2008 Olympics

They said no one cared. They said no one would watch. They said NBC made a colossal mistake forking over millions for the right to provide television coverage of the 29th Olympiad. They were dead wrong. To be honest, you were hooked the moment you saw the opening ceremony. It was if you were there, waiting for the announcer to announce the US team’s arrival. At that moment you were ecstatic because you realized you live in the greatest country in the world. Black or white? Doesn’t matter. Liberal or conservative? Again, who cares. For once, we are all on the same page. That’s what makes the Olympics so special.
Beijing has been the site of the late night heroics of the United States and none have touched our nation more than Michael Fred Phelps.
Phelps wasn’t a house hold name. After years of training at the United States Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs, CO, Phelps was vying for a chance to swim with the world’s best and defeat them. In record time. Swim and dominate he did. He was perfect. In fact, he not only broke the previous records, he shattered them. When he was finished, he calmly hoisted eight gold medals for all the world to see. He now could have his name and caricature etched into Mount Rushmore. House hold name? He could possibly have an argument as the best athlete in any sport.
Phelps grew up in Baltimore, MD, and began swimming at an early age. As a small child, he was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and began swimming as an outlet to aid with the recovery. After excelling at the University of Michigan, he began a lifelong dream of preparing for the Olympic games.
With the USA basketball team continuing to squash the competition, the eyes of the US were on events such as floor exercise and uneven bars. The US gymnastics team were against the odds of the favored Chinese in Olympic National Stadium. The duo of Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin wowed the crowd and Liukin came away with the gold medal.
Stories are appearing where fathers and mothers are seeing their children emulating the stars of the Olympics in their respective backyards throughout the heartland of America. Yearning for the chance to be an Olympic hero like that of Phelps and Liukin.
We can learn from the youngsters, not just from America, about the desire to win and succeed. These athletes trained vigorously in their quest for excellence. So many times, young people on television are anything but role models for kids. Olympians are quite the opposite.
Many remember where you were when Hank Aaron broke the home run record previously held by Babe Ruth or saw the 1972 Miami Dolphins finish the NFL season undefeated. For this generation, watching Phelps swim to gold was pure magic.