The Games of the 30th Olympiad are nearing an end. I don’t have a TV at home but thanks to my family members who are always happy to let me watch at their place (plus the trusty London 2012 app), I’ve been able to keep an eye on the games these past couple of weeks, and join the rest of the globe as it cheered, jeered, lamented and celebrated while the best athletes competed in over 300 grueling events, where they shattered records, made history, and redefined what human beings are capable of achieving.
Thomas Paine once said, “I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world…” Personally, this is exactly how the Olympics makes me feel and seeing the scores of international tweets, blogs and posts on social media sites, it appears I’m not alone. I’m a fan of Team Philippines and am inspired by our strong-willed athletes (I was in tears when Barriga bowed out of the competition); however I can say that I’m also a proud supporter of “Team World.” Initially, it may sound balimbing and seem as if this is a case of people losing their love for their country. But is that really what it is? It could be that we’re beginning to grasp what Thomas Paine had realized back then — that we’re all in this together and that it’s good to love your country but not to the point where you disregard the rest of humanity.
Beyond Sports
The Butterfly Effect
When Michael Phelps won his 22nd medal (his 18th gold), it wasn’t just his hometown or his country that was proud of what he had achieved. The world celebrated with him. He demonstrated how something once deemed unattainable could indeed be achieved as long as you arm yourself with the right tools and attitude. As one fan tweeted, “Thank you for doing what you did, Michael. Sincerely, Humankind.” The same goes for Oscar Pistorius, the South African double-amputee who challenged the “impossible” and made history by running alongside able-bodied athletes. According to a tweet from one of Pistorius’s fellow amputees, “Oscar serves as a reminder to the world that the human spirit has no limits. He won for us all before the Games even started.” There’s also Im Dong Hyun, the archer from South Korea who smashed records despite being legally blind, showing there’s really no such thing as a handicap. In the Olympics as well as in everyday life, we witness how our various feats and experiences contribute to our collective development as people. We don’t just grow in terms of physical capacities, but more importantly in mind or spirit (or whatever one may conceive that indestructible part in us to be.)
London 2012’s slogan is “Inspire a generation.” What today’s accomplishments will give birth to in the future is indeed something to look forward to. Twenty-two medals, one medal or no medal, Olympian or not, isn’t it amazing what the people of the world can do?
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“The most important thing is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well.” — The Olympic Creed