PARIS OLYMPICS: TIME TO GET IN SHAPE

With the Paris Olympics coming up it’s not too late to get ready, to get in shape.

No matter the event, you’re a competitor, a contender, an expert.

What if it’s something you’ve never seen before?

Still an expert. Does it sound too dumb yet?

My wife has a common complaint that goes like this:

“David likes to point out fit people.”

She’s right about that, but skips the important part.

I point out fit people and guess their sport.

It’s not very complicated.

Some fit guy riding a bike?

He’s a bike racer of some kind, maybe a triathlete if they can run and swim.

What’s the key to my superpower?

Someone has to come in last, so why not that guy?

 

Making The Paris Olympics Team

We all know the Olympics has qualifying standards.

But do they really matter?

I remember Eddie The Eagle.

 

Having not made the grade as a downhill skier, he switched to ski jumping as there were no other British ski jumpers with whom to compete for a place.

In 1988 he became the first competitor to represent Great Britain in Olympic ski jumping, finishing last in the Normal Hill and Large Hill events.

Following the widespread attention that Edwards received in Calgary shortly after the Olympics finished, the entry requirements were made stricter, making it nearly impossible for anyone to follow his example.

 

Social media asked the Olympics to show ordinary people doing Olympic events to show how hard they are.

The Eagle was on it, ahead of his time.

Yes, he’s an Olympian, a last place finisher, but be honest: who would want to do the ski jump?

If Eddie isn’t enough, movie and all, there’s the Jamaican bobsled team debut at the same Olympics.

They had little experience in the sport and had to appeal to other teams for basic equipment in order to compete; sporting camaraderie across national boundaries followed.

In the third out of four runs, they lost control of the sleigh, crashed, and did not officially finish.

 

They didn’t finish, but they’re still Olympians, which is more than the rest of us can claim.

 

What Makes A Champion

This is me holding the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy.

I’m either an NBA champ, or this is the trophy in the Portland Trail Blazer’s 1977 case.

I forget which one until someone reminds me I didn’t play basketball in high school or college.

But you’ve been around sports fans who forget they never played anything but act like All-Stars?

They know the game, the players, the stakes, and get over excited, but you’ve seen their athleticism.

If you’re around new people, let your pal have his run.

It’s not your job to correct him in front of others.

Don’t be the downer while your pal is flying high.

 

For the Paris Olympics I have plans if I can break away from my duties with the Olympic Basketball Team.

Will I watch people in canoes? People on bikes? People holding their breath underwater?

Maybe, but there’s no question I’ll be watching super-fit people running and jumping and throwing stuff.

How do I know they’re so fit?

I was in Portland a few years back when the World Indoor Track Championships were here.

My kid was getting married and we stayed downtown for a few days.

On the last day I got on an elevator that was unlike any elevator ever.

It was full of world champion track and field competitors.

They had a vibe that filled the car.

If you want to feel young and vibrant, hang out in that elevator.

Same with the feeling of old and decrepit. Either way will do it so choose accordingly.

I feel young and vibrant when I see men and women striving for excellence for just walking around.

There they are, showing their work, their motivation, just like me in my pink shirt and tie.

Just like you, too?

What about that trophy?