The 2016 Summer games in Rio are now officially over.
It has been two weeks of the best of the best athletes the world has to offer, showing that there are no limits to human strength and endurance. There have been a few stories flooding the news of athletes behaving badly, but thankfully those stories won't survive the test of time. The stories that will be told over and over again are the stories that make us feel good, or the stories that restore a little bit of lost faith in humanity.
This will be the Olympics we can say we saw history being made with Michael Phelps getting his 23rd Gold metal. He is so far in a class of his own, no one even is in the vicinity of matching his accomplishments.
The world will remember Phelps’ adorable three-month old cheering Daddy on. I am sure if little Boomer Phelps follows in Daddy’s footsteps, the footage of him in the stands wearing those swaggy headphones will be played over and over as he goes for Gold in a couple of decades.
Jamaican track star Usain Bolt will be remembered for is accomplishments on the track; winning an impressive 9 Gold medals. He will be both remembered andrespected for telling a reporter to show some respect and turning to honor the anthem of the United States.
While in Rio, his accomplishments weren't only on the Olympic Track. Bolt also acted as a guide runner for a blind Paralympic athlete from
Brazil. With the trademark Usain Bolt smile on the whole way.
The world will remember that even if these athletes are truly
the best of the best elite athletes, some are still just teenagers. Simone Biles
who WOWED everyone during the Gymnastic competition performing tumbling passes that literally no one else in the world can do. After the competition, she got
to meet her teen crush Zac Efron, who turned out to be a fan of Simone’s.
Her teammate Laurie Hernandez captured her reaction to that special kiss from Zac.
That is probably the reaction most of us would have getting a smooch from such a cutie.
Then there was U.S. Pole vaulter who stopped his run to honor the National Anthem. He is not only an Olympic athlete but a 2nd Lt. in the Army Reserves.
There are so many more stories of track stars who stopped to help fallen competitors and tennis players who were honest and told his competitor a ball was in when the ref called it out. He lost the game but won a place in our hearts and respect for being honest.
The story that I will remember the most came from an ordinary person doing something extraordinary. A woman taking an Uber car from Philadelphia airport to New Jersey started a conversation with her driver and found out that the driver was missing his son compete in the Olympics because he could not afford to go. She started a GoFundMe page and the man was able to get enough money to get his passport and fly to see his son compete. Both a father and son had their wishes granted thanks to a perfect stranger.
Would like to personally thank everyone who donated to help my Dad get to Rio, we achieved our goal. God is Good. #Thankful
— Darrell Hill (@B1GHomie) August 1, 2016
Thank you Rio Olympics for inspiring us all to reach higher and
achieve more and for restoring faith in humanity.
