I posted this on my facebook page, and thought it needed to be posted here. :)
Some more Olympic thoughts - first, I think another reason I like the
Olympics
(which I mentioned before) is that they bring the world together. We are all united in striving to do our best, first for self, and then for country. We think of others...at least I see that in many of the competitions such as the swimming--the other team expressed concern when they lost... and gymnastics...when the teams were congratulating each other, encouraging each other, when not too long ago they wouldn't have spoken to each other.But this whole hullabaloo over Simone Biles has been interesting. I read a post earlier that coincided with what I'd been thinking. Someone posted that when it was announced Simone was dropping out of the team event, they remembered Kerri Strug. Anyone who was watching those
Olympic games
will never forget that moment when she did her vault on an career ending injury. At the time we all thought she was amazing! Brave! A hero. Of course it was gold for our country. Okay... but then fast forward to now, and I realize that it was awful. It should not have happened. That was the kind of injury that we would have wanted her to have immediate attention! Not continue to participate! My first reaction to Simone's announcement, unfortunately, was that wow- she couldn't man up and be like Kerri, huh?
https://youtu.be/cqUjo_rOxYc
I'm so stupid!!
I'm glad it didn't take long for me to be ashamed, and realize that it was the wrong thought. Watching it now makes me cry!
What happened this time around took a lot of courage. The whole world had heaped expectations on that woman's shoulders, and while she thought she was equal to the task, it was falling apart, no matter how she tried to hold onto it. If you watch the replay of her vault, you can see it in her eyes!
https://youtu.be/nO-vMUApyJQ
An athlete has to know their body, what they are doing and be confident that it's possible. The look on her face when she landed was none of those things. Her mind had said, NO. And she had to listen. That's what they are trained to do -- listen to their bodies and take care of them. There wasn't an overpowering coach insisting that she 'shake it off' and get back out there, her team was depending on her, her nation was depending on her, yada yada. This was her personal health, no one's life was on the line, this wasn't do or die. She knew her team could do great without her, though it was going to be a shock. And they did.
So much of the olympic hype is about the medals. While yes, it's cool and amazing when our athletes do well and win, it's also about the participation. Did they do their best? Are they happy with how they performed? In many of the events the athletes were just trying to place better than they had before.
I love watching them as they cross the finish line, just happy to BE THERE. I am encouraged at the support that has been given Simone, though I am angry that the press can't just leave it alone...there has to be some other - deeper - reason, right? They are like dogs with a bone... sigh. I am glad to see there is greater enlightenment as to how people view this now. I only wish it could have been there for Kerri. All the glamour, honor, medals, was it worth it? She apparently is at peace with her place in life, but one can only wonder...would she have been able to compete in the next
Olympics
and be better?We'll get to see how this
Olympics
plays out for Simone. But regardless, I think we're all proud of her for standing up for what she felt needed to be done. Standing up. That's what we have to do, right?
Stand up for what is right. We should have all been outraged for Kerri. I'm glad we're supporting Simone now.
