I love watching the Olympics. I always have. There is something magical about them. All the hype, the patriotism, glitzy medals, excitement.
In 1996, I watched the Atlanta Summer Olympics and fell in love with diving. I thought it would be really awesome to be a diver. So, I signed up with a friend to be on the high school dive team. For one season, I was a diver and it was exciting and fun, but I decided it wasn't worth the early mornings in a cold pool, the hundreds of crunches and the bruises up and down my body from hitting the water wrong. (Oh, and maybe also because I wasn't very good.)
The winter games have always been my favorite. I skiied for the first time when I was just 5 years old. My dad was a racer in high school, and I grew up watching Picabo Street skiing in the Olympics. So in 1997, I was ready to try out for the high school ski team. I spent my high school career as a skiier, and watching the skiiers in the Olympics makes me miss racing (and skiing in general since I now live on the plains)!
The Olympics are inspirational... I think they encourage us to be our best and be proud of who we are and where we came from. It's exciting to watch athletes achieve the goals that they've worked their whole lives for... whether it's winning a gold medal, or just participating in the games and giving it all they've got.
What's inspiring you right now?
(Image: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / February 17, 2010)
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