Olympic Spirit...

There I was this past Sunday...screaming at the television. Watching a horror movie? Duck game perhaps? Nope, I was watching cross country skiing! Nordic combined to be exact. And there was Johnny Spillane...entering into the Olympic arena leading the race with a matter of meters between him and the Gold medal. The funny thing was I wasn't yelling or screaming because Johnny was going to win America's first ever medal in the Nordic Combined. Nor was I yelling because he was about to get caught. I was...well, relating. You see, I'm not a doctor, coach, cross country elite athlete but I can recognize when someone is dying. And Johnny was dying quickly.

Mr. Spillane held on to second place and proudly put on a silver medal a short while later. Good on you Johnny! It's interesting though...I find myself glued to the television for both the summer and winter games. I can't get enough of it...well some of it like volleyball or luge I really don't care to watch. I realized on Sunday why I get so involved in the Olympics. It's because I too have devoted unbelievable hours of my life to the pursuit of athletic achievement...mostly swimming competitively growing up. As a teenager it was not unusual for me to spend over 20 hours per week in the pool. Morning and night...6 days a week. It's what we did, it's what I did.

I was good, but I was never Olympic material...most aren't...that's why the Olympics are the best of the best in these various sports. So on Sunday I felt for Johnny, both sadness and happiness for what he must have felt like in those few seconds between leading the Olympics and then somehow managing to hold on to second. I've found other things in life beyond athletics, but ultimately I did return. And I couldn't be happier. I'm healthier, happier, better at work, and have met some wonderful people. Plus, I don't have to wait 4 years to complete in my version of the Olympics...for instance this year my Olympics will be held in Canada. A little town called Pentiction...the race will involve 140.6 miles. Wish me good luck, and if you think you see me start dying out there...please start yelling! Thanks for reading,

-T