#371: The Olympics

Every other year for two weeks I’m glued to the tv like most of the world, watching the Olympics! I’m a HUGE Olympic fan! I don’t care what sport is on, Summer or Winter Games, if I’m not doing anything and the Olympic broadcast is on I’m watching it! Of course there are some sports I like more than others, but I enjoy watching them all. I was born in an Olympic year, and I think I might’ve become an Olympic fan before I was born because my mom remembers watching the Games while she was pregnant with me.

There’s so many different sports in the Olympics, which we don’t often get to see. Figure Skating is my favorite Winter sport and Gymnastics my favorite Summer. I watch these as often as I can on TV, but I often don’t get to see the other Olympic sports. I often remember athletes from previous games and it’s fun to see them compete again and hear what they’ve been up to.

I love cheering on the US athletes, and seeing the best athletes from around the world compete against each other. I love hearing their stories, especially people from other countries, and while I always want the US to win, when someone from another country with an interesting story does well I’m always excited for them. The first Olympics I remember watching were the 1992 Winter Olympics, and I’ve watched every one since. (Though I was out of the country for half of the 1992 Summer Games, so I didn’t see much and don’t remember much of what I did see) I have memories and favorite moments of each games and not just in my favorite sports, though those are the ones I think of first.

If I had to pick a favorite Olympics overall, it would probably be the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. The two memories that stick out the most were seeing my favorite figure skater of all time Tara Lipinski win gold, and getting up REALLY early to see the Gold Medal Women’s Hockey Game Live! The 1996 Summer games in Atlanta would probably be my favorite Summer Games, (it was nice being in the same time zone so I could see so many events live) and watching the Magnificent Seven Women’s Gymnastics team win Gold. That’s when I got hooked on the sport and was obsessed with those gymnasts for years.

#371: Thank you Lord for the Olympics, it’s so much fun to watch the best athletes from around the world compete and here their stories.

What are you thankful for today? Leave a Comment and let me know, I’d love to read it!

Day 61: Gymnastics

I’ve already written about two of my favorite sports, and since the third was on tv this afternoon I thought I should write about it. Unlike Figure Skating and Football, I actually tried Gymnastics when I was little, mainly because my best friend was doing it. I really don’t remember that much about it, besides walking across the balance beam. I can’t do hand stands or cartwheels, so I only did it for a short while.

It wasn’t until the months leading up to the 1996 Summer Olympics that I really got interested in the sport. I remember watching the US Nationals, and getting excited for the Olympics, then when the US Women won the gold I was ecstatic! I became obsessed with the “Magnificent Seven” and even started using the pen name “Dominique Kerry”, after my two favorite gymnasts on the team.

While I’m not as obsessed with gymnastics as I was back then, I do love watching it. I used to only watch the women, but as time has passed I’ve become interested in the men too. I like the different events in a competition, each one uses different skills, which makes it more interesting to me. I love the combination of athletic ability and artistry which I think is even more evident in gymnastics than figure skating. It’s amazing for me to watch people fly so high in the air, then come down and land on their feet.

Day 61: Thank you Lord for gymnastics, and the amazing things you can see human beings do there.

What are you thankful for today? Leave a Comment and let me know, I’d love to read it!