It's the Olympic Opening Ceremonies, and Canada has just walked in. Ever since I can remember watching the Olympics it was this moment that filled me with excitement, anticipation, and pride. I'm lucky enough to call myself an Olympian, and even luckier to have been one who was in the hunt for a medal (sadly missing a third place finish in Torino by 3 hundredths of a second.)
I often ask myself what it means to be an Olympian and why the Olympics represents such grandeur in my (and the worlds') eyes. I suppose its the chance to achieve an ideal, a level of excellence, the chance to inspire a nation, and the chance to rise above politics, war, and discrimination, to a playing field that comes down to hard work, dedication, and a pure connection to the moment and movement that is sport.