The Untold Story

Post # 102

Oakland, California - As we approach the three weeks out mark, more and more of Team USA is being named. We're seeing athletes who have punched their tickets to London all over the media.  But as the Olympic selection story unfolds, the untold story is of those who do not make it: those who fall short at the finish line or who do not get chosen by their sport's selection committee.  The reality of the Olympics is that only so many people can go. We all know it when we start going for this goal. No one has a guaranteed spot at the Games; everyone must earn it. But that doesn't make it any less agonizing for those who fall short of their dream.

The selection process in rowing spans several months, and we saw this agony every step of the way. In the past week, I've seen similar stories as I've watched the swimming, track and field, and gymnastics trials on TV.  Four years of training and preparation (or eight, or twelve) often come down to one race on one day. All of the competitors have put their lives on hold for a quadrennium or longer and poured their heart into a dream, and that makes the finish line of each race an incredible mix of elation and crushing defeat, with fractions of a second often determining the difference.

We might now be in two separate groups - those who have made it and those who have not - but we all still have the same dream: to win gold for the USA. Across all sports, those who come close to the Olympics but do not reach them have played a big role in the Olympic dream. Often times, they've pushed their teammates to be better and raised the standard. For this, we have them to thank. In ITA bobsledder Emily Azevedo's "Congratulations Athletes" post, she congratulates all athletes for taking the risk and reaching for a big goal whether or not they achieve it. I completely agree with her. It takes guts to go for a big dream and I have so much respect for those who do. Go ITA and go USA.