Aug 4, 2021 3 min read

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved watching the Olympic Games.

It doesn’t matter whether it is the Summer or Winter Games, I always enjoy so many of the events. Since I am an avid snow skier, I always have a slight preference for the Winter Olympics.

I had such a crush on speedskater Eric Heiden that I pasted newspaper and magazines photos of him all over my bedroom door. Franz Klammer, Alberto Tomba, Picabo Street, Tommy Moe, Lindsay Vonn and now Mikaela Shiffrin are just some of my favorite Olympic skiers who I’ve so enjoyed watching and cheering for through the years. I think my all-time favorite Olympic athlete has to be the incomparable Michael Phelps. I still get chills when they show replays of his gold medal races through the years.

Of course, any little girl my age begged her parents to take her to a gymnastics class after watching Olga Korbut and then Nadia Comaneci flip, pirouette and handspring their ways into our hearts during Summer Olympic competition in the 1970s.

I was great at cartwheels, splits, walking the balance beam and hanging from the uneven bars at around age 7 or 8. But I distinctly remember the moment I knew I would not be the next Olga Korbut when the gymnastics teacher wanted us to attempt a back handspring for the first time. I stood there, panicked, realizing I was just too afraid to hurl myself blindly backward.

So much for my Olympic career.

In hindsight, had I lived closer to ski slopes I might have started skiing at a much younger age and maybe would have started ski racing earlier and more often. I think of all the possible Olympic sports there are, snow skiing is probably the one sport that I am built for and have some aptitude and skill in doing.

Oh, what could have been, right?

The Olympics this time are not only one year late, but also mired in the protocols, problems and distractions of the COVID-19 pandemic. At first, I didn’t think I could really get into them. I even missed watching the opening ceremonies for the first time I can ever remember.

Then, gradually, I started tuning in to watch gymnastics and some diving. The Team USA swimmers were the ones who truly won me over with their grit, determination and just sheer joy and love of their sport and the Olympic Games.

There were questions about whether the Tokyo Olympics should be held given Japan’s COVID-19 problems. I’m happy for the athletes who worked so hard and waited an extra year to finally get to compete. I also think we could use some of the inspiring stories and international camaraderie right now that you only get from the Olympic Games.

It gives me hope the world can still actually pull together and do something good.

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.