The Sochi Olympics are over! Wasn’t that amazing? There were so many talented athletes. The final Canadian tally was 10 gold, 10 silver and 5 bronze. That in itself was impressive.
What was wonderful to me was how different people stepped up to help out other team mates or indeed other countries. Canadian cross country ski coach Justin Wadsworth gave a ski to Russian Anton Gafarov after his broke, so he could finish his competition with dignity, even if he was dead last. Another Canadian, Gilmour Junio, a track speed skater gave up his place in the long skate so that Canada’s chance of a medal would be improved by having Denny Morrison skate.
The Gold medal winner Dario Cologna of Switzerland, a cross country skier, waited to the end (28 minutes) to shake the hands of Dachhiri Sherpa of Nepal # 86 and #87 Roberto Carcelen of Peru for completing their course. Roberto was the first Winter Olympian for Peru and he had only been skiing since 2005! These times of courtesy to me, were just as important as the games themselves. It did not seem to matter what country you were, what colour you were, but how you handled yourself with dignity and courtesy to others. That to me IS the true spirit of the Olympics! Yes the medals are great, and there is always a controversy or two, but when true team & Olympic spirit occurs, then magic happens.
If we could but take these examples into our own lives, we would have a better world. The Olympics as well, are not a place for politics which the I.O.C. president made clear.
There was honouring of Sarah Burke who campaigned very hard and succeeded in getting her new events into the Olympics. Sarah Burke who passed away in a training accident in 2012 in Canada was honoured by every person who got to enjoy their new event in the women’s half-pipe. I was impressed with the skiers who did one last run down the pipe in honour of Sarah. They skied in a heart formation!
There were so many lessons to be taken from these events. For example, people had a great time in Sochi and it was well protected. Many visitors stayed away due to fear. For those who overcame their fears, they got to reap the benefits of a fabulous event. They got to meet volunteers from a great country and athletes from many countries. The opening and closing ceremonies where magnificent! I especially loved the Russian circus! I had seen them before when I had been in Belarus. I had been in Russia and had taken in the Bolshoi Theatre and watched a ballet. Russian history revolves around music and ballet. It is rich in its vast history of the Arts. To see a glimpse of this again was amazing!
I noticed too there was an honouring of the seasoned veterans of the Olympics. Some won medals, others not. To see Viktor Petrenko skate in all his magnificence brought back memories of another era. Many of these veterans are now announcers. They gave clear and concise details of what was happening and what was needed to win. They gave kudos when deserved and encouraged the younger athletes to persevere!
To Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, your ice dance was classy as was your gracious acceptance of the silver medal. Well deserved too! There were so many excellent teams that night. You were all winners! There were not enough medals to go around. For many there will be another Olympics. For Scott & Tessa this was our last chance to see you in competition. London and Ilderton salute you both and I thank you for the years of magic you brought to the ice.
I hope you were able to see a fair bite of the Olympics. I know I will try to carry the spirit that is the Olympics into my everyday life. Thank you Russia! Thank you to the Canadian athletes for taking us with you on your journeys. It has been a blast and I salute every one of you. To me, getting there is a step towards your ultimate goal of possible medals. Be proud of these accomplishments at every level. Sometimes it is not just the Gold, Silver & Bronze that matter. Doing your best and being proud of this is! Hold on to your dreams!