Olympics fever!
February 22, 2010
I’ve been uncharacteristically swept away by the Olympics this year (due entirely to the fact that they are being held in Canada). That I have forsaken Season 5 of Grey’s Anatomy to watch that most dull of sports, curling, is shocking to me.
One thing that the Olympics have reminded me of is that we all have a story. It’s easy to forget that some of these incredible athletes are humans with pesky younger siblings too. When you see attractive, fit athletes posing for pictures and beaming, it’s easy to think that their road to this success has been relatively smooth.
But as Canada has introduced us to its medal hopefuls, we’ve met people like Alexandre Bilodeau, who won the first gold medal that Canada has ever won on home soil, whose story of the strength that he has drawn from his older brother who has cerebral palsy brought me to tears on more than one occasion. And more recently, hearing of the passing of Joannie Rochette’s mother upon her arrival in Vancouver to watch her daughter compete, and hearing that Joannie has decided to compete as it’s what her mother would have wanted, really touched me. These are the more striking stories, but there is no athlete that has been featured on the many many news reports whose life doesn’t have an interesting tidbit to share with the world.
And it’s true of us all. We may never win a medal or get on television, but that doesn’t diminish the value of our lives and the stories that we have. For at least a decade, my father has been saying that he’s going to write his story. I have actually always thought my parents have an amazing story so it’ll be my honour to be part of that process. I may even spearhead it!
We immigrated to Canada and I vaguely remember coming to a new country and all that involved. I think that’s why this Tim Horton’s commercial is so touching to me.
There is a lot more Olympics viewing in my future this week and I’m looking forward to catching the ice dancing finals and even some hockey. I know: I don’t recognize me either!
Sounds like the coverage in Canada is a lot better than it is here in Australia. All I ever catch are the events that Australians are in – which sadly don’t excite me much, like the skeleton…blegh!