The Olympics Had Me Thinking…
I don’t know about you, but I was glued to the television for the two weeks that the Olympics were on. I jumped up and down and cheered for my favorites. And I cried. I got all kinds of emotional watching these athletes cross finish lines, make that winning putt, and touch the wall. (If Kent and Ethan hadn’t been around, I probably would’ve been ugly crying during some of those moments!)
What is it about the Olympics that touches our heart and soul?
On the surface, it’s incredibly inspiring. Not only do you see them push to their limits, you often hear touching stories about their journey to this big stage. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the moment, to get excited with the wins and be disappointed when your country doesn’t get the medal.
But it’s what’s below the surface that got me. I couldn’t help but think about the behind-the-scenes for all these athletes. Those things we didn’t see on the highlight reel. It’s taken me a couple of weeks to let it all marinate in my mind to even be able to share some of the thoughts I was having when I watched the Olympics.
I don’t know if it’s the mom in me, the “seasoned” woman in me, the mental health counselor, or what, but I think some of my tears were for the younger versions of those athletes as well as for the future versions of them.
Let me explain what the Olympics had me thinking about…
To reach that level of competition takes an insane amount of dedication and hard work. Training becomes their lifestyle. Everything they do is with one goal in mind – making the Olympics then bringing home a medal. They eat to compete. They drink to compete. They sleep to compete. They study to compete. Their minds and their bodies are all focused on becoming the best in their sport.
We’ve seen the toll this has taken on many athletes. Mental health became a topic of conversation at the last Olympics when Simone Biles withdrew from competition. This certainly shined the spotlight on a very important issue, and they’re making progress so that these athletes don’t feel the intense pressure of competition. But it’s still there. It can’t be gone completely. I’m not an accomplished athlete but still even I felt pressure to record a good finish time when I ran marathons and half marathons. People were cheering for me. They were waiting at the finish line. What would they think if I crossed the finish line 10, 20, 30 minutes later than expected?
That was a lot of pressure that I put on myself. I can’t imagine knowing that millions of people were not only watching me compete but also expecting me to be the one to bring home the gold.
We celebrate these accomplishments, and rightfully so. They worked hard to get there and have done things I could never, would never, do. But I pray they have a support system now and for when they leave their sport behind and move onto the next phase of their lives. I pray that they know they are more than the body that has been on display and the medals they won.
This is where we’re not much different than these athletes. We women have spent many years believing that our bodies are on display and being judged by others, oftentimes it’s our own judgment of ourselves. We’ve spent years eating and drinking to lose weight. We’ve plotted and planned how to lose weight. While these athletes had the Olympics in mind, many of us zeroed in on losing weight, believing that was the answer to all of our problems. We invested all of our time, talents, and treasures to do it. We were committed to doing whatever it took to do that, even at the cost of our mental health.
That’s a lot. It’s a lot for those young athletes, and it’s a lot for you. No matter your age. I’ve talked to women, to grandmothers, who still struggle with feeling as if the size of her body defines her. These women are still striving to lose weight, to earn her place in society based on her body size. But you are good just as you are.
Whether our American athletes stood on the podium or not, I believe you and I were still proud of them. When God looks at you, He’s proud of you. He created you. He loves you just as you are. You don’t have to earn that love. He freely gives it.
If you’re not into the extremes and want to take a sustainable approach to your health and wellness in a faith-focused way, I invite you to join my Faith and Fitness Support and Accountability Community. We provide the team of supportive women and the coaching you need to become consistent and to confidently embrace your age and stage of life. Sure, you can set goals. Yes, we’ll celebrate progress. But you don’t have to earn love and acceptance from your Creator or from the community of women that are ready to come alongside you and support you on your journey.
Written Summer 2024
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