Thursday, February 18, 2010

the olympics make me want to be canadian.

Like everyone else, I've been watching a lot of the Olympics.

A lot.

While watching people win gold medals despite injuries, and hearing about the 8 million jobs each athlete holds down to fund their training, and listening to the story of the athlete who lived in a tent so she could afford to train, and seeing the looks of determination on each person's face, it amazes me the lengths that these competitors go to in order to be the best. They sacrifice time with family and friends, push their bodies beyond their limits, endure pain that would confine me to my bed for its duration, and receive more defeats and bruises than championships and gold medals.

I couldn't imagine what would cause someone to make such extreme sacrifices. It seems absurd to me to give up all of that just to do one thing. But then I realized that they do it because they just love their sport, and competing, so much. Most athletes-- especially these ones in the winter games-- don't get significant money from their sport. Many are struggling to make ends meet just like we are. But they do it all-- spend time away from home, race with broken ribs, train for hours and hours-- because they love their sport and want to be the best that they can be.

I don't really understand that mentality, because I have yet to find the thing in my life that I would be willing to pour my heart and soul into. But I want to. I want to find that one thing that clicks so much that I want to work harder at it than anything else. I want to be the best, but I can never be the best until I find something worth being the best at.

Ugh. This post seems very narcissistic and ridiculous. I should probably post it anyway.

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