Dreams, Goals and Golds
Wednesday August 20, 2008
Just 5 more days of the Olympics and just 2 more days until I’m at Igo Library (2-3pm) for an Olympic book reading with autographs and a chance to enter a drawing to win the USA team backpack. So stay tuned for more information.
As much as I like swimming… track and gymnastics are the original Olympic Sports and some of my favorites to watch. We have seen some incredible performances so far in these two sports.
It must be cool to say like Usain Bolt, that you’re the fastest man in the world. Or to say like 16 year old Shawn Johnson that you are one of the best gymnasts in the world. Do you think you could be the best in the world at something? Do you really? Well, I never thought when I was growing up that I could be the best in the world at something? I didn’t think it was possible until I was 20. But I just kept setting my goals progressively higher and I kept doing my best everyday in school and sports. Then sure enough, years later it worked. Now whatever your gifts are, whether it’s a subject in school, music, art, fixing things, computers or sports always do your best for a long time and you will be amazed at where your life ends up!
The other original Olympic sport is wrestling. Henry Cejudo who’s mom and 6 siblings came here from Mexico has won a gold medal for men’s freestyle wrestling. I met some of the wrestlers on the plane to China last week. And although they are not very tall they are super tough and
I would not want to challenge them to a match. Henry just finished college and now has a gold medal, surely America is a land of dreams and opportunity.
The other athlete I met on the plane was the famous triathlete, Hunter Kemper, cool name isn’t it? As you may know, the Latin prefix “tri” stands for three. So, Hunter trains in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center for 3 events rolled into one: 1.5 mile swim, 20 km bike and then a 4 mile run, Have you ever “tried” a triathlon? You should try a “tri”. I did it once…once. I had fun but it hurt, but when I look back at my life as kid, that’s pretty much all I did was swim at the Harmony Hills Cabana Club all day, ride my bike all over the neighborhood every day and run around and play tag or just race. Most children are natural triathletes! I challenge you to swim 10 laps in the pool, bike twice around your block and run 5 times around your house and then read for at least 30 minutes. If you did that you would have a very fun, productive day!
Like I said when I was a kid I used to ride my bike everywhere. And now they have a new Olympic sport of BMX bike racing. How cool is that! Do you like riding your bike? Maybe this could be your Olympic sport? The 4 other new sports at the Games this year are: 10K open water(very difficult and crazy), Women’s steeplechase(very cool), Women’s team sabre and foil or fencing(our own Kelly Hurley is in that, Yea!), and finally Table Tennis team event or we call Team Ping Pong(very fast and contrary to what you might thing very difficult).
Certainly, there has been some incredible victories but there have been some sad disappointments. Even the very best in the world can have off days and make mistakes. It’s normal to be upset but to turn it around into a positive attitude is the sign of a true champion. Whether you have a things that go well or not so well today keep a positive attitude.
