Why I love the Olympics
The Summer Olympics start today in Paris and I am pumped! As a lifelong athlete and lover of human movement, I am truly in awe of what these athletes are setting out to accomplish individually and collectively. I don't watch TV but I do make an important exception for the Olympics. While watching the games, no doubt that I will laugh and cry. I will text my sister and say "I love sports" because we're both a teensy bit competitive (cue the laughter from our friends) and appreciate the character development that comes along with athletic pursuits. I will feel pride and anger, joy and sadness. In short, I will be a human bearing witness to other humans being the most authentic versions of themselves.
Here are my top 5 reasons for loving the Olympics:
Diversity in Human Movement
Humans use our bodies to explore the world around us. We use our bodies to express creativity. We use them to fight, make love and create meaning of our existence. These are our space suits and while living on planet earth we'll use our bodies to do the most amazing things. The Summer Olympics has 32 sports so there is a wide variety of configurations to see humans move and use their bodies. These bodies can be tall or short. Some are stronger and some are built for speed. Seeing humans with full mastery of their bodies is just cool AF for me.
Overcoming Adversity
Heartbreak comes in many forms. Maybe it's a personal heartbreak like an accident or injury, the loss of a family member. Maybe it's systemic heartbreak like poverty or racial discrimination. Athletes overcome the micro and macro forms of adversity in an effort to be the best in the whole world at their sport. How inspiring is that? The adversity is strong, but the human spirit is stronger. It's mental strength as much as physical strength that is on display at the Olympics. And at the core of this strength is hope. So much so that athletes are actually called "Olympic Hopefuls" This heartbreak and hope are essentials in our human experience. I love to root for an underdog and always enjoy an upset or come from behind victory.
Teamwork & Connection
As a team sport athlete (soccer, basketball and lacrosse growing up >> lacrosse in college) I tend to gravitate to watching sports that involve groups of humans working together. Beach volleyball, women's basketball, and women's soccer are a few of my favorites. The dedication that goes into working on yourself as an athlete is magnified when you do that with 1-11 other players. Working together and cooperation makes us human, even when it feels like the country and world are divided. Even in sports like gymnastics, swimming and track & field, where athletes compete solo (or in relays) the team is there cheering them on. I'm a team person...I love witnessing humans hyping up and cheering for other humans. Sharing the space for a loss is just as powerful as holding that space for a win. Connection, regardless of the outcome, is a deep part of what it means to be a human.
Sports as Community
The community (or low key cult?) around sports is rivaled only by the fans of live music. When you see another human wearing the shirt, hat, sticker of your favorite team, you immediately have something in common with them. On the global stage, this is even bigger as athletes represent their entire country. The US is a heavy favorite, sure. But we're also a huge country (and one obsessed with competition) so lots of athletes are trying out for spots. But for smaller countries and smaller Olympic teams, there feels like a heightened sense of community. When watching sports and you highfive or hug a stranger, how fun is that. Knowing that you're cheering for the same thing, even if you don't know each other.
Mindfulness
I love to see humans be mindful, present and so focused on one single thing that the whole world fades away. When it's just you and the clock, you and the shot, you and the landing, you and whatever is standing between you and the goal you have been working towards for years. The deep concentration in that moment is beautiful. The single point of focus in a world full of distractions, I love to see that juxtaposition (yupppp that's yoga y'all!)
In short, I love watching humans being human. Maybe I should have been a sociologist (my minor in college) or an anthropologist rather than a yoga teacher because I am legit obsessed with how humans do life. And to see the beauty in the movement, the mindfulness, the community and the connection, what a joy.
What are your favorite Olympic sports?