U.S. softball player Caitlin Lowe is making her Olympic debut at the 2008 Beijing Games. The outfielder, a former University of Arizona standout, is part of the American team that's aiming to win its fourth straight Olympic gold medal.

Entering your first Olympics, have your coaches or teammates told you what to expect at the Games?
The one thing coach has emphasized to us is that it's a whole new set of emotions to deal with at the Olympics. … But I've been playing against the top international teams for three, going on four years, so I'm ready to compete against them on [the Olympic] stage.

What are you most looking forward to at the Olympics?
I think going to the Opening Ceremony is going to be the experience of a lifetime. … Last time [players] were told that they could go to the Opening Ceremony if they wanted, but a lot of people chose to skip it because it was late and they had games to get ready for. But this time I think everyone wants to do it, just to be a part of it and see everyone come together.

Have you been to Beijing before?
This will be my third time. [In previous trips our team] went to the Great Wall and did a photo-op once we climbed it. And we went to the Forbidden City.

Do you have any favorite Olympic memories from watching previous Games at home?
I think it was back in 2000. The [U.S. softball] team was on the brink on elimination and they came back to win, not just that game, but they won the gold medal. That just showed what USA softball is all about.

Is there pressure to help Team USA get its fourth straight gold?
Definitely, we're expected to win. And we're expected not just to win, but to dominate like last time. … But I've played on teams like that, like in college at Arizona, where we play with a bull's-eye on our backs.

Is there a bit of a cloud hanging over this Games with the possibility of this being softball's last Olympic appearance?
I think everyone kind of has it in the back of their minds. … We younger girls, we don't have a gold medal. So we want to go out and make it exciting and be ambassadors of our sport.

With players on the U.S. team coming from rival schools such as Arizona and UCLA, is there a rivalry on the team?
No, not really. Sometimes people make little remarks around the College World Series, but there isn't really a rivalry.

Is there a generational gap on Team USA between the younger girls and some of the veteran players that have recently gotten married and had children?
A little bit, but I consider it to be a good thing. We all have a lot of things in common, but we all also have different backgrounds and different strengths.

Did you watch Jennie Finch on The Apprentice?
I watched the first couple [of episodes]. She's probably the least confrontational person you'll ever meet, so it was funny to see her working around people like Omarosa. And when she got fired, Donald Trump said it was because she was too nice, so I thought, 'That's a good way to go.'

What was it like getting to meet President George W. Bush when your Arizona team went to the White House? It was an experience of a lifetime. … I was star-struck when I met him, but then he said hi to each of us and asked how we were doing. … Before we met him the Secret Service told us all of these rules, but then he came in and he was so down-to-earth.