I love the Olympics. Seriously, I do. If you put Olympic in front of any sport, and I will watch it. No joke. I watched Boxing, BMX, Men's Gymnastics, and even swimming. I mean, we get to watch a bunch of people splash up and down a pool for a minute or so. Wow. But you put put the rings on it or the world Olympic and I am a sucker for it. There are no greater miracles or greater heartbreak than the ones that happen in the Olympics.
And, sometimes I think as Americans we're a little spoiled. As a nation, we are hyper-competitive. I mean, we expect to take home gold. Expect it. And, more often than not we get it. And, when our athletes don't stand on the highest podium when the national anthem plays, we dismiss them. Off the top of your head how many bronze medalists can you name? How many make it onto a Wheaties box?
It's about the same number, isn't it?
Pierre de Coubertin, considered the founder of the Modern Olympics, said "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
As Americans with our 'Winning isn't everything but it's the only thing” attitude we forget about this- that it is not important who won but who took part. Consider Rohullah Nikpai. You probably don't know who he is but he won a medal in Beijing in the 2008 Olympics for his country, Afghanistan. In the 112 year history of the modern Olympics it was their first medal. Ever.
Do you think everyone in Afghanistan knows his name by now? I bet they do. I bet they fired guns into the air. I bet that warlords have proclaimed him to be a shinning jewel. There are even reports that the Taliban held feasts in his honor. President Karzai has offered him a house and a car. He will be a national hero. He is a poster boy for achievement. He took up his sport as a child when he was living in a refugee camp.
He won a bronze medal.
If Rohullah were from the States he might get an interview with his local city paper. You know, the free one nobody reads. Might.
However, in his homeland Rohullah will be a figure of inspiration. People will look up to him. They will ask themselves, if he can compete against the rest of the world and win- what am I capable of? And that's what the Olympics are meant to do. They aren't supposed to be a minute to minute medal count. They aren't meant to be a political statement. They are meant to inspire us! They show the world that we can exist together in peace. The games are a time when we can send our young men and women to another country to compete and not to kill each other.
And that's why I love the Olympics. It's a time of competition and peace. So, when you watch the Olympics don't watch the medal counts. Look for the miracle of the games. Look for the Rohullah's, the Hesham Mesbah's, Anh Tuan Hoang's, Benjamin Boukpetti and Abhinav Bindra's.
And, sometimes I think as Americans we're a little spoiled. As a nation, we are hyper-competitive. I mean, we expect to take home gold. Expect it. And, more often than not we get it. And, when our athletes don't stand on the highest podium when the national anthem plays, we dismiss them. Off the top of your head how many bronze medalists can you name? How many make it onto a Wheaties box?
It's about the same number, isn't it?
Pierre de Coubertin, considered the founder of the Modern Olympics, said "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
As Americans with our 'Winning isn't everything but it's the only thing” attitude we forget about this- that it is not important who won but who took part. Consider Rohullah Nikpai. You probably don't know who he is but he won a medal in Beijing in the 2008 Olympics for his country, Afghanistan. In the 112 year history of the modern Olympics it was their first medal. Ever.
Do you think everyone in Afghanistan knows his name by now? I bet they do. I bet they fired guns into the air. I bet that warlords have proclaimed him to be a shinning jewel. There are even reports that the Taliban held feasts in his honor. President Karzai has offered him a house and a car. He will be a national hero. He is a poster boy for achievement. He took up his sport as a child when he was living in a refugee camp.
He won a bronze medal.
If Rohullah were from the States he might get an interview with his local city paper. You know, the free one nobody reads. Might.
However, in his homeland Rohullah will be a figure of inspiration. People will look up to him. They will ask themselves, if he can compete against the rest of the world and win- what am I capable of? And that's what the Olympics are meant to do. They aren't supposed to be a minute to minute medal count. They aren't meant to be a political statement. They are meant to inspire us! They show the world that we can exist together in peace. The games are a time when we can send our young men and women to another country to compete and not to kill each other.
And that's why I love the Olympics. It's a time of competition and peace. So, when you watch the Olympics don't watch the medal counts. Look for the miracle of the games. Look for the Rohullah's, the Hesham Mesbah's, Anh Tuan Hoang's, Benjamin Boukpetti and Abhinav Bindra's.
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