Favorite Olympic Moments

Here are some of my favorite moments, moments that touched my heart or made me laugh, during the XXX Summer Olympiad.

The moment of silence during the opening ceremonies for those who served and died in the world wars.

Watching the seven-headed creature wearing a big shirt with seven neck holes cheering for Brasil at the Brasil/Italy men’s volleyball game. Such creativity! I love it.

I’ve decided I need a 20 foot ombre ribbon to follow me around making pretty circles and swirls all day long. And I need a bowler hat with a light bulb on the top of it.

Oscar Pistorius. I don’t need to say any more about that one.

Mo Farrah and his mile wide smile. (Check out this photo of Mo and Bolt imitating each other.)

Manteo Mitchell running the first leg of the men’s 4x400m relay qualifying heat on a broken leg. I watched the broadcast of that and the commentators were saying he ran it too slow and didn’t give the US enough of a start that they’d need and how the following three really pulled it out for him. The next morning I watched that same commentator say how off they were because they had no idea he was running on a broken leg and how amazed they were he was able to run as fast as he did knowing what they now knew.

Grenada winning it’s first medal and the sportsmanship shown by Kirani James in the semifinals.

Tsepo Ramonene of Lesotho finishing the men’s marathon. It reminded me of the story of John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania at the 1968 Olympic marathon in Mexico City, who said, upon finishing last, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race, they sent me to finish it.” Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to start, but sometimes it takes even more to finish.

I loved that I had the time and means to watch as much of the Olympics as I did. I saw at least some of everything. I loved learning so much about all the different extremes the human body can be pushed to. The basketball was the only thing that bored me.

Brett’s participation is always worth a laugh. Here’s his “I’m a gymnast that just won silver medal and I am not impressed” look.

British commentators on the men’s marathon. Truthfully, I need British people commentating on my marathons. Or any other part of my life really.

Brothers competing in the men’s triathlon together.

Giving your all and collapsing at the end. The volunteers who caught the athletes when they finished utterly spent. Hugs and tears. Victory laps. The  determination to keep going even when winning wasn’t possible. The personal bests, season bests, and national records that were set even if they didn’t win.

Thank you London, for the memories and the inspiration. It reminded me that we can all reach higher, stronger, and faster in our lives.

Here’s to Sochi 2014 and definitely Rio 2016!