I love the Olympics, especially the Summer Olympics. Certainly, I love the classics. Soccer? Obviously. Track and field? Top of my list. Gymnastics? Always, especially this year, with Simone Biles performing. Swimming? I’m in.
And I also love the crazy sports that I only watch every four years: Synchronized swimming? Absolutely. Rhythicmic gymnastics? Gorgeous. Speed rock climbing? I didn’t know that was a thing, but all right. Judo? Sure. Breakdancing? Well, I’m on the fence about that, but still, I was pulling for Lithuania to win their first gold medal. Rowing, diving, trampolining, basketball–really, I’ll watch it all.
My enthusiasm for the Olympics is not just because I love athletes and athletics in general, but it is especially because behind every sport there is at least one, if not multiple, heartwarming, inspiring stories of athletes, their families, and their journeys to get to the pinnacle of their sport. So many of those stories involve overcoming struggle, wrestling with hardships, and persevering in the face of doubts: athletes who experienced the loss of a family member; athletes who rebounded from a serious injury; athletes who learned effective coping strategies for mental health issues and have come back better than ever. I am so inspired by these individuals, truly.
Additionally, equally inspiring is the entire community–coaches, neighborhoods, family and friends–that rallied around these athletes, and encouraged them, supported them, and carried them along when they could not move forward on their own.
This reality has been highlighted throughout these events, especially with the emphasis on the contrast between the Tokyo Olympics, where no fans, friends or family, could be present, and the full stadiums that we have seen in Paris. The gold medal volleyball match between France and Poland is a good example. France won its second consecutive gold medal, and the announcers talked about how much it meant to the team to win this medal in a packed, raucous stadium in their home country, having gone through the experience of winning alone three years ago, with no one to cheer them on in Tokyo,
This reality also has been highlighted in multiple ad campaigns; one of my favorites is the Toyota “Start Your Impossible” campaign [you can read more about it here: https://www.startyourimpossible.com/.] Here is how Toyota described it:
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) has launched the next chapter of the ‘Start Your Impossible’ global marketing campaign, igniting excitement for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. The global campaign showcases the power of local communities rallying behind their athletes and emphasises Toyota’s belief that no journey is taken alone.
The ‘Start Your Impossible’ campaign not only showcases remarkable Olympic and Paralympic athletes but also sheds light on the heroes behind their success – the coaches, teammates, parents, and fans – the community that fuels their journey.
The campaign message celebrates that where you come from – your community – matters. It’s this respect for local communities and long-standing commitment to sports that shines in Toyota’s support of more than 200 Olympic and Paralympic athletes around the world.
So, as the Olympics comes to a close tomorrow, I want to take a moment to celebrate “the village” that is the Olympic Games: the athletes, the coaches, the families, the friends, the towns and cities back home hosting huge watch parties, and the entire nations who are preparing to welcome home athletes who have won glory for their countries.
And, I also want to take a moment to look around and celebrate my village–those people who have my back, who cheer me on, who assure me that I can do it when I am sure that I can’t, and who love me no matter what. I am so grateful for those loved ones.
So, to all those Olympians–those whose events we all watched and whose names we will remember; and those whose events didn’t get air time, whose games didn’t end in victory–thank you. You are valued and loved no matter what. Well done, everyone. Thank you for a fantastic experience.
Happy Lutheran 