Celebrating the Olympians

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Okay, I will admit it…. I have never been a huge Summer Olympic fan. I prefer the snow, the ice, the cold weather and the excitement of downhill skiers, hockey games, bobsledding, speed skating, and, if you can believe it, curling!  But something happened over the course of the last two weeks. Maybe it was the advantage of having a recently installed new cable system with the option of watching all of NBC’s Olympic coverage. Maybe it was the fascination of London and my love for all things English. Maybe it was simply maturity and wisdom.

Associated Press

Whatever the case, I thought the 2012 Summer Olympics from London were splendid in just about every way. Every four years, the athletes from around the globe remind us that humanity can gather with all of our variety and opinions and live in peace, compete in fairness, and raise the human spirit to new heights.



Tahmina Kohistani
The Telegraph



These Olympic Games were full of milestones for women. For the very first time, every participating nation had a female representative – even from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Qatar. In a recent USA Today editorial, Richard Mackson wrote: “For Wojdan Shahrkhani and the other female Olympians from Islamic nations, the values of the Olympics offer a stark contrast to daily life back home. For example, while Afghan Sprinter Tahmina Kohistani ran a 100 meter preliminary event, women in her home nation sat in jail for committing the ‘moral crime’ of running away from home. While most Olympians are receiving nothing but outpourings of support, Kohistani, Shahrkhani and other Muslim women have been met with hate-filled message on social media, calling them prostitutes and disgraces to their religion. The participation of these women will not instantly improve conditions, but it represents progress none the less.” (USATODAY.com)



CBS News



Many nights during the past two weeks, I could not get out of my head, as I went to bed, that tag line that so many of us grew up with from ABC’s Wide World of Sports: “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” No reality show can even begin to compare with the joy (or despair) on Olympians’ faces after they have competed to their fullest and achieved their goals by winning a medal. The semi-final women’s soccer match between the United States and Canada was a prime example and a game that will be remembered for years to come. Having played to a tie, and looking like the match would be decided by penalty kicks, the United States scored an incredible goal marking an unbelievable comeback. The sheer joy on the faces of the American women was matched only by the dejection and hopelessness of the Canadians.

What is it about joy that is universal and contagious?

Associated Press

Oscar Pistorius, the South African double-amputee, who finished last in his 400-meter semifinal heat reminded all of us about the power of the human spirit and hopefully forever changed the way our culture will understand the word "disabled." American Manteo Mitchell felt something pop in his leg with 200 meters left in his portion of the 4x400-meter relay heat. He kept running, handled off the baton and the U.S. went on to qualify for the finals.

Associated Press

Gabby Douglas turned heads and hearts in the gymnastic competition and earned a rightful place in the pantheon of great American Olympic Gymnasts. Mo Farah, the British distance runner won gold not only in the 5,000 meters competition but the 10,000 meters as well. (My goodness that man can run!) Even Queen Elizabeth should have received a medal, if not a BAFTA award, for her humorous and cheeky video clip during the opening ceremonies with fellow Brit, James Bond.

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Now, there is much that I still have to learn and appreciate about the Summer Games. For example, I do not understand “Dressage” at all, especially when it is set to rock music. Handball makes absolutely no sense to me. I am all too aware of why women have to wear bikinis for the beach volleyball competition, but is that a sport? The US Men’s Basketball team should be filled by amateurs and not professionals so that we can believe in miracles again. And rhythmic gymnastics is like taking me to the ballet – I just don’t get it!

That said, it was a great two weeks and a conversion took place on Valerie Lane. The XXXI Olympic Summer Games in Rio begin on August 5, 2016, I, for one, will be watching and celebrating the thrill of sport and the triumph of the human spirit.

Love One Another - Brian