Today marks the last day of the Summer Olympics, with the Paralympics taking off in a little more than 2 weeks. Despite the event being held in the midst of a global crisis, I feel the achievements of the Olympians give us something extraordinary to find joy in. With every medal race and every athlete taking home a medal I feel my emotions running high. I just can’t help it.
So why is that, I wonder? What about these champions that causes me to well up and burst into extreme happiness for them every time they cross the finish line?
Because they are role models in the way they approach life.
Ever since I was little I have been in awe of athletes, showcasing the utmost dedication, commitment, resilience and drive to achieve perfection. A perfectionist myself (an exhausting trait) I looked up to their disciplined nature and confidence in their own abilities. The way that they seemed to get motivated even by failure and never giving up was something my younger self could not comprehend. I was inspired to be more like them.
For young people the Olympics can be both a source of inspiration and education. Seeing the world's most competitive athletes showing gentleness and warmth to one another — celebrating, pep-talking, wiping away one another's tears of disappointment — allows young people to experience life values such as excellence, respect and friendship.
As an adult and starting entrepreneur I am still extremely inspired by the Olympic athletes. I feel there is so much to learn from the way they approach their day-to-day life with great resilience and perseverance. It blows my mind knowing how much effort is behind those medal moments. Going full speed at it, not fearing failure, getting back up after defeat and pushing even harder is a tremendous superhuman power in my opinion.
I guess what touches me deeply and foremost is that all Olympians put tremendous effort into becoming the best version of themselves. I think they are not necessarily only interested in competing against others in their sports, but mainly about competing against themselves. It’s about self-improvement and bettering the person you were the day before. This to me seems like the essence of a true Olympian and a skill I truly aim to embrace in the way I approach my life as well.
I hope you have enjoyed the Olympics as much as I have! I am curious to hear your thoughts on this so don't hesitate to comment :)