Olympic Spirit

For a girl who rarely watches TV, I have become a complete junkie since last Friday night. It would be hard for me to document how much coverage I have watched of these Olympic games. I can't recall how many nights I have climbed into bed at 1 AM when the live NBC coverage wraps up. I have viewed everything from doubles ping pong, badminton matches, cycling, field hockey, team handball, women's water polo, tennis, beach volleyball, fencing, rowing, men's basketball, gymnastics, spring board diving, swimming, tandem platform diving, wrestling and the women's marathon tonight. It's hard to fathom that there is still another week left of competition.

I think the Olympics is one of the rare times when the world feels closer and a bit more friendly. When rivalries flair and yet peace and harmony reign. My only hope and wish is not for American gold, but that everyone does their personal best avoiding regrets afterwards.

I loved visiting Salt Lake City when they were the host city for the 2002 winter Olympics. I saw the Olympic torch and flame with my own eyes outside of Cougar Stadium in Provo, Utah. I walked the streets in downtown Salt Lake where the athletes roamed and stood near where the winners would receive their priceless medals. It still is fresh in my mind six years later. They are and will always be memories I cherish.

While the world has had their sights sets in Beijing, history has been made and practically rewritten. There have been some amazing finishes and comebacks and I felt privileged to come along for the ride, even if it was alone in my dark kitchen in far off Kentucky. It seemed wrong for school to start while the games were going. I hated sending my kids to bed while history was being made. Time after time I would holler for the boys to get out of bed to watch Michael Phelps swim. He never seems to disappoint. Last night our entire family huddled around the screen and watched in awe as he miraculously out touched the Serbian swimmer Cavic to win his 7th gold medal and tie Mark Spitz record of 7 gold medals in one Olympic games.

Tonight was a repeat of the last. All of us watched with eager eyes and my heart raced with the anticipation of a final victory in his historic plight- to go 8 for 8- all gold. We held our breath until the last swimmer touched. Magic again. Congratulations Michael for making us proud and helping my own children fall in love with the Games and catch spirit in their own hearts.

In my own youth, Mary Lou Retton was a national icon in 1984. I knew I would never be a competitive gymnast, but my neighbor and friend Seena Colbert had the talent. She had a Mary Lou poster in her room and a slew of medals from competitions she had won in state and regional competitions. It thrilled me to think that some one I knew could possibly be like her. And while Seena never made it that far, it made the Olympic dream seem real to a girl from Salem, Utah.

The Olympics also brings to mind greats like Carl Lewis, Greg Louganis, Jenny Thompson (Stanford Alumni), Rulon Gardner (LDS) and Michael Johnson. I am amazed this year to watch Dara Torres swim in Beijing. She is a mother to a 2 year old daughter, is 41 years old and can still be an Olympic athlete. She earned two silver medals tonight. The winner of the women's marathon is 38. This proves age doesn't have to be a stopping point for success. All these athletes are great examples of hard work, dedication and the drive to succeed. I think we can all learn from their ups and downs that becoming a champion is more than just natural ability, but pushing forward and never giving up.

Yes, I will never win a gold medal and I doubt any of my children will either, but watching others compete and do well helps me see that dreams can come true. That when you put your heart, mind and body toward a goal, you can be a winner, even if it's only giving your best and coming up short. That is enough. If you never try, you have already failed. And failing is never pleasant.

I love the Olympics. I love watching them with my children. I love talking to my dad on the phone about them. I love thinking about them throughout the day. It is a ray of light to all the world. It spreads unity. It shows the world that we are all the same, even if our uniforms are different colors, or if our languages vary. It makes us see the greater good in us all. It shows that we can make a better world when we choose to be friends. I hope that fact alone rings true and lives on once the flame as been extinguished. For that would be the greatest victory of all.