Watching the Olympics all weekend, I can't help but think back to the many Olympics I have obsessed over in my day. As a child I would write in my journal about the sports I would compete in, convinced I would be both a Summer Olympian and a Winter Olympian and that I would medal in both. But that never happened. I am confronted with these broken dreams every 2 years when there is a new Olympics, and yet every 2 years, I continue to dream with my broken down, battered joints and ligaments still functioning just enough to allow me to. Sports can be a cruel master.
The Vancouver Olympics brought us all together, made us all so proud and reminded us all that (as Canadian Tire says), we all play for Canada. The days I spent making my own starting blocks, my own backyard arena and my own high jump pit - in my mind, I was wearing the Maple Leaf...I played for Canada. Vancouver reminded us all of that passion. Now, heading in to Sochi, we all so badly want to feel that passion again, we want to be swept up in that red wave covering the nation and uniting this vast and diverse land as one. I know I do.
But it is in watching Olympic dreams happen that makes those 17 days so memorable for so many years. The Dufour Lapointe sisters snatching gold and silver in freestyle skiing, an event I remember Jean-Luc Brassard winning so clearly in 1994, makes me think of my own sisters. I am the youngest of 3 sisters and the most competitive of 3 sisters. I remember subbing for my older sister's ball team once: I hit 2 home runs and picked off any runner trying to steal second from behind home plate - I think my sister still hates me for it. And yet, when I won Provincials for the first time to go to Nationals, she put it in the school announcements and I had one of the greatest days of my life, all thanks to her. Watching Justine and Chloe Dufour Lapointe on the podium, I am continually reminded of that spectacular bond that has helped make me who I am today, and that has helped shape the top two freestyle skiers in the world.
Yes, my entire weekend was structured around the Olympics. I stayed up late, got up early, took naps and structured my errands so they would not interfere with any events. I downloaded the CBC Sochi app to my phone, I have all the channels set in my mind and on my pvr, and most importantly, my schedule is cleared to manage the heavy mental focus and dedication these 17 days demand. My fan hat is on, my focus is set and I'm ready for yet another Olympics. Here we go, Canada.
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