(AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)
You were expecting a Super Bowl blog from me, weren’t you?
You know, I love football and I love a good healthy competition, but I’m not ready to talk Patriots yet. What I do want to talk about is the Olympics.
Did you know the Winter Olympics kick off this week in PyeongChang in the Republic of Korea. Remember when the Olympics were the apex of sports?
Athletes still aspire to compete, but when did the Olympics become so pedestrian? The opening ceremonies start on Friday, where is all the fanfare?
I, for one, LOVE the Winter Games. Athletic ability is not one of my God-given talents, so I try to appreciate (and not be envious) of those who seem to ooze it from their pores. Why does it look so easy when they do extraordinary things?
I’m sure the 12-hour-a-day grueling training sessions have nothing to do with it. It almost seems unfair to the Summer Olympics that the Winter Olympics get all the cool (no pun intended) competitions. Skiing, bobsledding, figure skating, curling, luge, ice hockey and snowboarding to name a few.
242 men and women in peak athleticism will represent the USA in the Olympics; ready to test his or her physical and mental boundaries to achieve gold. I’m going to fly my dork flag proudly and say that I love watching with my kids. Here are 242 people who will give their all to the thing they love most, whether it’s speed skating, a snowboarder stomping a landing, or the US hockey team going for another Miracle on Ice.
These athletes are the types of people I’d like my kids to look up to (in most cases) and I love to remind them how hard these folks work to even get the opportunity to compete.
Just a couple weeks ago a Sandwich High basketball player named Caroline Wilson shot her 1000th career point (and then some). Congrats Caroline, what an awesome accomplishment! My fourth-grade basketball player was there, and to say witnessing Caroline’s milestone basket made an impact on her is an understatement.
Look out Blue Knights, Aubrey is gunning for a spot on your roster in a few years. But as we were talking about the Olympics and how the athletes must commit 100%, Aubrey quickly brought up Caroline Wilson, how she probably had to miss out on fun things to become the athlete she is. Exactly! She gets it.
Did you know we have a LOCAL athlete competing at the Winter Olympics?
Mike Trapp, from Marston Mills, will be competing in the parallel slalom and the giant parallel slalom. I know we’ll be rooting for Mike, along with all the other US Olympic hopefuls. I certainly wouldn’t mind my girls looking up to the Caroline Wilsons or Mike Trapps of the world. There’s something to be said about hard work and determination. GO TEAM USA, we’re rooting for you!
P.S. Drop me a line anytime at [email protected].
