Summer Olympics
Today, nearly a billion people around the world will tune in to see the London 2012 opening ceremonies on TV, not to mention those following the festivities online. We, along with the Queen and celebrities, will witness the gathering of 204 nations.
In the days ahead, I won’t just wax patriotic and read about how specific athletes fare. No, I’ll watch as many events as I possibly can. (Thank you, PVR technology for making it easy to record and replay the games at my convenience.)
In the days ahead, I won’t just wax patriotic and read about how specific athletes fare. No, I’ll watch as many events as I possibly can. (Thank you, PVR technology for making it easy to record and replay the games at my convenience.)
Ask me to rhyme off the Canadians whose Olympic moments I can recall and you’ll soon notice they are all from past Summer Games. The names that jump to mind are: Alex Baumann, Sylvie Fréchette, Donovan Bailey, Allan Coulter, Marnie McBean, Mark Tewkesbury, Sylvie Bernier, Carolyn Waldo, Victor Davis, Monique Kavelaars, Alex andre Despatie, Karen Cockburn, Anne Montminy, Adam van Koeverden, Emilie Heymans, Kyle Shewfelt, Clara Hughes (OK, she also counts as a Winter Olympian), Simon Whitfield,…heck, even add Ben Johnson and Silken Laumann to the mix.
I know I’ve overlooked a bunch of other Olympians and Paralympians Canada
Sure, the athletes are equally talented and inspirational, but my reason for caring more about the Summer Games has everything to do with the sports themselves. I’ve never enjoyed participating in winter sports, and frankly, I’ve never shown any talent for those sports either (evidence: my broken leg from skiing, countless bruises from my curling season, falls while skating).
Summer sports are a whole other matter.
- I’ve competed in swimming, volleyball, high jump, javelin, discus, shot put, baseball and soccer (football) at various stages of my life.
- I enjoy canoeing, kayaking, archery, table tennis, badminton and water polo.
- I’ve tried out (but never excelled at) diving, cycling, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, hurdles, horse riding, sprint relays, football and gymnastics.
- I’d like to learn fencing (it’s on my life list), rowing (other than in my gym) and boxing (even if it’s just to workout).
I’m far from Olympic calibre, but that doesn’t matter, my experience with and desire to try the majority of sports featured in the Summer Games makes my connection seem stronger.
What fun it will be to get swept up in the excitement of London 2012. I can’t wait to hear our anthem as Canadian athletes march into today’s opening ceremony. I’m decked out in red and white today to show support from afar, before our Olympians and Paralympians hit the pools, tracks, courts, mats, ranges, rings, fields, courses, open waters, arenas and other venues. Are you ready?
AWESOME!!!
Do you feel a tie to this year's or past Summer Games? If so, do share your connection by commenting below.
Advertising and sponsorship are key ingredients of the expensive Olympics. In keeping with my Canadian-themed post, here's a Rona ad I feel was particularly well done.
My only experiences with a Summer Games venue:
ReplyDelete- I cherish memories of swimming in the 1976 Olympic pool in Montréal, years after the venue hosted the 1976 Games, with my grade-eight classmates. I returned again to swim there when I attended McGill.
- I was also proud to accompany my sister Dorothy when she trained in that Montréal pool for a triathlon.
Apart from this blog post, I've also been fortunate to write about the Olympics (e.g., my employer’s involvement in using science to help Canada’s performance; colleagues who served as torchbearers; colleagues with siblings competing at the Games).