Watching a cross-country ski race from Vancouver, I saw some mid-field finishers raise their arms in glee at the finish. Clearly those were competitors whose personal goals were more humble than a gold medal; maybe simply qualifying for the Games was a dream come true.
Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic movement, said, "The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." If not for the struggle, for the effort put into training and preparation, not to mention the physical endeavor of the race itself, would victory mean what it does?
From my years of bike racing, I know there were thousands of miles of training just to build a foundation of fitness before I was a credible racer. I had some moments in the sun, days when I was unstoppable like the 1999 Texas Cat. 3 Criterium Championships pictured above. I also had days where I was dropped from the peloton like a hot rock, or worse, ended up on the ground. Looking back, of course I remember the former more readily than the latter. Each time I lined up at the start of a race, though, I didn't know which would come to be that day. I had to find out.In the end, hats off to all those who struggled, to each and every Olympic athlete who pinned on a number or put on a bib, to everyone who put it all on the line and told himself and his competitors, "Show me what you've got." Whether you went to Vancouver for a medal or just to say you competed, I hope you fought well.
