Beautiful Olympics

I  think the Olympics are a beautiful thing.

Admittedly, I have a vested interest.  I've been to 2 Paralympic Games, I have 3 Paralympic medals, and I acted as an athlete mentor to an Olympian at the 2012 Summer Games in London.

The Olympic haters out there would love to argue with me about the Olympic's beauty, and I understand their perspective. The Olympics cost too much and often create astounding debt. There are other problems like corruption and politics and I agree that there is much more that the IOC and the Olympic Games could do better at, and that they could make better decisions about many important issues.

At the same time, I still want to believe the Olympics are also about the very best of what it means to be a human being.  Based on the values of equality, fairness, and respect, the Olympics are one time when the whole world unites and celebrates human achievement and excellence.  I am an advocate for sport at all levels, and it is an incredible achievement to make it just as a participant of the Olympic Games, no matter where you rank.  The Olympics remind us of what depths the human spirit is capable of, and so the Olympics are about hope. And that is a beautiful thing, no matter who you are and where you are from.

wishing that you find at least one story from the Olympics that you find beautiful,
hk