Some people see the Olympic Games as a monumental waste of time and money; as a three- week carnival of pseudo-athletes you don’t know playing sports you don’t care about.
Another group, which includes me, marvel at the Olympics for their history, their golden moments, and their ability to inspire passion in degrees unseen in the rest of organized sports. Real people cry real tears at the Olympic Games; tears of joy and tears of heartbreak. I know people who make fun of soccer, bob-sledding, figure skating and curling. But it’s a big world out there and the Olympics help us remember that.
At the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Games at Sochi, Russia, 88 nations marched into the arena. They were athletes, not politicians. They shared the pride of being the best at what they do in their home countries.
An Olympian, win or lose, is an Olympian forever – part of a powerful sisterhood or brotherhood long after they crossed the finish lines. Whether their native tongue is English or Mandarin, they speak a universal language. They are the best athletes in the world competing at what they do. No event brings together the family of man like the Olympic Games.
Let the games, not the politics, influence and educate us.
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