Local lands fun gig as Stanford mascot at Paris Olympics

SHS grad Ruby Coulson to appear as ‘The Tree’ through school year

By Matthew Nash • August 21, 2024 1:30 am
Photos courtesy Stanford Athletics Above: Ruby Coulson of Sequim stands in Paris as the Stanford Tree during the Olympics with the Eiffel Tower in the background. During her recent trip she met and interviewed past and present Stanford athletes who competed in the Olympics.
Photos courtesy Stanford Athletics Above: Ruby Coulson of Sequim stands in Paris as the Stanford Tree during the Olympics with the Eiffel Tower in the background. During her recent trip she met and interviewed past and present Stanford athletes who competed in the Olympics.

Appearing as the towering icon “The Tree” for Stanford University, Sequim’s Ruby Coulson got to meet some of her school’s and the world’s best athletes at the biggest sporting event of the year — the Paris Olympics.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I feel like I don’t have the words for it.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, for sure.”

The Sequim High grad (Class of 2023) was selected in April to be the Stanford Tree for the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band, and with help from alumni Andrew and Nicole Luck she was able to travel to Paris to support current and former Stanford athletes.

According to university staff, Stanford athletes had a school-record 39 medals (12 gold, 14 silver, 13 bronze) and 59 Olympians competing with ties to the school — who represented 14 countries in 20 sports.

Stanford’s women’s swimming and diving program recorded 17 medals, including four from alumna Katie Ledecky (two gold, one silver and one bronze); she became the most decorated American female Olympian of all time in any sport with 14 medals overall.

Ledecky was one of the many Stanford Olympians Coulson met and interviewed, along with swimmer Torri Huske, Stanford’s lone returning medalist who earned five medals (three gold and two silver).

More photos and videos of Coulson in Paris and during the upcoming sports’ seasons can be found at the Stanford Tree’s account @dastanfordtree on social media.

In Paris, Coulson visited the Luxembourg Garden, the Panthéon, saw the Eiffel Tower, and stayed in a hotel near the road cycling and marathon events.

She was able to attend one sporting event the same day she flew in and saw the gymnastics’ finals for the women’s vault, men’s floor and men’s pommel horse.

Coulson went without the Tree because tickets were hard to come by and she figured security likely would not have let her in wearing it. Instead, she met athletes out and about training or exploring the area.

Reflecting on her takeaways from the trip, Coulson said she saw how many people it takes to put on something like the Olympics, and the large amount of people it takes to help the athletes.

She also admits to moments of being starstruck, but felt with people like Katie Ledecky, Coulson said, while she’s an “exceptional person, she’s also just a person.”

At right: The Stanford Tree (Coulson) and gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar, who competed for the Philippines’ women’s gymnastics team and is an incoming Stanford freshman, jump together in Paris during an interview promoting the university’s many Olympians.

At right: The Stanford Tree (Coulson) and gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar, who competed for the Philippines’ women’s gymnastics team and is an incoming Stanford freshman, jump together in Paris during an interview promoting the university’s many Olympians.

Her tree

Coulson’s trip to Paris came just a few months after being selected as the 46th Tree, the unofficial mascot for Stanford, which has been an annual tradition since 1975.

In Paris, she wore Herman the Tree — made by Grayson Armour for the 2021-22 school year — while she’s been working this summer in Sequim to finish her unnamed Tree to wear at sporting events this school year.

Her “Tree unveiling” is set for Stanford’s first home football game on Aug. 30 against TCU. It’s Stanford’s first football game after leaving the Pac-12 for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

She and her parents John and Jodie Coulson will drive down on Aug. 27 as the size of her costume is not conducive to flying.

“There’s no way to do this except going big,” Coulson said of the costume.

Her tree has a “tree-tradition” theme, she said, and has a similar shape to the previous Tree made by Emily Rodriguez and size as the one she wore in Paris.

She’s leaning towards naming it after a high profile movie or actress.

For a few weeks into the football season, she’ll miss a few games as she’ll be doing accelerated university credit hours in Tanzania, but she is going to try to find someone with some experience to stand in.

She’s most excited to appear as the Stanford Tree at the 127th Big Game matchup in Berkeley between Stanford and California on Nov. 23.

“Big Game is always fun and it’s during Thanksgiving break so I won’t have any classes,” Coulson said.

She’ll serve as the Tree through April 2025. Follow her appearances at @dastanfordtree.

Photos courtesy Stanford Athletics Ruby Coulson poses for a photo as the Stanford Tree with alumni Katie Ledecky and Andrew Luck during a promotional event. Ledecky, a swimmer, became the most decorated American female Olympian at the Paris Olympics. Luck, a retired professional football player, also helped Coulson go to Paris so she could help promote the university and its athletes.

Photos courtesy Stanford Athletics Ruby Coulson poses for a photo as the Stanford Tree with alumni Katie Ledecky and Andrew Luck during a promotional event. Ledecky, a swimmer, became the most decorated American female Olympian at the Paris Olympics. Luck, a retired professional football player, also helped Coulson go to Paris so she could help promote the university and its athletes.

Photo courtesy Stanford Athletics/ As the Stanford Tree, Ruby Coulson of Sequim interviews Stanford swimmer Torri Huske, the university’s lone returning medalist who earned three gold medals and two silver in the Paris Olympics. for a photo as the Stanford Tree with alumni Katie Ledecky and Andrew Luck during a promotional event. Ledecky became the most decorated American female Olympian at the Paris Olympics. Luck also helped Coulson go to Paris so she could help promote the university and its athletes.

Photo courtesy Stanford Athletics/ As the Stanford Tree, Ruby Coulson of Sequim interviews Stanford swimmer Torri Huske, the university’s lone returning medalist who earned three gold medals and two silver in the Paris Olympics. for a photo as the Stanford Tree with alumni Katie Ledecky and Andrew Luck during a promotional event. Ledecky became the most decorated American female Olympian at the Paris Olympics. Luck also helped Coulson go to Paris so she could help promote the university and its athletes.

Ruby Coulson, as the Stanford Tree, takes in the sites during her trip to the Paris Olympics earlier this month. She visited the Luxembourg Garden, the Panthéon, saw the Eiffel Tower, and stayed in a hotel near the road cycling and marathon events.

Ruby Coulson, as the Stanford Tree, takes in the sites during her trip to the Paris Olympics earlier this month. She visited the Luxembourg Garden, the Panthéon, saw the Eiffel Tower, and stayed in a hotel near the road cycling and marathon events.

Photo courtesy Ruby Coulson/ Sequim High 2023 graduate Ruby Coulson will serve as Stanford University’sTree, the school’s unofficial mascot, for the 2024-25 academic year.

Photo courtesy Ruby Coulson/ Sequim High 2023 graduate Ruby Coulson will serve as Stanford University’sTree, the school’s unofficial mascot, for the 2024-25 academic year.