The Olympic Games are just a week away and some of the commercials have given me chills and have even made me get all teary eyed. I can remember watching The Olympics when I was a little girl and being blown away by how fast and how strong the athletes were. Like many little girls my favorite was always gymnastics and I would even record (on VHS) the competition, so I could watch it again and again.
I still watch The Olympics in the same way (except sometimes with DVR), shocked and in awe by how hard these athletes work and how hard their families work. The dedication of what it takes to become an Olympic athlete amazes me. I often wonder….
At what exact moment did they make the decision to go after such an incredible goal?
How does someone dedicate that much time, energy and focus into one thing? What drives them?
What really makes someone so determined to get to the top? To be the best in the world?
On the way to the top what do they do when they want to give up? And who was there to encourage them to keep going?
And what does it feel like to have the entire world watching?
These athletes have put in the work to get there and now they need our help to get them to the top and so I will be cheering them on with the #VisaGoWorld global cheer. It’s the cheering that can make all the difference…watch! It’ll give you chills.
I am so excited to get swept away in the spirit of The Olympics and to watch these athletes achieve their dreams! It’s truly inspiring.
It is proof that if you are willing to work hard for something, if you are willing to focus and go after something you CAN make it happen. But just like anything, you can’t do it alone. It’s the support system and the people around you that lift you up and believe in you. The people that are cheering for you can make all the difference in the world.
Are you excited for The Olympics? What about The Olympics gets you excited? Who will you be cheering for?
Please join the Global Cheer by visiting the VISA Facebook Page and using the Cheer App.
Use the #VisaGoWorld hashtag on Twitter to cheer!
Disclosure:I am blogging on behalf of the Visa Go World Olympic Campaign and receive compensation for my time, but the thoughts, words, and promotions on this page are mine, not Visa’s.
Comments
The other day someone asked about the most memorable sports moments on TV, and I immediately thought of Michael Johnson’s 200 meter dash at the Summer Olympics. I remember hearing my neighbor yelling and me yelling and we ran outside and hugged each other. It was so amazing.
I love the Summer Olympics. All of my favorite sports.
Michael Phelps, at the last games, was amazing.
I like to hum the Olympic theme music whenever I’m dropping off my kid at swim class. (No pressure.)
I have watched every Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics for as long as I can remember! Looking forward to it!
My favorite part is that you can cheer on an athlete regardless of nationality, religion or ideology.
I have watched just about every Olympics in my lifetime. I can’t imagine not watching. I don’t even know why I do it – I am not so into the sports normally but the stories behind the athletes really bring it to life for me.
I LOVE the Olympics.
I cry at just about every single event. What an amazing moment for those athletes.
In 1984, the Olympics were in Los Angeles. I was 9 years old and my dad took me to baseball and to the Olympic Village area. I’ll never forget it!
The Olympic games have always fascinated me. If you get a chance to visit the training center in Colorado Springs definitely check it out. You’ll meet an amazing group of inspiring, motivated, and focused people. Yes, they may be talented– but their talent lakes in comparison to their passion or their sport and their drive for excellence. I wish I could tap into a fraction of that work ethic in my own life.
My favorite part of the Olympics is probably a combination of the passing of the torch and the stories of those who carry it, combined with the opening ceremonies.
I love the blending of nations, the homage paid to each nation when they host and play their anthems. I love the flags, I love the overwhelming sense of pride and love of country.
The power and strength and dedication of the individual athletes is always inspiring. I have known Olympic hopefuls and met Dan O’Brien who is from my area. These people are strong inside and out.
I live in Vancouver and we hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. I specifically took that 17 days away from my business and spent them taking in as much of everything as I could.
That 2+ weeks is among the most memorable, enjoyable times of my life. The final day of the Olympics taking the cake as one of the single most emotionally charged days of my life.
You just can’t beat it. If you let yourself get caught up by the years of dedicated training these athletes put in, the pressure to now perform, the feeling they have from the success … all while being cheered on by tens of millions worldwide. Including their own family and friends watching.
Just even THINKING of that experience is stunning. Inspiring. Not like a rah-rah weekend motivation… but a right-to-the-core inspiration.
It’s absolutely beautiful.
(It also helps that we broke 4 Olympics records this past winter… for the most Medals won by Canada in a winter Olympics, most Gold won by Canada in a winter Olympics, most Gold won by a host nation in a winter Olympics and finally…. the most ever golds won in any Olympic games). 🙂
But who’s counting.
I’m sitting in Europe for the summer. And while the feeling won’t even come close to the highs of living in the host city, I have my flag capes and my other Canadianna ready to cheer on canuck athletes.
– Rob
I love everything about the Olympics….especially all-things-Summer-Games – swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, track (*sigh* girl’s softball – hint, hint 🙂 I actually went to the gymnastics in Los Angeles with my mom in 1984. It was spectuacular. I always cry. I always hold my breath. I can’t get enough.
The Olympics are a great time for national AND world pride! You can root for your country and be amazed with the competition. It’s about human spirit!
I remember when that female gymnast fell when she was doing the vault, and she still got back up and finished her routine even though she broke her ankle. I can’t remember her name, but the image of her stumbling and getting hurt is burned into my brain. What determination to get up and finish.
I love the Olympic spirit! As you said… it’s hard to imagine the commitment and heart it takes to reach this level of human achievement.
I’m an all-around total and complete fan, too. I was the same way as a little girl. Devoured the gymnastics routines. I still do.
I absolutely LOVE the Olympics! Being a former rower and track athlete, I am consistently impressed with the talents in all the sports and can appreciate the effort the athletes put in to compete in this arena.
I’ll never forget sitting in my living room and cheering for a former teammate as she won the silver medal in rowing for the USA. She used to sit behind me in our 8-person boat and made it all the way to the Olympics! Seeing her win was a thrill – she was amazing and sooooo strong.
And, of course, I cry at the opening ceremonies and during every awards ceremony. I love seeing all the countries come together to compete in the world of sports. It unifies us in ways we can’t see anywhere else.
I’ll be cheering for all our athletes as I sit comfortably on my couch, remembering what it felt like to be in top physical shape (those days are looooooong gone!) -go team USA!