I had two athletes at these Beijing Games. They did not medal. They did not get any of the accolades reserved for the gold medal winners. In many regards their performances were anonymous. They were not asked for interviews after their events. These athletes were not alone. The vast majority of competitors at these Games came up “short” in that they didn’t place in the top three. However, does the fact that they failed to medal make them any less Olympian than their medal winning competitors? Are they any less dedicated or commited than those select few who struck gold? Did they not work as hard? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Being an Olympian is a special honor in itself. It defines you as the best of the best, medal winner or not! To qualify for the Olympics means that you had the courage to dream and then do everything in your power to make this dream come true. Olympians are better defined by this process of pursuing a dream rather than by the outcome of winning a medal or not. It’s the QUEST that makes you a champion, NOT the outcome.
THEY ARE ALL OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS
