Setting goals and finding a way to achieve them is all a part of
leading a fulfilling and happy life. Going to the Olympics is almost any
committed athlete’s goal in life, but it is a difficult goal to reach. The
amount of commitment, time, effort, injuries, emotions, and money that goes
into the journey is intense but for the select few who make it, well worth it.
There were a few Canadian athletes who really caught my attention at this years
Olympics Games because of their achievements.
Snowboarder Mark McMorris was a favourite in terms of making it to Sochi, so
it didn't come as a shock when he was
chosen for the first ever Canadian Olympic slopestyle team, but
competing in the Olympic Games was not an easy feat. Just two weeks before
the games in Sochi, McMorris crashed on a run in the X-Games and fractured a
rib. Most people would probably pull out of the Olympics to nurse the injury,
but not Mark! After STILL receiving a silver medal in that event at the
X-Games, he fought through the pain and discomfort to place an impressive 3rd place, just 5 points behind 1st place. Even though a bronze medal can
be disappointing to some, Mark said “I would have loved to be in the gold-medal
position but with what I've been through in the last two weeks, just standing
on the podium in general feels like a gold medal to me.” (Source) He didn’t let anything get in the way of his dream of competing
in the Olympics which allowed him to not only compete, but beat his injury to
snag a spot on the podium.
Dara Howell is just a 19 year old girl from the small town of
Huntsville, Ontario, but she made sure that everyone knew her name when she won
gold for Canada in the first ever freestyle skiing slopestyle event. Howell was
born and raised in Huntsville, and grew up skiing at a resort that only had 8
small runs. Her passion for skiing pushed her to travel for hours to a better
ski hill so she could improve her skills, which paid off as she became more and
more successful. Believe it or not, her Olympic gold is actually the first gold
she’s gotten in a professional competition! She’s received three bronzes and one
silver in the X-Games for slopestyle, which must make this gold a whole lot
more satisfying.
Both of these athletes compete in one of the riskiest sports possible, but they don't let the possibility of injury stop them from doing what they love. This kind of outlook on life is extremely important because if you let your fears control you, you'll never be able to fulfill your goals and dreams!
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