Age on Dreams

As much as i love the Olympics

i find it to be a real time sucker.

Usually when i have the TV on

i am doing something else as well.

Keeping busy

Accomplishing things.

But that is not the case with the Olympics.

You actually have to stop

and watch

and wait

to get the full effect.

And as much as i am enjoying the sports

I do find it frustrating.

It is a good thing that it only happens every 4 years

otherwise i would have to banish myself from the TV.

I have enjoyed watching a 41 year old woman

Dara Torres--

have the ability to swim and compete at this level.

Age wise--she could be some of her competitors mother.

At the prelim for her event

one of the other swimmers suit ripped.

In a motherly like fashion

she calmed the other swimmers down

and took care of the situation with the officials.

Such a mature display of sportsmanship.

Would she have done that 20 years ago?

I don't know.

I felt such pride for her and her medal accomplishment.

She missed the gold by one one hundreth of a second

to a much younger swimmer.

When asked what she would tell her own daughter

about this olympic experience she said

"you don't have to put
an age limit

on your dreams"

I love that!!!

And the there was Lezak

the anchor swimmer in the men's relay

He is in his 30's

He is the swimmer that was key in winning the 4X100

Not that the 30's are old

but in a sport dominated by young punks.....

And then how about the 33 year old

gymnast from Germany?

She has a son that had leukemia.

It is amazing that she was still out there competing

against the 10 year olds from China

(oh wait--they were actually 16--wink wink

they only looked like 1o years old)

I know there were many other stories of

"grown ups"

with families

and lives

but sometimes i forget

in this world

obsessed with body image

and youth--

that being in your prime

is not just about being in your 20's.

We all have dreams

sometimes it just takes some of us

longer to realize them than others.

I guess the morale of the story is

"don't give up"

or

"if you dream it--

you can achieve it"