Well the 2008 Summer Olympic’s came to a close yesterday.  The ceremony was gorgeous, most of the artists there I didn’t know and didn’t understand since most sang in their native language.

However all I kept thinking about were the great stories of the Olympics. Some might remember them as the Bolt and Phelps Olympic’s but that’s not how I like to remember them. I’ll remember those who got their first medal in multiple Olympics like Ian Millar or those who failed to meet expectations the first time and within hours rallied to meet them in a different race which happened to Adam van Koeverden’s (to me it showed him to be human and not above lessons in life to learn) or those who rose to the occasion and won medals such as Ryan Cochrane who won in the men’s 1,500 metre freestyle and Priscilla Lopes-Schlie who won bronze in the women’s 100 hurdles. The best stories were those who didn’t get medals but did their bests like Mike Brown who finished 4 (wow 4^th in the world what an accomplishment) and Kyle Schewfelt who fought his way back after breaking not one but both legs along with tearing ligaments.

I’ve always been one to root for the under dog, the one people are less likely to support. That said I can’t wait until the next Olympic’s in Vancouver 2010. Do I plan on going? Not at this point. However I do plan on applying to be one of the few thousands who will run with the flame. It is my dream and has been since seeing the flame on the side of the road in 1988. I like to run and will be one of those runners who gets to carry the flame for 1 km or so!