Thursday, February 25, 2010

Olympic Dreams and Mothers

I love the Olympic Games.
I have since I was a young girl watching

Olga Korbut on the high beam in 1972.
Do you remember her? 
She was so young, so far away from her home in Belarus,
and was doing wonderfully in the competition, but flubbed up on the parallel bars, and the little girl from the Cold Eastern Bloc, warmed everyone's hearts with her tear-filled eyes. I cried too. Then she came back and took gold! The gymnastics sports exploded worldwide because of her. There are entire generations of young women who don't know her, but at the time, she was responsible for filling gymnasiums with little girls who all wanted to "be like Olga." Myself included.
******** 

And I cheered for Dorothy Hamill in  '76,
whose Mother devoted hours upon hours of sacrifice,
driving Dorothy to practices, like many moms do everyday.
She had spunk and a thousand-watt smile.
And a haircut
that became a HUGE trend!
It was everywhere on everyone.
Myself included.
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Nancy Kerrigan and Dan Jansen in 1994

If you remember Nancy BEFORE she was whacked by the other crazy skater's camp (I'm not mentioning her name, because I don't like her), Nancy's backstory involved her legally-blind mother.  Her mother used to sit about 4 inches from a TV screen to even see her daughter perform. Their bond was touching. I wanted her to win for her mother.

Dan Jansen...he came in a favorite in 1988. He'd been skating since he was 4 years old, thanks, in part to his older sister, Jane.  Jane was battling leukemia in 1988 and hours before Dan's competition, a phone was put to Jane's ear so Dan could say, "I love you."  Jane died six hours later.  Dan's performance that day, did not result in a medal.In fact, he wasn't even wanting to compete. It was his Mom who encouraged him to finish what he had come there to do. But he didn't win.  He had his mind on other things.  He did return in 1994 and went home with the only gold medal he ever won.  If you remember this, he skated a victory lap around the rink with his young daughter, named Jane.




And on and on...
every Olympics I find my favorites
and cheer them on in my own little way
like millions of others.

This year has been no different.
Athletes with background stories of their own,
that test their commitment and skills
surface out of obscurity
and into our livingrooms
and our hearts.

This year,
for me,
it is Joannie Rochette.

An only child from Quebec
whose mother died unexpectedly last Sunday,
just two days before her competition.
Outsiders wondered aloud
if this young woman would be able
to focus on what lay before her,
and not collapse under her grief.
She determined that she would set out to do
what she and her mother had worked together
so hard on doing:
Shine at the Olympics.
Joannie would not let her mother down.
She would do her part,
do her best
and do it for her Mother.

She skated a flawless program.
And it was only afterwards that we saw any
emotion at all....
And together,
we mourned and we cheered with her.


Joannie Rochette elected after skating Tuesday night not to stop to talk to reporters. But, waiting for the scores in the kiss and-cry area, she said a few words in French. If you could lip-read, you could make out what she said: "Thanks, mom, for being with me "




"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."- Cardinal Mermillod

17 comments:

  1. So true! And beautifully said.

    I always find heroes in the Olympics, and she is my favorite this year, too. I'm also really taken with Torah Bright, the snowboarder from Australia who will be married in the SLC temple in June. What a darling girl.

    =)

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  2. I love the Olympics too. It makes me stop and appreciate athletes from all over the world. The hardwork, sacrifice and dedication are astounding. Aren't human beings fascinating.
    Thanks for reminding me of former athletes who inspired the world.

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  3. Love this post, momza. Just... love it.

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  4. Ya, I sat in front of the TV blubbering like an idiot.
    Loved it. I hope she does well tonight.

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  5. Ditto on the Dorothy Hamill haircut. I have the horrible 4th grade picture to prove it. Love a good backstory on the Olympians. Thanks!

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  6. Oh jiminy, here come my tears.

    Have you seen the P&G commercials that are a "thanks, mom" campaign? Warm fuzzies. I read that that company paid for every US Olympian to take their mother to the Olympics. Rad.

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  7. I definitely remember Olga and Dorothy! Never was brave enough to get the haircut though (my hair was too curly for it anyway). I haven't been able to watch this year cuz we don't have cable right now, but I do catch some of the highlights online. Now I have to go watch Joannie. What a brave girl!

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  8. @ Julie: I have seen them! So sweet.
    @Everyone else: Thanks for joining your thoughts!

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  9. Oh, that made me cry!! I wasn't expecting that.

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  10. We've TiVo'd the Olympics this year, what with family schedules, visitors in town, etc., I haven't heard about or seen the women's skating competition until now. Although reading this was a spoiler, it was worth it. I have that much more to look forward to when I watch it later.

    Wow, indeed!! Great post and trip down memory lane with the Olympic greats.

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  11. I must horribly confess that I didn't watch the Olympics this year. We were out of town the 1st week and just didn't get into it.

    You post still made me cry.

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  12. @Joy: Sorry! And I hope your mom is better.
    @Terresa: If you go on the NBC Olympics site, you can get caught up.
    @Charlotte: It's worth a tear or two.

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  13. What a beautiful post! Behind every good man is a great woman, and behind every good child is a great mother. I've been getting teary-eyed every time I watch the P&G commercial, "To their mothers, they'll always be children."

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  14. @Nicole: I know, right?! Love it! Thanks for following! Welcome!

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  15. Have you seen that commercial where all of the olympians are children? That one makes me cry every time.

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  16. Her story is so sad! She was very strong/brave to go and compete after what happened! Just stopping by from MMB :)

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  17. Oh yes, I've loved the Olympics this year. I hadn't heard this story, since we missed the women's skating. Thanks for sharing it!
    I've loved the focus on moms P&G did in their commercials.

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