Davis: The Olympics
The 2016 Olympics are in full swing in Rio and our household is doing their fair share of spectating. There are so many different sports to watch, but we mostly follow the swimming and the gymnastics. The things that these people have accomplished is absolutely amazing to me. While we are yelling at the USA team members to hurry up or stick a landing, we have to giggle because Tyler and I know that we could never swim nearly as fast as the Olympians cool down laps are.
I do think that if there was a competition for treading water I could at least compete in that event. I don’t know why, but when we were kids at the Rugby Pool during swimming lessons we spent a lot of time treading water. I can probably tread water for at least an hour and not think anything of it. That is probably my only athletic skill that I would have to offer.
I “played” golf in junior high school, but as Ashley Berg can attest to, we never once got past the second hole. We were so slow that we would always let people play through and by the time that we were walking to the tee of the third hole my Dad would be there to pick me up. We never once played past the second green. So I think golf would be out as an option.
I played volleyball for a few years and really enjoyed it, but I also never learned how to spike or even play in the front line. I was better at diving for the ball in the back row than I was at setting or spiking so I stayed in the back as much as possible.
The gymnastics events are just mind blowing for me. How in the world do these men and women get their bodies to bend, flip and turn the way they do? I would need a boost just to get onto the balance beam let alone even walk on it! How in the world do they perform entire routines without falling down or off of the beam?
No matter how many times I watch the Olympics I am always amazed at the athletes and their commitment to their sport. I am very thankful that all of the athletes put in all the hours at the gym so that we can watch them compete. I always wonder at what point can the human body not get any faster or any better at the different sports. There has to be a point in which the human body just can’t get any faster, the body can only jump so high or run so fast. We always seem to be breaking world records and Olympic records and at some point that will have to stop, but for now we can all just watch in awe of their physical abilities.
If there was a competition for Nerf gun shooting or most coffee drank before noon, I could at least compete in those categories, but for now, I’m gonna stay on my couch and cheer on team USA. No matter how many medals we bring home it is still an amazing accomplishment to even compete at the Olympics.
Davis (formerly Carlson) is the daughter of late Tribune editor and publisher Mark Carlson.