The magic that is the Summer Olympic Games begins Friday night in London, England and billions of people around the world will be watching as will millions of Canadians.
The Olympic Games attract not only diehard sports fanatics every four years, but also casual observers who wouldn’t be caught dead watching sports on any other occasion.
That’s because the Olympic Games are about much more than simply winning medals and representing your country.
Only the very best athletes in the world will capture gold, silver and bronze medals during the 16 days of competition, but each and every athlete who makes it to the Olympics has sacrificed tens of thousands of hours during training over numerous years to earn the honour of qualifying for the games.
The beauty of the Olympic Games is virtually every athlete who qualifies has an amazing story to tell because of the endless years of sacrifice, dedication and hard work they have put in to earn their rightful spot on the world stage.
Not everyone can be a champion in the Olympics, but simply qualifying for the games once every four years makes you a champion in life and as an athlete.
Athletes like Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and American swimmer Michael Phelps have become household names because of their athletic achievements and former Olympic glory in winning multiple medals. They return to the London games as two of the highest-profile athletes in the world.
Hundreds of millions of people are expected to be watching intently when they compete in their respective events as Bolt tries to become the first sprinter in history to claim the 100 metre and 200 metre titles in successive Olympic Games.
Phelps can become the most decorated champion in the history of the Olympic Games if he comes close to repeating his monumental achievement four years ago in Beijing, when he captured an astounding seven gold medals.
Here in Canada, expectations are extremely high as Team Canada enters the games hoping to land in the top 12 in the medal standings against the very best the world has to offer.
After Team Canada’s amazing and unforgettable success at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, anticipation has never been higher for Canadian athletes heading into the Summer Games.
While no one should expect Canada to finish in the top four in medals like we did in Vancouver, sports fans and proud Canadians remain hopeful this could be the greatest Summer Olympic Games in Canadian history.
There have been tens of millions of dollars spent on our national Own the Podium program and it has paid off as Canada has never had more athletes ranked in the Top 10 in so many events in our long and proud history.
Competitors like Simon Whitfield in triathlon, shot putter Dylan Armstrong, swimmers Ryan Cochrane and Brent Hayden – who are all from B.C. – divers Alexandre Despatie and Emily Heymans, Canada’s women’s soccer team and numerous rowers and kayakers are all considered strong medal possibilities in London.
There’s no doubt millions of Canadians will be watching the television from early morning until late evening as our best young athletes pursue their Olympic dream.
There really is nothing like the Olympic Games when it comes to overwhelming drama, countless heartbreak, the thrill of victory and agony of defeat.
Here’s hoping London does a magnificent job of hosting the Games and the terrible British weather so far this summer doesn’t put a giant damper on the whole thing.
And we also hope all of the stories are about athletic pursuits and these Games aren’t tarnished by violence or scandal as they have too often been in the past.
Good luck to each and every member of Team Canada. Win or lose, you have made us all proud to call yourself Olympians.