Ever since my parents took me to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, I’ve been obsessed with everything Olympic. I especially love everything that the Olympic movement stands for, things like:
- Education and development through sport
- Respect and friendship among athletes
- Peace between nations
And I really, really, really love Apolo Ohno too…
I love his amazing story of Olympic spirit. All day every day I hear stories of people who became gurus over night, without putting in any work, but according to the Seattle Times, “Ohno’s march to Olympics No. 3 has been a carefully orchestrated, borderline-obsessive regimen — a six-month, five-stage, complete lifestyle overhaul, overseen by his personal trainer.”
I love Ohno’s attitude toward discipline and hard work, and I truly believe that he is one of the best in the world for a reason. And unlike other people, who rush to get ahead without working hard, Ohno says that he won’t even remember winning the medals. ”When I’m done skating, I guarantee you that I will not look back and remember standing on the podium,” said Ohno. “I’m going to remember these days — being with the team. Training alone, in my basement. Training when everybody else is sleeping. Doing things that nobody else is doing. Digging down. Seeing what kind of character I truly have.”
Even if he doesn’t remember the podium, I will.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYNtYIw5afU]
USA! USA!
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I like the Olympics too, if only for the excuse to chant: “USA! USA! USA!” Works best when you combine with fist-pumps.
Most people have no idea of the discipline, dedication, old fashion hard work required to become a world class athlete. Thanks for sharing this Blake and let the games begin!
check out Google’s contribution to the Olympics with their streetview of the mountain. Pretty amazing stuff…
http://roomwithaviewblog.com/google-introduces-street-view-snowmobile-for-whistler-mountain/