I love the Olympics: the excitement of competition, the cheering crowd — the winning. Every four years I immerse myself into a world in which young people from all over the globe compete at very high levels in their sport.
Some of these athletes go on to win gold, silver or bronze medals; others don't win, but all who participate will have the lifelong remembrance of having competed in the Olympics. What an achievement!
Watching these athletes compete is inspiring. They are competing for themselves, their team, and also for us, the citizens of the USA. There is a feeling of patriotic pride when they win and our flag is raised, and "The Star Spangled Banner" is played; my heart bursts with joy.
It is invigorating to watch the sheer determination of athletes like Michael Phelps, who has a strong desire to win his swimming competitions. Watching Katie Ledecky swim has been exciting; she is so fast.
Our gymnastics team this year was unbeatable. Their artistry and athleticism were breathtaking. What is refreshing is how many of our athletes have given glory to God for their success.
One of the things I admire about all the athletes participating in the Olympics is their dedication and hard work. The amount of time and effort they put into their sport is enormous.
I hope that our Olympic athletes will inspire confidence, determination and self-discipline, beginning with the knowledge that there are costs, personal as well as financial, to prepare to compete in a world event. There are years of training required, getting up at 4 a.m. to practice, continuing to make good grades, and still more training in order to qualify. Their parents deserve respect for the sacrifices they have made for their child to train to an Olympic level of skill.
The Olympics teach a difficult life lesson in that, no matter how hard athletes train and work toward a goal, they may or may not get the gold medal, but good sportsmanship is still expected.
This is a life lesson we all need to learn: we are not always going to excel at everything we attempt.
Wouldn't it be fantastic if we had an Olympic athlete from Crestview?
Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CROSE: Athleticism, the Olympics and life lessons