Comments on: Stick It! 5 Lessons Learned From Olympic Gymnasts http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog/2008/08/15/stick-it-5-lessons-learned-from-olympic-gymnasts/ Business, Marketing, Social Media Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:51:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Karen Swim http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog/2008/08/15/stick-it-5-lessons-learned-from-olympic-gymnasts/comment-page-1/#comment-8942 Karen Swim Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:41:04 +0000 http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog/?p=157#comment-8942 Hi Alex! I can certainly understand why the Olympics do not appeal to you. While I am also bothered by the location this year, as a Marathon runner and lay athlete I am drawn to the pure athleticism. While the media and spectators do tend to diminish "less than perfect" results, from an athlete's perspective the drive and the satisfaction are not external but internal. They compete and strive for their best not because of public pressure to do so but because that's who they are and what they love to do. I am a huge sports fan and often find inspiration there so for me it is incredible to know what it takes to get there let alone win a medal! Hi Alex! I can certainly understand why the Olympics do not appeal to you. While I am also bothered by the location this year, as a Marathon runner and lay athlete I am drawn to the pure athleticism. While the media and spectators do tend to diminish “less than perfect” results, from an athlete’s perspective the drive and the satisfaction are not external but internal. They compete and strive for their best not because of public pressure to do so but because that’s who they are and what they love to do. I am a huge sports fan and often find inspiration there so for me it is incredible to know what it takes to get there let alone win a medal!

]]> By: Alex Fayle http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog/2008/08/15/stick-it-5-lessons-learned-from-olympic-gymnasts/comment-page-1/#comment-8938 Alex Fayle Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:28:31 +0000 http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog/?p=157#comment-8938 I haven't been following the Olympics for a variety of reasons (mainly around corruption and lack of decent principles at the top), but I stopped watching the Olympics a while back mainly because of the pressure to succeed. I remember a Canadian runner (hurdles) who was expected to take the gold, but then she fell (I seem to remember) and didn't win and was seen as some sort of failure. This was a woman who had dedicated her life to something that was unlikely to bring her much money (unless she did get a gold and won some advertising contracts). She did it for herself and her passion. She made it one step away from the ultimate goal and yet was viewed as a failure for not being perfect. And then there's all the blame-the-athlete talk for steroids. In Canada, Ben Johnson is the biggest story, but the tales are everywhere. Athletes are pressured to perform beyond human limits then when they give into that pressure, and are caught doing it, they are raked across the coals. So what's my lesson from the Olympics? That people put way too much emphasis on perfection and on being THE BEST. And that too often corruption hides behind innocence and scapegoating... (Yes, call me a cynic but I just can't get into the Games). Cheers, Alex Alex Fayles last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SomedaySyndrome/~3/365635127/" rel="nofollow">Watching the Fireworks</a> I haven’t been following the Olympics for a variety of reasons (mainly around corruption and lack of decent principles at the top), but I stopped watching the Olympics a while back mainly because of the pressure to succeed.

I remember a Canadian runner (hurdles) who was expected to take the gold, but then she fell (I seem to remember) and didn’t win and was seen as some sort of failure.

This was a woman who had dedicated her life to something that was unlikely to bring her much money (unless she did get a gold and won some advertising contracts). She did it for herself and her passion. She made it one step away from the ultimate goal and yet was viewed as a failure for not being perfect.

And then there’s all the blame-the-athlete talk for steroids. In Canada, Ben Johnson is the biggest story, but the tales are everywhere. Athletes are pressured to perform beyond human limits then when they give into that pressure, and are caught doing it, they are raked across the coals.

So what’s my lesson from the Olympics? That people put way too much emphasis on perfection and on being THE BEST. And that too often corruption hides behind innocence and scapegoating…

(Yes, call me a cynic but I just can’t get into the Games).

Cheers,
Alex

Alex Fayles last blog post..Watching the Fireworks

]]> By: Friar http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog/2008/08/15/stick-it-5-lessons-learned-from-olympic-gymnasts/comment-page-1/#comment-8932 Friar Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:27:42 +0000 http://wordsforhirellc.com/blog/?p=157#comment-8932 @Steph No...I totally agree with you. I think our lack of medals in the Olympics is more than just not putting a priority on sports. It's a symptom of our overall wishy-washiness, as a whole nation. We don't like to stand out...we don't want to make a splash. We're so busy trying to please and include everyone, we've forgotten to have our own Canadian identity. Look how powerful and influential Canada was in the 50's and 60's. We had a global influence. Back then, there was a real sense of being "Canadian", and what Canada is about. We don't quite have it anymore. And example of this, is people are now actually writing into the papers, saying we should be proud of our athletes, just because they made it to the Olympics and they're competing. Oh, for crying out loud..What kind of winning attitude is THAT? We've become a bunch of wimps! We need to pay more attention to having winning attitudes, like the ones Karen has just pointed out. Friars last blog post..<a href="http://deepfriar.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/why-i-think-northern-pike-are-awesome/" rel="nofollow">Why I Think Northern Pike Are Awesome</a> @Steph

No…I totally agree with you. I think our lack of medals in the Olympics is more than just not putting a priority on sports. It’s a symptom of our overall wishy-washiness, as a whole nation.

We don’t like to stand out…we don’t want to make a splash. We’re so busy trying to please and include everyone, we’ve forgotten to have our own Canadian identity.

Look how powerful and influential Canada was in the 50′s and 60′s. We had a global influence. Back then, there was a real sense of being “Canadian”, and what Canada is about. We don’t quite have it anymore.

And example of this, is people are now actually writing into the papers, saying we should be proud of our athletes, just because they made it to the Olympics and they’re competing.

Oh, for crying out loud..What kind of winning attitude is THAT? We’ve become a bunch of wimps!

We need to pay more attention to having winning attitudes, like the ones Karen has just pointed out.

Friars last blog post..Why I Think Northern Pike Are Awesome

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