I
have a new Olympic hero. My old hero—who is still my main one—is
Keri Strug. Because 1)—she is a gymnast, so duh, and 2)—She took
that whole commitment to team thing seriously and did something
really hard and courageous for the sake of others. That's heroic
behavior in my book. I will never forget watching that event. A whole
lot of us could be taught a lesson from Kerri Strug about going
through tough stuff for the sake of people you've made a commitment
to. But about that new hero . . .
Here are a few stats on this lady (courtesy of Wikipedia):
- Abernathy is the oldest woman to ever compete in the Winter Olympic Games, breaking the old record during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics (a record she set).
- She is the only woman to qualify for six Winter Olympic Games and one of only two female athletes to compete in five Winter Olympics.
- In 2006, she became the first woman over 50 to qualify for the Winter Olympics.
- Abernathy was the first woman to qualify for six Winter Olympics.
- During the Albertville Winter Olympics, she became the first athlete to compete with a camera on board--a feat that was nominated for an Emmy in technical broadcast achievement.
And
oh--she dealt with recurring cancer and a life-threatening brain
injury during these years. Sheesh. I will cease and desist the
whining about getting off my butt and doing a little aerobic walking.
(Who am I kidding? No, I won't. But I should.)
And—deeming
it unwise to continue on in luge, she is currently training in
another sport with sights set on Rio in 2016. Archery. Hey, I do
archery. Kind of. Maybe . . . Except I'd need lasik surgery before qualifying for the team. Still, a concerted effort and maybe 2020.
So,
is this one of those posts meant to shame you and make you think
you're not working hard enough or doing enough with your life, a la
that “What's Your Excuse?” ad that enraged so many post-partum
women?
No,
it is not. I hope it's encouragement. I believe Anne would hope so.
Encouragement that for every barrier out there that might be real,
there is one we can knock down, one that may even be strongest in our
imagination. For everything that blocks our way, there is somewhere
we can move forward toward whatever we dream of. And if one
opportunity ends, it's not the end. It's a chance to try a new outlet
and see where it takes us.
Anne wants it to take her to Rio. What barriers are trying to keep you from your Rio? Where
will your next step take you?
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