It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and I just finished a cup of coffee which means I may not sleep tonight. Coffee was necessary though because I was dragging after staying up to watch Lindsey Vonn ski her (probably) last Olympic race and the U.S. Women’s Hockey team defeat Canada in a shootout.
As a woman, it’s pretty inspiring – and worth the sleep deprivation – to celebrate women dominating their events.
As a human, it’s pretty awesome to celebrate athletes and people from all around the world coming together to participate in the Olympics.
Seriously, I love the Olympics. Summer. Winter. Doesn’t matter. I love the camaraderie. I love the stories. I love the passion. I love the victory and the heartbreak.
There’s something distinctly human about the Olympics. It’s this collective of people, from all different backgrounds and beliefs, coming together and agreeing to respect and adhere to a specific philosophy and set of rules for two weeks. For two weeks, everyone is in it together – rooting for underdogs, cheering on impressive displays of skill, and gasping when an athlete falls or crashes. In so many ways, it’s humanity at it’s best.
I’m fairly certain that every one of the 2,920 athletes competing in this year’s Winter Olympics wants (or wanted) the same thing: to be the best version of themselves at the moment it mattered most. Athletes overcome injuries, losses, doubt. They’ve sacrificed and sweat for this moment…
And every athlete shows up knowing there’s a limited number of gold medals. They know that the odds of winning aren’t in their favor. But because they’re the best in the world at what they do, they at least have a chance to participate. What an incredible opportunity.
I kind of find it all overwhelming. When it comes to the Olympics, we’re all one. It doesn’t matter which flag an athlete represents when he launches twenty feet out of the halfpipe. Everyone holds their breath.
I think the right word to use is awesome. It’s awesome that the Olympics transcends race. Religion. Political beliefs. Borders. Whether you’re competing in figure skating, slalom, skeleton, or curling, it’s all about that moment and what happens on the ice, mountain, track or in the match. As humans, it’s inspiring to watch people succeed after years of hard work. As humans, we can also empathize with the defeat, even if we’ve never been on skis or sped down a bobsled track.
So while I could turn this post into something of a lesson about the power of storytelling, or how influencers aren’t always the “winners” (ex. Adam Rippon), I instead want to celebrate humanity. I want to celebrate people coming together to be the best version of themselves.
Photo by Charles Deluvio 🇨🇦 on Unsplash