http://www.ctvolympics.ca/videos/index.html
The video is called "A Final Goodbye." Tomorrow it may not be the first video on the roster but I hope you find it.
Mr. Williams states, "We do live in a real world...", "but in their best, purest form, the Olympics should be about the enthusiasm and the dreams of youth. They are about hard work and setting goals. They are about representing your country in the best possible way you can, but most of all ladies and gentleman, they are about the athletes."
I could watch the Olympics everyday for a whole year. What is so special about the Olympic period for me is that the world is exposed to the secret life of sport. I say secret because in order to reach this event or anything close to its caliber, these athletes have to work themselves not only during the competition, but every day. Every single day has a moment, or most likely period, dedicated to self improvement. The wonders of these sports will continue on beyond, as they did before as well, the 2 week period that most people choose to pay the most attention to. I often get the question after explaining that I'm a cross-country ski racer, "So do you want to go to the Olympics?" Yes, of course! But it's not about a single event for me. Athletics, for me, is about personal excellence. It boils down to it every time. Strip away any possible fame, money, endorsement, pride, lifestyle and you will see that it's about being better than you were yesterday. To me that sounds selfish. But what is beautifully crafted from sport is the ability to push oneself beyond limits unknown. The ability to recognize and understand an element of the human body and mind that is so unique to each human being. No single human being is the same. So, therefore, no athlete is the same. And finally, you won't know what exists for you unless you explore it.
Brian Williams nails it on the head beautifully. The Olympics is an opportunity for the world to see how the odd life of an athlete works. The montage of emotional video that follows Mr. William's goodbye, matched with the perfect "believe in yourself"-type song, demonstrates athletes who have embodied sport to its in-the-moment capacity through years of hard work. What I find interesting about the images is the amount of tears. A lot of the clips, if taken out of context, could be taken for happy or sad moments. And sometimes it's hard to tell. What I think is happening is the disbelief, or coming of belief that, "that just happened." When I see someone achieving excellence in something they are good at, it's one of the best feelings. It sounds funny and kind of dramatic, but it's something that always pops out as if I'm experiencing what they are. That is how I know I'm doing the right things with this period of my life.
This post is an attempt to sum up the side of the Olympics that isn't about the cameras and the flashy suits. There is so much that can be said about Canada's amazing, bright and talented athletes but for whatever reason I've been compelled to tell you about my perspective of sport. It's a little more expressive than I usually care to write for but I guess this is about the hope that I have for everyone. That they find something in their life, whether it be sport, music, education, travel, a career or even basket-weaving that they care enough about to pour themselves into in order to learn something about themselves. It's a timeless and invaluable experience that I am truly thankful and privileged to be experiencing at a young age. It just so happened to be on a pair of skis.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
Erin
