Well our screens and feeds have been dominated by one thing over the past two weeks: the Olympics, and I have been amazed by some of the performances. Hence I thought it a good topic for Thinky Thursdays. Welcome to my blog.
The Olympics and Dedication
It is quite amazing the level of performance we see in the Olympics. Athletes jump higher, run faster, tumble better, swing better, swim better, aim better, hit things better, leap off things better and throw better than anyone else in the world. It's utterly stunning.
My favourite event to watch is the gymnastics and, boy, did it deliver this year. Never have I seen such amazing athleticism and sportsmanship. What was really heartwarming is how all the athletes seemed to congratulate and commiserate with their fellows. Of course they all wanted to win, but there was a camaraderie there that linked them all together.
Simone Biles is utterly amazing. During the gala the announcer said "Superwoman exists and her name is Simone Biles" and she is. She's simply fantastic. Watching her sometimes, it's as if she is made of different stuff to the rest. And yet even she proved she was human in the Beam final.
I'm very glad she got a medal, but in a way, I think it is good to be reminded that she isn't perfect. That way we are also reminded of all the hard work and dedication she puts in to her sport to be at the top. She is capable of not being spot on and the fact she is nearly all of the time is utterly incredible. A moment of weakness actually enhances her greatness.
I also have to mention Max Whitlock because, in the UK, we're just not used to our gymnasts taking gold twice at the Olympics. His performances on both the floor and the pommels were exemplary and he got bronze in the all around too. Utterly stunning.
The gymnastics this year has been utterly fantastic. Every event seemed to be won rather than lost, i.e. it was excellence that came through and not accident that ruled many out.
The same with all the other events I have been watching.
One thing all these athletes have in common is dedication. They put hours and hours into their sports day after day after day. How can we not be inspired.
Not all of us are sporty. I've just been watching the women's long jump and I remember at school, when we tried, I didn't even make it into the sand pit :). Yep, I can't jump at all. Not my forte, but there are other things I can do. I can write; I have something of an artistic streak and I love science. These are the things I strive for, the things to which I am dedicated.
We all have something to which we can dedicate ourselves. It doesn't matter if it's artistic, academic, sporty, altruistic, a matter of faith or family, or something else. It is there in all of us. We may never be the next Simone Biles or Leonardo Da Vinci, but it's not about marking ourselves against other people. It's about striving to achieve what we want to achieve, of feeling good about ourselves.
I very much hope you all have something to which you can dedicate yourselves that makes you happy. We might not be superwoman or superman, but we can be the best of ourselves.
Have a great day!
Thank you :)
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