A Mighty Olympian is…

An Olympian is a champion, the ultimate embodiment of the timeless ideals of honor, pride, and resilience.

An Olympian faces challenges head-on, an Olympian breaks barriers, and inspires others through their actions. They defy the odds and go so far as to defy the very Gods themselves, although this is done with honor, integrity and respect for the sport first and foremost, and then to those that came before them.

In the end, the true measure of an Olympian is not in the medals they win but in the spirit they bring to the competition.

A Golden Time

The original Olympic games dating back to 776 BC in Olympia Greece, were more than just a series of athletic contests. They were a tribute to the gods, a celebration of human potential, and a testament to the spirit of competition.

Athletes competed for the glory of their city, their families and the honor of being crowned with a laurel wreath, not for monetary gain, fame or social status, although that came with winning it was not the sole reason or the focus.

It was a time when the games were steeped in Mythology and Legend, with stories of heroic feats and divine favor for those in attendance and those watching who, in turn would tell the tales to their families and friends and often with a little more substance and colour for effect.

A Distant Hero

Being an Olympian is synonymous with Mythological heroes, Greek or Roman, Germanic or Norse. Odysseus (my personal favourite) known for his cunning and endurance embodies the spirit of resolve and tenacity, rising above the many insurmountable challenges he faced with his intellect and wit, grit, as well as his charm, strength and his determination to overcome, no matter the odds against him. Each trial was a combination of these feats and characteristics and a testament to his unwavering spirit and determination.

Did Odysseus really exist?

If written proof is enough to prove existence then yes, however it does not matter. What is important is that these stories inspire us to do more, to be like Odysseus and not only rise to the occasion, but kick it squarely in the face and return home triumphant to share the stories with your family and friends.

Honor, Fair Play and the True Spirit of Competition

Without the sport, and without its rich history and traditions, records and heroes and everything that comes afterwards means nothing.

The sport is the root of the root and the stem of the flower, the base block that allows everything else to exist, that allows records to be written in the first place.

Whether male or female, an Olympian’s pride stems from their conduct and attitude while honoring the sport with their activity, by honoring their heritage and those who came before them by trying to match, or beat the records set before them all while upholding the principles of honor, fair play and the true spirit of competition. By doing this, they breathe life into and bring the spirit of competition to the event, which exists only to push us further than we could reach alone.

As an Olympian, quitting is not an option. Quitting is something that happens when an Olympian cannot physically carry on, when they ask more than what their body can deliver and push themselves to a place where it is no longer safe for them to continue. There is no honor in quitting, there is only regret at not being able to finish the event.

Famous Olympic Protests and Withdrawals

Muhammad Ali in the 1960 Rome Olympics symbolically protested racial discrimination by throwing his Olympic Gold Medal into the Ohio River upon his return to the US to make a statement that things needed to change, and there was no place for racism in sport and in the world.

In 1968, Vera Caslavska, a Czech gymnast, silently protested the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia during the Mexico City Olympics. During the medal ceremonies for the balance beam and floor exercise, Caslavska turned her head down and away when the Soviet anthem played. There were severe repercussions in her home country, but she is remembered for her courage and stance against oppression.

The 2004 Athens Olympics saw a favourite for Gold, British veteran marathoner Paula Radcliffe, drop out of the marathon citing health issues, dehydration and a leg injury, highlighting the harsh and sometimes heartbreaking nature of Olympic competition.

Olympockery

Three thousand dollar outfits, Million dollar opening ceremonies and exclusive sponsorship deals for Coca-Cola and McDonalds, which no self respecting athlete would endorse and the ones that do, agree to some form of remuneration.

These and many other products marketed during the Olympics shouldn’t even be within a light-years distance of the event that proposes to showcase the ‘Best of the Best”. What message are we sending, that those who can, do and those who can’t eat McDonalds and drink Coca-Cola?

Surely we can do better than this.

