Yes, I’m still watching Olympics
Sometimes I’m just mesmerized by the wildly different sorts of things that athletes do on skis, skates, and snowboards. And, figure skates are different than speed skates, and slalom skis are different than downhill skis, and what you’re going to do on a snowboard determines what kind of snowboard you use.
Lots of Summer Olympic sports can be dangerous, and those athletes certainly can (and do) injure themselves in training and in competition. But, oh, those athletes on top of boards, skis, and skates! They go so much faster! When they stumble or fall or bump into each other, it seems brutal, when they go down, and slide, and skid, and tumble, and face plant…on the snow…on the ice. Brrrrrrrrrrr.
And those sleds!
Many years ago, somebody decided that we needed an ice rink here in Waco, and they built one. In an effort to expose all us Texans to the joy of ice-skating, they sponsored some free skate nights, hoping that we would enjoy it so much that we would join and sign up for lessons and purchase ice skates. They sponsored a Baylor night, and we four went. Kevin was a fourth-grader, I think, and had been up very late the night before, working on a school project. He was so very tired that, when we got to the rink, he crawled up into the bleachers and slept while the rest of the crowd was on the ice. Jeremy was four or so, and David and I skated with him between us. It was, well, interesting. And enlightening.
I had seen Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamil and Janet Lynn, all Olympic medalists, as they glided over the ice. They made it look so easy. So effortless. So enjoyable.
It was none of those things.
First of all, I think I had ill-fitting skates. Or, badly tied skates. Or, poorly shaped feet. Whatever reason, my feet hurt the entire time. A lot.
The next surprise was, OH MY GOSH!! Ice skates are heavy. Very, very heavy. I looked it up. They weigh about 2 to 5 pounds. Each. That doesn’t really sound like very much, does it? Until I consider that a bag of flour weighs 5 pounds, which means it’s like having a bag of flour tied onto each foot. I’m not sure I could pick up my feet and walk with that extra weight on them.
Obviously, Peggy, Dorothy, and Janet had been practicing from little girlhood, when their skates were probably at least a little bit lighter because their feet were smaller. And, even though their legs looked pretty slim, they must have had some serious muscle power, to be able to pick up their legs so that they were parallel to the ground (!), and twirl around and around and around. And do it with more grace than I’m able to muster as I walk through the house. In plain old ordinary shoes.
I enjoy being amazed. I like hearing the stories of the athletes. I like learning about about the sports. I can do all that and still have no desire whatsoever to actually do any of those things.
And there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.
1 Corinthians 12:6 (NRSV)
Some are the soloists and some sing in the choir (or when they’re alone in the car). Some are the writers and some are the readers. Some are the storytellers and some are the listeners. Some are the joke-tellers and some provide the laughter. Some are the chefs and some get to eat what’s prepared. Some are the athletes that everyone enjoys watching. Some walk at home on a treadmill.
Here’s a fun Olympic fact that I heard on NPR. Norway has won the most total medals (303) since the beginning of the Winter Games (in 1932). The United States is second with 271. The population of Norway is about the same as the state of Alabama.
Peggy Fleming
Dorothy Hamill
Janet Lynn
* kak tyazhelo v lyubom sluchaye te kon’ki
* How heavy are those skates anyway?