Believe - My Olympic Lesson

I was watching the Olympic coverage this morning and more particularly a piece on Canadian pride which got me thinking about the parallels of my life, and my struggles with obesity and the "Canadian Way" so to speak. We all know that we, as Canadians have always been the quiet type, proud but not loud - and when it came to the Olypics and our athletes performance, we often settled with not being on top of the podium, we were happy with a top 10 finish, we never expected to WIN. Now of course there have been exceptions to this rule - the athletes who have medals to prove it.... and I am certainly not knocking the years of training or the heart and soul of past athletes, I am talking more about our nation as a whole - in my opinion we have always been afraid to expect more out of ourselves, we simply did not believe.

This got me thinking about me and really what is holding me back from my dream to get healthy and fit, and I think simply put, I too have been afraid to expect more out of myself. Being obese and unhealthy has given me an excuse to check out of life basically - nobody expects much out of me, and most importantly I have not really ever expected anything out of myself. I also know on some level that if I lose the weight, I also lose the excuse that has kept me protected for my whole life, and that terrifies me.

So I was watching this piece on Canadian pride and how these Olympics have changed us as Canadians. They were talking about the gold medal count and said that as of today, we have tied two other countries with the number of gold medals won at an Olympic games- EVER! They were showing the athletes and the flag waving fans and you could see the pride on their faces, the strength that comes from completing a dream, the confidence that has replaced the fear. I had an uncontrollable meltdown while watching this - I want to feel that sense of accomplishment, strength and pride so badly and in watching this piece I finally think I found the missing piece - it is the "believe" part of the equation.

Canadians have always wanted our athletes to do well, but I'm not so sure we have ever really believed that they would win..... We have been hearing so much about the Own the Podium push leading up to the games and even when the games got off to such a terrible start in the first few days, I think we all held our breath, but when the medals started to come in, and the amazing performances just keep coming, we became stronger and stronger - and we began to believe!

I am thrilled at how well these Olympics games have turned out and I have always been and always will be so very proud to be able to call myself Canadian. What I will take away from the last few weeks is that we are all capable of greatness, we really can rise above all of the challenges life presents us with - we just have to find that inner strength and learn to believe in ourselves. That is what I am going to spend some time working on!

Tonight is the mens hockey final- I cannot wait to watch- GO CANADA GO!

March 10: Just a note to add so that when I look back on this post 50 years from now everyone will know that Canada won GOLD in mens hockey, and as a nation won more gold medals than have ever been won at an Olympic games by any country. :)

Vancouver Flag Bearer is Clara Hughes

"For 20 years, I've pursued this sport and had this gift of opportunity to try to be the best I can for Canada, year after year. These experiences have shaped me into who I am," Hughes said. "I've learned what it truly means to be Canadian, and in turn, I've been inspired to make a difference in the world, however small it's been." Clara Hughes.

I was so happy when I heard this yesterday. I remember watching her in the summer Olympics when she won a bronze medal for a road race in cycling, and then of course her fantastic speed skating achievements. I have always felt that her accomplishments were overshadowed by her speed skating team mates, Catriona Le May Doan and then Cindy Klassen, both who were very deserving of the limelight, so I was very happy to see her given this honour. I remember watching Clara when she skated in the 5,000m race in the Torino Olympics, watched her win the race and then collapse in absolute exhaustion, she put her heart, her soul and every last drop of energy into that race and I was in complete awe of her. I actually have that race (from You tube) saved and watch it every now and then when I am feeling lazy, or uninspired, or ready to give up on my dream to complete a triathlon. It always reminds me that with hard work and perseverance, we can beat the odds stacked against us and make our dreams a reality. Here is the video: