Olympic Proportions

                 If you are anything like me, you've been captivated by the Olympic games over the past two weeks. I haven't  changed the channel on my TV from NBC since the games began. The games inspire me (and countless others, as the gym has been a bit more crowded recently) for many reasons, and I'd like to share some of my love for the best sporting event in the world.

     First off, the bodies. No, not exclusively from an attractiveness standpoint, but rather just the incredible level of proficiency that Olympic athletes have woven into their chiseled into their muscles. From the crazy amount of body control displayed in gymnastics to the power associated with running a 100 m dash in less than 10 seconds, these people are truly extraordinary. As an anatomy and physiology nerd, I get probably too much enjoyment from thinking about how beautiful the orchestra of muscle firing in these athletes is. I could sit there and just watch muscle contractions all night long.

    The Olympics is the biggest stage of sport. These athletes train four long years just to see what it feels like to have a medal around their neck. I love the emotion that pours from their faces when they realize that they have just won a gold medal. You can just tell from the mile-wide smile and streaming tears that they are feeling elation beyond just winning any other game, race, or match. It must be an emotion unlike any other. I can't imagine training four years for that moment. That would be like me training for one race since I was 16. Crazy.

     I LOVE the nationalism. They are all competing for their country, not for money. They are in London to represent themselves and their country in the highest esteem possible. It must be really awesome to drape the American flag around your shoulders, sing the national anthem from a podium, and wear a jersey with USA emblazoned on your chest. You can tell that these athletes don't lose sight of what they are competing for. Of course they are motivated to some extent by individual glory, but at the end of the day, they are there to represent our country; and that's cooler than any professional/college sports team.

   There were some really cool stories, too. Oscar Pistorius and his prosthetic limbs (I love his quote--"You are not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."), Misty and Kerri's last medal together, Usain Bolt and the always fun Jamaican sprinters, the list just goes on and on.

It's hard not to get motivated by seeing so many dedicated people perform their best (heck, even 90% of the commercials were made you want to go out and run some 400's). It's also hard to hide your American pride. USA! USA! USA!