i love the olympics. i really do. i love the carefully crafted sentimental stories capped off by world recognition. a competitive athlete for nearly all of my youth, nothing makes me happier than someone earning a world record, a medal or closure in a rollercoaster career in sports. i love that once every four years the world gathers to celebrate healthy competition.
over the years, i've met several world champions and olympians. i am fascinated by them all. their drive. their focus. their ability to will their bodies to do incredible things. in the early 90s, a friend was dating an olympic gold medalist. i remember asking him stories about his life. i watched the video of tears streaming down his face when he was on the podium. i wore his medal around my neck and raised my arms in victory. the medal had weight. it felt amazing. it wasn't engraved or very beautiful but it is king of all medals. he accomplished something very few people in the world can lay claim to -- at this moment in time, i am the world's greatest athlete in my field. owning that feeling must justify every sacrifice that lead up to the moment. what you do after it's all over must be even more difficult.
having tivo'd all the olympic programs so far, i can watch events at my leisure. i'm fascinated by it all. truly. it saddened me to see the stands so empty this year, mainly because greece couldn't get their act together but also because travelling's a buzz kill these days. i'm looking forward to cheerleading getting approved by the IOC as an official olympic sport. i'll guarantee you the tickets will sell out for this event no matter what. and co-ed competitions! also, when they're done competing they can go cheer on other teams. win-win.
UPDATE: memorable olympic moments available here.
