Go for the Gold

For the past two days, I have been obsessed with the ladies' figure skating competition in the olympics. Because of my short-lived obsession, I also watched the aerial competition and the speed skating compitition. In the speed skating competition, if you don't fall you are considered a miracle and the American who competed in the aerial competition (where people ski down a hill, hit a slope, then twist and turn in the air) was the first person to ever do a 5 turn "hurricane" maneuver. Sasha Cohen, an American who got the silver medal, fell twice on her long program. The only person who didn't fall was the Japanese gold medalist, who was the first Japanese figure skater to ever win a figure skating medal.

As I watched the different competitions, I realized that whatever your expertise or job is, you are expected to fail sometimes. Even if you do the same thing, over and over, day in and day out, you will fail sometimes, especially during the times when the most is expected from you. This competition is the only thing that they train for every day for years, and they still fall.

Sometimes people are so afraid of "falling" that they never attempt the impossible. Jeret Peterson, the aerial competitor, knew that he would make history if he could complete his signature "hurricane" maneuver, but it was a risky choice. He could have done the 4-turn trick like the other competitors, but he chose to be bold. He did make history with his signature move, but his landing was so rough that it put him in seventh place. When interviewed after his scores came in, he simply said, "well, I guess I have a little more practicing to do. I knew the maneuver was challenging, but whatever little that I can do to contribute to furthering my sport, it is worth the results."

Sasha Cohen, after finding out that she was the silver medalist, said to one reporter, "after missing those first two jumps, it was really hard to keep going. Somehow I had to keep believing so that I could finish my program. I didn't think that I would even get a medal, so to be the silver medalist is a great honor."

I never understood why olympic athletes, or any athletes for that matter, were viewed as role models, but after listening to these people talk about what they gained through their failures, I see that they have the best perception there is: as long as you challenge yourself, try your best even if you fall, and be thankful for any recognition, you have done your job.