The Olympic torch is coming to San Francisco today. No matter what you may think about the controversy that’s surrounded the torch’s trek around the globe, you can’t fail to at least let the Olympics cross your mind during this time. That’s gotten me to thinking about the athletes that compete at this level and how inspiring they are in both their skill and their determination to succeed.
What’s necessary to compete at the Olympic level varies by sport, of course. The sport that I’m thinking of right now is gymnastics. With this sport, you really have a very small window of time in which you can realistically plan to be an Olympic competitor. Because of the age at which you peak in gymnastics, you really only have one or two Olympics to shoot for. Any injuries or missteps along the way and your whole dream can come crashing down around you. That’s a whole lot of effort required for what is not a guaranteed reward.
And even with other sports, you have to commit a serious amount of your life to the sport you’ve chosen in order to be able to excel at the level required by this event. That commitment, that self-motivation and that drive towards a chosen goal is something to be admired. And it’s something that has served to inspire people all over the world for many, many years.
Question of the Day: At what level of competition do sports become inspiring for you?
[Tags] inspiration, athletic, sports, san francisco, olympics [/Tags]
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