by Heather McNamara
I love the Olympics. In fact, I think I’m a total dork about them. Winter or summer there is nothing that gets me more excited about sport, athleticism and the fun of competition than the Olympics. Since the opening ceremonies of the winter games in Vancouver our house has had each TV tuned in almost constantly so as not to miss a single event. Here in Southeastern Michigan we are lucky to be able to watch both American and Canadian network broadcasts, allowing us to experience the different coverage each country provides.
One thing I find so much fun about the Olympic games is watching sports I never see except on the Olympics. In addition to favorites like short track speed skating or alpine ski events, there are obscure sports like Nordic combined skiing or biathlon. How crazy is it to fly off a ramp on skis to see how far you can go, so you get a time advantage in a subsequent cross country ski race? Or a sprint race skate ski event where you stop to do a little target shooting, then sprint off on skis again! Seeing these athletes compete brings about a sense of appreciation and respect for the athletic talent and determination it takes to get to such a high level of competition. Where does one even go to train for some of these events? Michigan has wonderful trails for cross country skiers, and there are certainly plenty of hunters here, but they are two groups whose sport I would never imagine combining until discovering the event by watching the Olympics!
There are always surprises to be found in Olypmic events. Athletes are there to live out dreams and are competing with everything they have. This creates an atmosphere for exciting and unexpected results. Amazing upsets, overcoming adversity, unparalled sportsmanship, the Olympics has it all. There are countless examples of athletes with heartwarming stories, surprise winners-or losers, the unexpected. It is human effort elevating sport and the human spirit along with it.
So that is why I’m hooked. Maybe a bit of a dork about it, but that’s ok. The Olympic games continue to deliver. And I will be there to witness as much of it as possible along the way.
Bay City provides opportunities to see short-track speed skating. A native took the bronze last time, and his lil sis just did well in juniors and should be ready for the next Olympics. There was an Olympian some time back from Bay City, who planted the seeds–they hosted a national competition a couple of years ago.
I guess I am an Olympics dork also because I totally agree with your post. I love the Summer Olympics more but that is only because I participate more in the summer sports.