How many of us dreamed great dreams of Olympic glory as children? Millions of children watched Olga Corbett, Mark Spitz, Janet Evans or Bruce Jenner and learned to believe that they too could do great things.

Some in our area have made it: Ray Mercer left Augusta to win the heavyweight boxing gold medal at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea, and Charlie Simpkins of Aiken competed in the triple jump in Seoul and went on to win the silver medal four years ago in Barcelona.

There are a dozen other stories of area athletes who reached, or nearly reached, national teams in their sports.

But most of us hold on to a small corner of those dreams, years after we moved on to other pursuits.

Now, with the Games just 150 miles away, local people have a thousand ways to become involved and give themselves a personal Olympic memory to cherish for the rest of their lives.

Three people in Aiken are already in the middle of theirs: Cheryl Black

Cheryl Black is half consumed with the task of caring for the dozen people - and the dozen horses - coming to train in Aiken this July with the Australian Olympic Equestrian Team.

The Australians, gold medal winners in Barcelona, are to be the guests of the people of Aiken for about 10 days before the Games. Upon Cheryl's head have fallen many of the details of transportation, housing, practice facilities, and a dozen different headaches to go along with the thousand minor details.

``There are dozens of us working on this together, and we all are thrilled just to be a part of it. The work is its own reward, but the icing will be going to Atlanta and cheering for our new friends,'' she said recently. Factory in Aiken, which she owns with her husband, Steve.} Rich Sherman

Rich Sherman isn't a volunteer, but he is doing more to bring Olympic athletes to Aiken than any other single person.

He owns the South Carolina Outdoor Shooting Center, about 10 miles southeast of Aiken on U.S. Highway 78. The British, Italian and Australian shooting teams will use the center to practice and get acclimated to Southern heat and humidity before moving into the Olympic Village.

``This is a great opportunity for the entire Aiken business community,'' Mr. Sherman said with his usual enthusiasm. The teams are expected to bring their fans with them, and the British team coach, Ian Coley, confirmed in late April that he plans to use the Aiken site as his permanent training base.

``Once we are recognized worldwide, Aiken will become synonymous with the shooting sports, trap, skeet, sporting clays - maybe even the way that people think of golf when they hear the name Augusta,'' Mr. Sherman said. Cissy Brodie

Cissy Brodie and Mr. Sherman are alike at least in their enthusiasm.

She and her retired banker husband, Wade, are famous in Aiken for their hospitality, and they showed it again by inviting four members of the U.S. Women's Rowing Team to stay at her home while they trained on Langley Pond and the Savannah River in April.

``We've taken over her house,'' Betsy McCagg, of Seattle, the U.S. rowing athlete of the year, said while still in Aiken.

``We hang out in Cissy's bedroom, where we have our bull sessions. It is so great to have a house we can roam, where we can cook our own food and feel at home. It is so important to have a place to relax when you are under so much pressure,'' Ms. McCagg's twin sister, Mary, said.

Tammy Stout of the Greater Augusta Sports Council said that drivers and interpreters (for Chinese marksmen, Lithuanian, Norwegian and Romanian rowers, German equestrians, Mexican boxers, Italian shooters, and other) are still needed.