This morning I sat looking out my window and I thought about writing this post. The 2009 Olympiad in Beijing Opening Ceremony was 1 year ago. I talked about the Olympics or Olympians almost everyday for a year. But today, I shocked myself by feeling the emotions I had last year when seeing the Games. It's hard to explain unless you really, really love watching the Games. It was like all of a sudden I felt the chills and goosebumps when I thought about all the stories and races I saw in Beijing. The optimism everyone had because the Games were in China and the luck with the date 8/8/08. Then of course there's Michael.
This August 17th will be one full year since Michael completed one of the highest athletic achievements. We won't see that everyday. Im sure someone will surpass Mike in performance one day, but for now, Im still in awe of what the world saw over the span of 9 days last summer. Inspirational can't seem to cover it. Thinking back to all the drama and emotions of those days when the WORLD was focused on a swimming pool, I can't believe I only just got bitten by the swimfan bug last year. I was excited to see Mike since I remembered him from Athens. But how can I express how Beijing made me feel? Over and over I heard reporters say they've run out of superlatives to describe Mike's performance. It's true.
Staggering, Astounding, Redonkulus :) all fit. Every night I was glued to the television watching each race and in between being introduced to Lezak, Lochte, Jones, Soni, Beisel, and Torres, I saw Michael Phelps put his palm print in history. How many times do I remember screaming, shrieking at the end of the 4x100 Medley Relay? It was the kind of noise only 13 yr old girls can manage, but I did it :) After that, I just stared at Mike on screen and said to myself, "Wow. He did it." I couldn't say anything else. It took a long time for the full effect of his 8 Golds to sink in.
And then I found a group of Facebook (at the time I called it Phelpsbook) phans just as Phelps-loving as I was, and it's been a crazy ride ever since. WHY though? That was, and still is, the question from people who just dont understand. It's because Michael Phelps is the example of what it means to be your absolute best, when you want, how you want. It's watching him utterly knock down every wall people try to put up to stop him. Just last week at Worlds we got another lil taste of what Mike can do when he is directly challenged. Most of us let fear get in the way, and we stall and stumble. If nothing else, Beijing showed me "Anything Is Possible." Common saying, yes, but watching Mike I really believed it for the first time in my life. Never give up. Keep pushing till you get what ur after. Dont let people talk you out of something you have a desire to do. Think about it. If they've never done it, how can they be such a sure authority on it?
One of my biggest wishes is to go to an Olympic Games. Winter or Summer doesnt matter. I've wanted this since I was 14. And I'll never give up hope that I will, someday be in a stadium watching the athletic best of every country wave their flags and represent their love of competition, achievement, and country. Even at 14 I loved learning about other cultures and was so happy to study Spanish when I got to high school that Fall. For me, it was all about dreaming outside of what I saw everyday. Even now, seeing the best athletes in the world fight for the title of Olympic champion moves me like nothing else can. I can see myself at an Opening Ceremony and either I'll be smiling so hard my face will hurt, or I'll just stand there letting tears slide down my face. Either way, I'll be happy.
Seeing all the things that happened to Mike this past year made me also realize you have to be strong to be the best. When it's fun, it's fun. When it's not, it can be crushing. Despite stumbling through some things and making mistakes, Mike still shows how to handle being The Best. So, congratulations to him for all he's achieved, including inspiring so many people.
