Now that the Olympics have come and gone, we can reflect back on the heroic and inspiring events that took place over these last two weeks. Sports always has a way of showing us the best the world has to offer in some of its most talented people. In the heat of the most important moments in their lifetime, they still manage to show deep respect and character. There are beyond too many inspiration backgrounds from the Olympics to name them all, but here are a few that will leave you feeling moved.
1. Sam Kendrick pauses during routine to stand at attention. (http://www.today.com/news/u-s-pole-vaulter-sam-kendricks-stops-mid-stride-stand-t102073)
It was one of the most patriotic moments of the 2016 Olympics. The 23-year-old Kendrick stopped and stood at proper attention during “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the middle of his qualifying warm-ups. According to Today, the second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and Olympic pole vaulter was one of 18 American military athletes competing in Rio this year. Kendrick also earned a well-deserved bronze medal in his event.
2. Teliana Pereira’s uplifting determination. (http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/26/tennis/teliana-pereira-tennis-brazil-olympic-game-rio-2016/)
This was one of the stories of the Rio Olympics I actually caught live. It was during a doubles match one afternoon that the NBC announcer began telling the story of Teliana Pereira of Brazil. Pereira, 28, grew up in deep poverty with seemingly no way out. She was one of seven siblings and had one sister die of dehydration as an infant.
The announcer continued by saying that her dad was the janitor at a local tennis club. Growing up, Teliana would play on the vacant courts, but it wasn’t all play. She started working at as young as four years old to help support her family and had little to no schooling in her very rural and poor village. She continued on with tennis into her teenage years, often practicing all day with little to no food to fuel her. Despite her troubled upbringing, Teliana prevailed in the end.
She became the first Brazilian woman to win a WTA championship and entered the top 100 in 2013, a feat that has not been accomplished by a Brazilian since 1990. She has since used her prize money to purchase a home for her mother and support her family. Although she came up short in the Rio Olympics, her achievements are certainly not overshadowed.
3. Abbey D’Agostino’s incredible sportsmanship. (http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/08/17/abbey-dagostino-topsfield-olympics-rio-runner-knee-injuries-out-5000-meter-final/)
During the 5,000 meter final, both Abbey D’Agostino and New Zaeland’s Nikki Hamblin fell as the result of an accidental collision. With Hamblin still down, D’Agostino did not leave her behind, helping her up with everything she had. However, it was D’Agostino that was hurt the worse, struggling to even finish the race. Upon finishing, they both gave each other a big hug and thanked one another for their showing of such class. Abbey D’Agostino found out later that her ACL had been torn as a result of her fall and would miss the remainder of her events in Rio. Despite her injury, she still showed up to proudly support her country and Nikki Hamblin for their events remaining.
4. Ellis Hill’s trip to Rio. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/uber-driver-dad-son-olympics-rio-plane-ticket-gofundme_us_57a496bbe4b03ba6801201cf)
Ellis Hill, an Uber driver in Philadelphia, recently had a passenger that changed his life. Hill had a son competing in the Rio Olympics, but was working because he could not afford to travel to Rio himself. Little did Hill know, his passenger, Liz Willock, would soon brighten his day.
Following her ride, Liz began a GoFundMe account in effort to pay for Hill’s trip to Rio. They managed to reach the goal amount in two days! Hill set off to Rio and could not have been more proud of his son’s accomplishments and to be able to support him in person.
