Confessions of an Olympic Junkie

You may have noticed that I haven't posted for a couple of weeks.  There is a very good reason for that.  I am truly an Olympic Junkie!  It all started in 1976 when I discovered a love for the Olympics in general and Dorothy Hamill in particular.  Dorothy Hamill won gold in women's figure skating that year.  I fell in love with her charm and with the sport that she introduced to us.  I was hooked!  Better yet: I'm now retired and have time to watch to my hearts content.  As a result, I was glued to the Olympics for the full 2 weeks-on TV and using the apps on my iPhone.

I love all sports in the Olympics!  It is a great opportunity to learn about new sports.  At the very least, I am awed by the dedicated young athletes who have given up years of their lives to train for these events.  Unlike many others, I enjoy the human side of the games and hearing about the lives of each athlete.  I cry with the parents of the athletes as I share their pride in their children and the agony of their children's disappointment when they do not do as well as they had hoped.  It is a snapshot of every parent's experience with their children.

Gabby Douglas's Mom

While I do not have a single athletic bone in my body, I have a tremendous appreciation for the physical accomplishments of all Olympians.  Both of my brothers were in track when in high school and college, so I attended many track meets in my life.  These experiences helped educate me in the work that goes into their training, psyche, and performance.

I certainly had some favorites in these Olympics.  I have been a fan of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings for several years and thoroughly enjoyed watching Beach Volleyball-both men's and women's events.  I was so happy to see them win gold for the third time.





I loved watching the triumphs, spirit, and joy of the Women's Gymnastics Team.  Their ability to put aside personal disappointments to achieve the gold medal was inspiring.  It was also affirming to see their pride and joy in the accomplishments of Gabby Douglas when she won the Women's All Around gold medal.  Thoughts of young girls who were watching her and seeing her as a role model were ever present as I watched these events unfold.

However, my very favorite was watching Michael Phelps achieve all-time career medal winner!  It was truly a historic event: one that I will never see again in my lifetime.  I was so happy for him and for the USA as he met and then broke the record.  This was truly an awe-inspiring accomplishment!

Michael Phelps and his trophy commemorating his Career  Record Medal Win

Now that the Olympics are over, it is time to pick up the normal routine of my life, and I will once again start writing weekly.  While the Olympics were a great joy to watch, I have missed the joy of writing.  I can't wait to get back to it!

Have you found your joy today?