Olympic Trials
This weekend I was watching the Olympic Trials on NBC. One of the things that amazes me is the total concentration and dedication of young teenagers. On the other side though, it kind of bothers me that these kids live and breathe their sport. If they miss the Olympics this time, they're pretty much screwed because they have very little chance of making the next Olympics.I always wonder what this does to a person. You've spent your entire life working for one thing and then suddenly you're 20 years old and you're done. Then what? I had a friend who was an aspiring Olympic figure skater. She left her parents' home in Wisconsin and moved in with an aunt and uncle to train in Minneapolis. She practiced seven hours a day, seven days a week. 2 hours before school and then left early every day for another five. She could rarely go out and just have fun. She was injured all the time. What kind of life is that for a 13 year old?
She never made it to the top. She's a figure skating coach in Duluth now. When it all ended do you think she ever wondered if it was worth it? Or what it would have been like to just be a kid?
posted by E @9:17 PM