Why I Love the Olympics

For the past 2 weeks I have been enjoying watching the Summer Olympics. I love watching anything in the water, such as swimming, diving, water polo, and rowing. I also love watching gymnastics, basketball, and track and field events.
 
The athletes make it look so easy. Sitting on my couch, I think, “I could do that,” and then I remember…

• I get tired swimming a few short laps.
• Diving boards look fun, but they scare me.
• After 5 minutes on the rowing machine at the gym I’m ready to get off.
• I can’t even do a cartwheel, let alone an entire floor routine.
• The Olympic basketball players would look like giants standing next to me.
• Usain Bolt’s warmup jog is faster than my sprint. 

 
The fact is that these athletes make it look easy because they have been training for years (and having athletic genes in your family helps too).
 
While watching the Olympics, it’s easy to forget that these athletes are the best of the best because of all the hard work they have put in preparing for their event(s). I may spend an hour at the gym, but they are spending 6-8 hours a day working out. And they've been doing this for years. Their job is to train, and they are extremely focused. You don’t become an Olympic athlete overnight.
 
Besides watching the events, I love watching the stories behind the athletes. I love hearing about their experiences growing up and seeing behind the scenes footage of their training.
 
These stories remind me that they are real people too. They don’t just have extraordinary athletic abilities, but they have experienced joys and struggles along the way. If they can overcome adversity and achieve greatness, maybe I can too.
 
Maybe that’s why so many people are drawn to the Olympics. We long to see hard work pay off. We desire to find moments to celebrate. Deep down, we want to believe that our dreams can become reality.
 
I will never be an Olympic athlete and that’s ok. Instead, I will proudly cheer them on from my couch. That is something I can easily do.