I’m spending a considerable amount of time watching the Summer Olympics and thinking about how inspiring these athletes are. So far, I have watched some basketball, gymnastics, swimming, bicycling, beach volleyball and even some badminton.
Badminton as an Olympic sport? Wow. I remember so clearly having the badminton net strung up in the front lawn of our farm house when I was growing up. What fun we had playing on the warm summer evenings. There were 5 kids in our family, so we had to rotate who actually got to play. I’m not sure that we were quite as diplomatic about this as our parents would have liked!
Our biggest challenge during play was to avoid hitting the birdie into the tree branches. This isn’t quite the challenge that the Olympic athletes are faced with, but what challenges do they face to become a champion? The hours of practice, the physics of the birdie and the racquet, the physical training and conditioning, the dedication and commitment to a sport, the complete focus, the desire to be the best?
With a heavy sigh, I realize that I will continue to admire the athletes solely through my television, while I am curled up on the sofa with my laptop. Do I think that I have the commitment and dedication that our Olympic athletes possess to become a champion? Nah so much!!