The five rings represent the five continents.
They are interlaced to show the universality of Olympians and the meeting of the athletes of the whole world during the Olympic Games.
I understood being an Olympian meant being a part of something much larger than myself. By being apart of this special event, you realize that the Olympics are not about one athlete, country or one moment. Instead, it's about a movement that unites the world. There are 28 fully recognized sports and 204 Nations participating at this years Summer Games in Beijing.
All the hard work the athletes dedicate themselves to and years of sacrifice is part of the journey that one must go through to reach that platform of competing with the best. The summer Olympic games is every 4 years, and many world records are broken, upsets, and remarkable performances you witness from these athletes.
My experiences when I was an amateur going for the Olympics was like chapters in a book, from the high and lows I had to go through to finally make the US Olympic Team. In my first pursuit for the 2000 Games in Sydney Australia, I came up short being an Olympic alternate. It was such a big blow for me but a learning experience but only made me stronger and wiser to go for my next Olympic trial, which would be 4 years later.
I had a choice to turn professional or remain amateur 4 more years to achieve my goals of making the US Olympic team. With consistency and dedication I finally accomplished making the Team. It was the best feeling in the world, and makes you really appreciate all the hard work and hours you put into training.
Today, with a whole new crop of talent and returning medalists, there are always questions whether the US will break the records for gold medals this time around in Beijing. I believe we have gotten stronger and our athletes have improved. However so has the other nations athletes. This is what makes the Olympics so exciting to watch, and seeing these young talents blossom is a beautiful thing.
Please feel free to share any of your thoughts and comments on the Olympic topic, sports, and athletes.
For more information on the Olympic please visit.
http://en.beijing2008.cn/
