Photo by Vytautas Dranginis on Unsplash
By Emma Bertsch, Staff Writer
Every four years, athletes from all over the world push themselves to their limits in some of the world’s coldest conditions. They perform death-defying stunts or complete their race at top speeds.
This beautiful tradition is called the Winter Olympics. Ever since I can remember, I’ve visited Lake Placid, New York, a quaint little town that was the host site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.
The 1932 games were the first time the Winter Olympics were held in the United States. During the 1980 games, the “Miracle on Ice” occurred when a rag-tag American hockey team of college underdogs beat the best team in the world, the Soviet Union. There’s a movie about it called “Miracle,” which I highly recommend.
Of course, I was not alive for either of these events, but every time I visit, there’s still a little hint of Olympic magic in the air even after all these years. In fact, the Nordic Combined Olympic trials, which is an event that combines ski-jumping with cross-country skiing, was held in Lake Placid. It has been, and I bet always will be, my favorite place in the world, and it’s probably the reason I love the Olympics so much.
Since I was young, I have been fascinated with the Olympics, Summer and Winter. I’d watch the opening ceremonies in awe while decked out in my Team USA gear, dreaming what it would be like to walk into that arena waving an American flag.
I know what you may be thinking, “this girl must be a pretty well-rounded athlete to dream about going to the Olympics.”
Well, you’re mistaken. You see, I do love sports. I love to run (slowly), ski, both downhill and cross country, swim, ride my bike and I even rode a bobsled once. But here’s the thing- I am nowhere good enough in any of those things to get remotely close to an Olympic Games.
Nope, I simply love the spirit of it all. The camaraderie within teams, the inspirational stories, the patriotism and seeing an athlete from Team USA standing on the top of the podium with their hand on their heart and a gold medal around their neck. I get chills just thinking about it.
There’s no denying that I love sports, but I don’t think you have to love sports to have the Olympics excite you; as I said before, it’s the spirit behind it all. There are moments of triumph in which the whole country revels in patriotism and setbacks that remind us that these world-class athletes are still just like us.
Mistakes happen, and they’re not perfect all the time, except their mistakes are broadcast on live television for the world to see. What I’m trying to say, and maybe recommend, is to watch the Olympics. Perhaps just one event; a hockey game or ski jumping, for example. I think you’ll find that it is about a lot more than just athletics.
