I love the Olympics. I really do. I am the kind of person who just loves the whole spectacle of the two week event, from the opening ceremony to the sleep deprivation to the closing credits. I even love the jeep ads! I am not a huge sports fan, but there is something about people from ALL over the world meeting together in a spirit of sportsmanship that gives me goosebumps.
I also love the stories. I love hearing how the athletes have got to be where they are. Often families have sacrificed and had a dream and have worked hard to get their child to a place where they are the best in their school, then zone, then state, then country. I love hearing of the sheer determination that they have put into their sport, every day, every week, every month, every year.
Someone can’t just decide that they are going to the Olympics and then *bam* they are there. The Olympics are a testament of hard work, determination, training, grit and huge personal sacrifice. I heard someone the other day saying that they were sick of hearing the word ‘hero’ being used to describe Olympians, they went on the say that our servicemen in battle overseas are heros, but someone who can swim fast is not a hero. I really don’t like comments like that. Sure, our servicemen are heroes, but I think that Olympians are pretty amazing too. If you took someone who could swim 50m and put them on the blocks of a pool alongside the world’s best swimmers, in a venue to be filmed from every angle and then swimming in front of tens of thousands of people {in super skimpy swimwear}, not to mention the billions watching from their lounge rooms – I think that they would find it extremely daunting to say the least. These athletes have worked so hard and competed so much that they are then able to perform amazing feats under extreme stress and pressure on a world stage. I think that is awesome. Really.
I also love seeing the scenery. These London Olympics are just spectacular: Cross Country horse racing in Greenwhich park, Beach Volleyball in the Horse Guards Palace grounds and Cycling starting at Hampton Court Palace. Oh, how I love seeing my old stomping ground! I think it is so great that the organisers have used the entire city for the events, and why wouldn’t you? London is beautiful and amazing.
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Are you loving the Olympics? What do you love about them?
Im watching the qualifying for the women’s 400m running at the moment. ZamZam from Somalia was in the first heat…. She took double the time of the entire field to finish, but the cheers and standing crowd for the last 30secs of her race was incredible, ESP when she crossed the line, shoelace undone, limping, struggling to breathe. Made me want to cry – that, is exactly why I watch the Olympics, not just the medal races but all the bits inbetween, because when else do you get to hear and see that sort of support and love , on that scale!
Ps she still prob ran it faster than I ever could have!
Lyndal recently posted..everything is alright
I do love stories like that. Humans are amazing… It has made me realise that if I want to achieve my goals, I had better get on with it and be serious and dedicated and fight for them. Very inspiring.
Thanks for popping over on a Friday night, ya big sweetheart!
B recently posted..Life: Why I Love The Olympics
Yep. Adore the Olympics. Why is it that sports I would never sit and watch completely hold me captivated in my seat during the Olympics? Also adore London. Always. Right now. London, you are dazzling.
Caitlin recently posted..Please Sleep Through Babies
Agree. When would I have sat to watch the steeple chase? Never! But, at the Olympics? Why, yes please, with some tea too!
I love watching the Olympics and seeing the determination and dedication that the athletes put into each and every event. It was very upsetting to hear about the badminton players who tanked their matches – that really isn’t in the spirit of the games and unfair to the other athletes.
Was really sorry to hear of the bad behaviour of one of our rowers – makes you wonder what is going through their heads when they behave like that. Having been involved (via A) in international sport, not only did the rower let himself and his team mates down but let his family and friends and his country down – again, not in the spirit of the games (imo !).
Anyway, I love watching the games – as Caitlin said, even sports that I would not normally watch get me staying ‘just another 5 mins’ until it is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past my bedtime and I am beginning to wonder how on earth I am going to be able to get up in the morning for work !!!!
So looking forward to meeting you tomorrow – take care !
Love, hugs and positive energy.
Me
Me recently posted..Are you getting enough sleep ?
Haha! Thank goodness the Olympics are only on once every four years or we would all be walking around like zombies!
I don’t like the bad sportsmanship either, it really shows a person’s true character. And, the thing is that the media won’t forget that, so for their whole career they will be dogged with it. But – to be under that much pressure, I don’t know how I would respond…. I would like to think I would be gracious, but you never know…
See you soon, I am hitting the shower and getting ready to go go go! Yay!
I must confess I’m very ‘meh’ about the games. I watched a couple of things in the first day or two but still haven’t seen the opening ceremony.
Very unpatriotic I know!!!
Deb
Deb recently posted..Strike that. Reverse it
Really? I figure you just can’t avoid it {especially when married to a sports NUT} so it is easier just to roll with it.
If left up to me, I would just watch the ‘pretty things’ like the diving and ribbon gymnastics… But… I just love the international love in that it is….
I was in the stadium at the Sydney Olympics when the men’s 50km walk finished. We all cheered for the winner. Then we cheered even harder for the Australian athletes. One by one the rest of them came across the line. And then we waited, and waited and waited…for the very, very last competitor. As he entered the stadium, looking half-dead and defeated, the crowd roared and gave him a standing ovation and he walked around that track like he was walking on air. It was magical to be a part of that.
What a great story. Very cool. And THAT is what the Olympics are all about.
I’ve loved the Olympics since I was a girl; there’s something about watching humans gibe their best, then find it inside to give more. Watching the human body is amazing; my laptop is my best friend during the Olympics; I travel often on business for Dish, but I won’t miss the Olympics where the most athletic people in the world come together in peace and harmony. I love technology; at one time, I couldn’t travel and see the Olympics as MSNBC aired it, going to Dish Online makes live streaming possible, and that is special to me. Soon it will be another four-year wait.
Thankfully, in the middle we have the winter olympics in the middle!
Glad you get to watch all the action on your laptop!