew up watching the Olympics, like we did in my household, we would watch like every single event," Kroninger said. "The only way I can describe it is surreal."
Kroninger says that Olympic tickets are challenging to obtain, but she was lucky enough to secure tickets to a women's ice hockey game on Saturday.
"It's crazy because it's like, 'Oh, you're going to Italy?' and I'm like, 'Yeah, we're going to the Olympics!' and it's like, ' What do you mean you're going to the Olympics? '" Kroninger said.
While she won't be able to see the Florida Panthers players compete on their respective national teams, Kroninger remains enthusiastic about the hockey match she'll attend.
"I do like hockey, so I'm excited; it's always a good game," Kroninger said.
Despite only being able to attend one Olympic event, Kroninger says the experience will create lasting memories.
"All of the countries are really coming together and everyone is just kind of having that pride for our athletes," Kroninger said.
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