Closing of the Games

As I watch the closing ceremonies of the 30th Olympiad in London, I think of the ritual of the Games.
Athletes train for years in hopes of winning a medal representing their country.  It is such a feat to be an athlete of incredible talent, technical skill and grace.

Apparently the Games have become more about politics and business deals, but the athletic competition is still there for the world to see.  I don't think any other event combines so many all at once.  It brings the world together cheering for the best athlete to win.  Who can't cheer for super athletes like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps?  Even if Missy Franklin was born in Canada and chose to swim for the US, I don't say anything other than, "She was made in Canada!"

Canada had the same medal count as Beijing at 18 medals, but this became the Bronze Games for us.  With only one gold medal compared to 3, Bronze is still a show on the podium. We placed 36th instead of in the top 12, which is what officials were hoping for.  The top 7 countries had 5 or more gold.

For those athletes who aimed for Gold and came up short, I say don't beat yourself up.  To be an Olympian is still such an accomplishment.  I watched as Simon Whitfield crashed early in the bike portion of the triathlon, suffering a broken collarbone.  I saw Jason Burnett float off from centre hitting the trampoline on the edge on his final sequence missing the chance at a medal.  I saw Tiffany Foster's emotional interview when she was told that can't compete in Equestrian Riding due to hypersensitivity in her horse's leg.  10 4th place finishes in Beijing; only 6 this year.

I feel the same way about my life, I have high expectations and to come up short is such a disappointment.  I have to learn to listen to my own advice.

To those athletes who won medals unexpectedly, congratulations!  I'm sure it's much easier to win when you don't have so much pressure I'm sure.  Lesser known athletes like Richard Weinberger wins 10k marathon swim, Derek Druin in high jump, Antoine Valois-Fortier in Judo, and first team medal since 1936 for women's soccer.

As I watch Britain's musical history, I see a giant inflatable octopus sprawling over the British flag formation of a stage, and then then Spice Girls go around the edges in British cars.  Quite enjoyable actually.

I followed along as much as I could, and posted on Facebook and Twitter any news stories and medal wins.  I feel proud for all the athletes and I can't wait for the next show.  Go Team Canada, Give Your Everything.

More medals and inspiring stories

Women's 8s rowing got silver!  I got the news before I saw the event.  When I saw the video replay I saw that Canada was 3rd most of the way, but they pushed so hard, just like the Men's 8s did, and got silver behind USA and in front of the Dutch!!!  Way to go girls.

I just saw the interview on CTV.  The coxswain is over 50 years old, and there were several athletes from the Beijing team at London.  In 2008, they lost by only a little but got to the podium this time around.

Natalie Mastracci said that the veterans at the top are always climbing to do better.  This helps the newbies know what to strive for.  One of the girls also said that you have to believe that you can do it.  Even the gymnastic team (placed 5th) and badminton duo Michelle Li and Alex Bruce (placed 4th) said the same thing.  It proves that Canada can bring it!

If only we all had this drive, spirit and passion in our personal lives.  What could we accomplish if there was a healthy competitive spirit, not a nasty one?  No doping, shuttlegate (4 badminton teams (2x China, Indonesia and Japan got kicked out because they were deliberately losing).

I also saw the Difference Makers with Shotput athlete Dylan Armstrong.  Another BC athlete, he's from Kamloops.  At 9 years old, he loved track and field and began to dream the Olympic dream.  He was doing hammer throw and was then picked up by Ukranian coach Dr. Anatoly Bondarchuk who told him that his body was more suited for shotput.   Anatoly was previously a medalist in hammer throw.  Dylan  missed a medal in Beijing 2008 by only 1 cm.  He's back for London 2012 and is on tomorrow.  Dylan says he owes Anatoly everything.

Again, I reiterate that coaching and mentoring builds skills in you, allows you to believe in going for more, improving yourself with the help and guidance of a veteran.  This makes all the difference in life.

Who's your difference maker?

The London 2012 Olympics started 3 days ago and I am struggling to keep up with the memorable moments, the wins for Team Canada and just watching the supreme athleticism.  It's all a joy to see as I have been into sports my whole life.

I knew a long time ago that I would not be a professional athlete, as I hate practicing for hours, doing drills, and repeating moves over and over again.  I congratulate the determination, focus and drive of all the athletes.  Your strength, your passion, your devotion is to be applauded.

On CTV, they have "The Difference Makers" hosted by Rick Hansen.  They spotlight athletes and tell their stories of who made the difference in their life, in the sport and out.

I saw the story on Burnaby's Christine Sinclaire's story about her coach, Clive Charles, from the University of Portland.  Soccer was a part of her life from early on, but this coach made the difference for her, on and off the field.  He wanted her to be a better person.  He was diagnosed with terminal cancer, but kept coaching.  Their team won that year, the only national title in his coaching career, and he passed away the following year.

I also saw the spotlight on Misson's Brent Hayden.  He also started swimming when he was really young, but was not focused.  It was his karate coach, Sensei Tom McDonagh, that made the difference, teaching him discipline, fighting spirit and that to do anything good, is to play with heart; all or nothing.  Brent won gold at the world championships.  Tom passed away 2 years later.

Now, what could I accomplish with a coach like Clive, or a Sensei like Tom?  I don't know, but everyone needs someone to push them, motivate them, believe in them.  Give Your Everything Team Canada!

Then you look at Missy Franklin of USA.  She was born in Canada and everyone was saying how she could've swam for us.  Can we not be amazed at her achievement anyways?  She won gold in 100m backstroke.  She stayed in Colorado with coach Todd Schmitz in 25m pools and won Gold on her own terms.  Way to go!

I also see so many disappointments.  All that training comes down to mere seconds or minutes to be a medal winner.  It's a lot of pressure and expectation from yourself, your coach and your country.  Look at Nathan Gafuik.  He was Canada's lone male gymnast hopeful and it was over in 29 seconds when he missed grabbing the high bar in qualifying on Day 1.  I felt bad for him, but I also know that he proved worthy of attending the Olympics, so it was not all bad.  I also saw other people not meet expectations, like America's Michael Phelps in the 400m Individual Medly, or Japan's Kohe Uchimura's tumble dismount off the pommel horse.  We are all fallible, but we may not be remembered for our reach to the top, especially if we fall to the bottom; how unfortunate.  Most sports have scores, to know how many points you can get off the other team, that means that no one is perfect, someone will be better, or someone will make a mistake.  I just want to know that you gave everything, and you are happy with your effort.

Good luck, may the best athlete win!