There is a time once every four years, where the world takes two weeks to forget everything that clogs everyday life, cross all the borders, and draw together in the spirit of The Games.
For generations, the Olympic Games themselves and all the athletes who compete in them have offered relief in times of trouble and conflict. They have been a distraction from the toils and trials that come into our lives. Above all, they have inspired. Inspired us to do our best, to push ourselves just a little further, to strive to reach that next bar, whether that be in athletics, in our schools, or in our workplaces. They are the elite, and they represent the potential we all have inside of us.
Every now and then, there is one Olympic athlete who rises above the rest.
Now, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of Michael Phelps. I find him to be a source of inspiration in my own life, and no, it's not because of the fact that he is a beast in the swimming pool. Granted, that was what snagged my attention in the first place, but if you look deeper, you will find that as is true with most cases, there is much more than meets the eye.
The world was beyond intrigued after Bejing, when Phelps blew absolutely every record out of the water (literally.) However, while it is amazing to revel in the fact that Olympians are super human, we must also remember that they are just as human as you and I. Americans were beyond disappointed when a photo surfaced of Michael at a party. But that was where the story got even more intriguing to me. Phelps lost his endorsements, got suspended from the U.S. swim team, and kind of fell off the surface of the earth for a while.
Now many people would have blamed it on the fact that they had no childhood because of all the grueling training they went through, or threw in the towel, knowing that they already had the most gold medals from one athlete in a single Olympics in history. Instead, Phelps took the time to refocus...and long story short came back to break even more Olympic records. Never in history had a swimmer won 3 Olympic golds in the same event...Phelps did it twice. Then he smashed the 48 year old record for the most medals won by a single Olympian. Previously, the record had been 18 medals. Phelps now has 18 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze for a total of 22.
In his "Goodbye" interview, Phelps humbled himself in front of the nation, admiting his faults, taking responsibility for his defeats, and most importantly, CeLeBrAtInG his accomplishments, stating that he could honestly look back "and not say 'What if.'" I feel that that is cause for celebration.
More history was made when yet again Jamaica's Usain Bolt broke world records as the fastest man in the world, and for the first time ever, a double amputee ran against able bodied competitors. The best part of that? Besides breaking down the barrier, he accomplished his own goals by making the semi finals in his event.
That, accompanied by Misty Mae Treanor, and Kerri Walsh-Jennings three-peat golds in sand volleyball, Missy Franklin, Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, Dana Vollmer and the rest of the swim team's incredible performances in the pool, The Fab Five's all-around Gold and our soaring men in gymnastics, and all the other countless (104 to be exact) medals we won, out medaling everyone else, not just in total, but in all three separate medals (46 gold, 29 silver, 29 bronze) as well, should give the United States plenty of reason to be filled with pride and joy.
Congrats to all the Olympians who broke down walls, raced longer. Ran faster. Swam harder. Flew higher. You made it! You did it! You've inspired us all :) I wish you the best, and we'll see you in Rio!
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