Ridiculousness such as athlete endorsements, dumb mascots like Wenlock and Mandeville (additional revenue streams hidden as symbols of unity) and ticket prices that only the wealthiest of citizens can afford are not limited to the Olympics. Many sports events are marred with corruption and seedy economic principles that leave host nations in spiraling debt as soon as the athletes leave the stadia.

These cancers have permeated their way into all sports even down to early and middle schools where the ‘boots’ you wear and your “haircut” are more important than your performance on the field (I’ve only tackled football in this example, but it has corrupted many others).

Fame, glory and riches, once a by-product of being a champion, a reward for hours spent sweating, training and bleeding are now the drawcard for entry and marketed to the world as a by-product of eating Lays chips or wearing adidas boots.

They would laugh at us!

Milo of Croton, a legendary wrestler who dominated wrestling in the 6th Century BCE winning 6 Olympic titles and a pupil of Pythagoras himself. Legend has it, his training regimen consisted of carrying a calf on his shoulders everyday until it grew into a full-sized bull.

Cynisca of Sparta
A princess and the first woman to win an Olympic event, he victories in the four-horse chariot race in 396 and 392 BCE challenged the traditional gender roles of her time.

Leonidas of Rhodes who achieved the extraordinary feat of winning 12 Olympic titles over four consecutive games (162–152 BCE) in different events, the “Stadion” (a 200m sprint), the Diaulos (400m sprint) and the Hoplitodromos (a race in full armour). His versatility and dominance in these events make him one of the most decorated athletes of the ancient era.

Milo, Cynisca and Leonidas would laugh at our Olympics, an Olympockery, barely held together by a few amazing athletes like Eliud Kipchoge and Kelvin Kiptum who destroyed a marathon barrier many said could never be broken, Yusra Mardini who swam a sea to find sanctuary, Kento Momota who survived a career-threatening car accident and remained humble throughout his recovery back to the top.

Abdi Nageeye, with his encouragement, Henrik Kristoffersen’s dedication, humility and sportsmanship and Katinka Hosszu “the Iron Lady” whos relentless work ethic, versatility and resilience as a multiple Olympic medalist are more examples of true Olympians.

Athletes who rose with the tide, against all odds, inspite of challenges and in direct defiance of the gods themselves, who overcame their adversity and wrote their names into the halls of fame, medal or no medal.

Those We Will Remember

Who knows where the Wreaths of Milo of Croton lie today. Who knows if Princess Cynisca kept her wreaths of victory as trinkets when every man who looked upon her knew that in a world where Women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics, she not only competed, she won! Each stare worth a laurel wreath on its own.

They will be remembered.

Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Nadia Comăneci, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Wilma Rudolph (overcoming Polio to become the fastest woman alive in 1960) they and many others in a long list of Olympians will be remembered.

Remembered for their Herculean feats, their lasting legacies and performances, their sportsmanship and Olympic spirit and the honor they earned in their drive to be the best.

The best, not the richest, nor the most famous, not the ‘friendliest’.

The best, not the athlete with the most followers, the athlete that quit after 30 seconds of a boxing match, or the athlete that entered the very same competition under false pretenses and beat a competitor half their size because the competitor quit.

The Best.

Those We Will Forget

Those who quit out of fear, because they claimed unfairness, because the judges did them an injustice, or because they lacked the courage to persevere and take the challenge of defying the odds, they will fade from memory.

As fast as the camera might capture a fleeting smile, a four-fingered heart in a vain attempt at publicity, or a quick, insincere smile-and-snap for Instagram, these brief meaningless efforts will come and go as quickly as a stumble, a mistake, or a slip of the fingers and fade away.

Athletes who’s drive to gain fame, fortune, followers, and medals without embodying the true Olympic spirit of competition, without honor, they will never be Olympians in my eyes.

They can never ascend to the ranks of the best of the best, or the greatest of the greats.

These athletes will be forgotten, and the passage of time will erase their names until their dust is lost in the sands around the pedestal that once bore the trunk and legs of Ozymandias.

You might ask, “Who is that?”