This weekend, we all witnessed greatness. Michael Phelps defied all odds and won an unprecedented 8 gold medals in an Olympic Games. Pat Forde of ESPN described Phelps as “An Embodiment of the Olympic Ideal.” He says, “In Phelps’ eight medal races, we saw the Olympic ideal: athletic excellence, gripping competition, incredible drama, admirable sportsmanship, earnest teamwork, visceral humanity.”
He was an exhibition of all of the above and so much more. He showed that dreams do come true with a supreme combination of talent, motivation, hard work, and belief in oneself. He is a citizen that makes every American proud, a man that encourages boys to pursue their dreams, and an athlete that even makes Lebron and Kobe excited and pumped up to watch swimming.
Sharing the moment with mom and two sisters. *Photo courtesy of ESPN.com.
What stood out most for me was his incredible humility in victory and tremendous love for his family. When he was being awarded his first gold medal of the games, you could see him telling his teammate that he could not find his mother. Eventually, he found her and he was finally at ease to receive his gold medal. In one of the most glorifying times of his life, he looked to share that moment with the person who sacrificed the most to get him there. Truly admirable.
Congratulations to Michael Phelps. You deserve all the fortune and the fame you’ll be getting after your performance as an athlete and as a human being at the Olympic Games.
Cliff Hsia