It’s finally happening. The most elite athletes from all corners of the world are joined together in Rio for the 2016 summer Olympics. Joined together to compete; to test their abilities to do what they love and do it well. Being one of over 30 million fans watching the opening ceremony this year, I just couldn’t help but be giddy watching Michael Phelps bear the American flag.
Giddy was just the beginning of the roller coaster of emotions in store for the 16 days that the summer Olympics last. You’ll find the rest in this list.
1. Anticipation.
126,230,400 seconds; 2,102,400 minutes; 35,040 hours, 1,460 days; four years; it doesn’t matter how you say it, we’ve waited a long to time for these 16 days. The anticipation is murderous in the way that the whole world is impatiently waiting to watch their country compete for the gold. Thirty million fans checking to make sure they have the right channel on at the right time, 30 million fans smiling as their countries flag is proudly carried through the ceremony, 30 million fans filled with elation as they think about what’s to come. The Olympics have the beautiful power of bringing 30 million people together to enjoy the possibilities the world gives us regardless of gender, race, or religion.
2. Excitement.
Your pulse is racing, you can’t help but smile, and you have butterflies in your stomach just watching the athletes from all the different countries bring the world together. You’re not really in Rio, but you’re in Rio.
3. Sweet escape.
How sweet it is to watch the news, scroll through social media, and read the front page of the newspaper without seeing a headline that has anything to do with the presidential election. Coming home from work every day and becoming obsessed with the Olympics along with the rest of the family is like having a mini-vacation. There’s no beach, no tourist destination, or sights to see but there are the feelings. There’s no stress, always something to look forward to, and the enjoyment of the moment.
4. Anxious.
The Olympic games hold suspense that’s enough to bite your nails off. Whether it’s watching gymnastics and hoping the gymnasts don’t fall off the four inches that the balance beam has to offer, an intense volleyball game that goes into sudden death overtime, or any sort of race that could be won by a slim hundredth of a second, each event is a nail-biting experience that you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat for.
5. Heartache.
There are always the heartbreaking moments where there is nothing to say. A competitor that didn’t quite reach their goal or an athlete that has to succumb to an injury, you see and feel all different kinds of heartbreak during the Olympic games.
6. Pure happiness.
How could you see these athletes smile on the podium and not also smile?
7. Proud.
No matter where you are from, you have reasons to proud of your country and the team that you’re rooting for.
8. Motivated.
What’s more motivating than watching hard work pay off? Not only that, you get to see how a person feels as soon as their hard work pays off. I don’t know about you but I am going at life with renewed and fresh motivation after watching these athletes’ reactions when they get the results they were looking for. It’s priceless.
9. Thankful.
I am so thankful to live in a world where we can still civilly compete. Although we are up against each other in the medal count, there is still a sense of togetherness you feel when you see countries in the same spot doing what they love. Thank you to sports, for bringing the world together.
10. Exhaustion.
It’s so exhausting be a fan, isn’t it? You have to stay up past your bed time to see all the events, changing the TV channel back in forth between each sport that is being covered, and constantly refresh NBC’s Facebook page to see if you missed anything.
The world is a better place with the Olympics. See you all in 2020, this time in Tokyo.
