Olympic Athletes = Inspiration

The 2012 Olympic Games are at the start of the second and final week.  I have enjoyed these games almost as much as the 1996 Olympics.  Granted, I was seven when the Atlanta games were on, I still remember watching as the USA Gymnastics team take the gold! All of the athletes were so inspiring and I wanted to be just like Dominique Moceanu.  Watching her beam routine made me want to learn how to do a back flip on the beam so bad.  

Around the same time as the 1996 Olympic games, I was getting ready to move up a level in gymnastics.  We were evaluated based on the skills we could do on each apparatus.  I was so weak on the bars, had a decent run for the vault (I only ever competed on the old school vault, thank goodness), and was okay on the floor.  When it came time for beam evaluation, I had no fear! I could barely do a handstand dismount on the beam and my coach said, "Can you do a back walk over?" I didn't hesitate. I threw my head back and tried to do the back walk over.  I had done one of the floor... It's the same thing as doing one on a beam raised four feet off the ground and only 4 inches thick, right?  My coach leaped up as soon as she saw me actually going for it.  I was no where close to being ready to do a back walk over on the beam but I wanted to be like Dominique so I had to do it.  It wasn't even a level requirement to move up, I think she just wanted to see how determined I really was.

The Olympic athletes always inspire me to put more effort into my workouts and into my daily routine.  But why do I only get this drive every four years? Why does everyone only get this drive every four/two years?  I've seen more people swimming laps at the pool than I have the whole summer.  Runners are out everywhere at all hours of the day no matter how hot it is.  Seeing people perform sports that everyone participates in at the most elite level gives people hope that maybe if they put in the extra effort, they could do it too.  It gives everyone the realization that anyone can be an Olympic athlete if you want it bad enough.  

I know no matter how much effort I put into my workouts or my runs, I will probably never be an Olympic athlete.  But watching the stories behind the athletes, seeing everything they gave up to get to this point, and then seeing their dreams become a reality or missing it by .03 seconds/points is enough to make me put in an extra 10 minutes at the gym.  If they can give up four years of their life to train for one race, I can better myself by running an extra mile.  I can make myself just a little bit better by doing more than I think I can do.

Not everyone has this mind set, I know.  I'm kind of a weirdo.  But think of something you have wanted so badly you would do anything to get there.  You probably made sacrifices in order to reach your goal.  Dreams are not unreachable if you set your mind to them.  You are good enough and you can make a difference in your own life or other peoples lives.  Don't sell yourself short.  Put in the extra 10 minutes at the gym for yourself.  For your family.  For your life.