Every two years I look forward to this.

Watching dedicated people do nearly impossible things, watching national icons shatter records that have stood since before they were born, watching people who have trained their entire life to achieve their dreams.

The Olympics are just around the corner, and this year's opening ceremony is Friday, August 5th. This year it is the summer Olympic Games that are broadcasted, (contrary to the winter games that will take place in 2018), and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is hosting. The summer games are my personal favorites to watch, because of all the swimming, gymnastic, and track and field events.

There are so many reasons why people should tune into the Olympics. There is a sport airing nearly constantly, whether the early stages of elimination or the big medal events. Even those who are not particularly into certain sports in general, or those who do not follow particular sports, can get into any of the events, and they are certainly worth watching.

The announcers and athletes make it easy for even someone who has never watched the sport before to understand what is going on. The announcers are seemingly infinitely knowledgeable in their narrations and the athletes are flawless in their executions. If someone is a front runner for an event, you know it; if they’re coming off of an injury, you’ll hear all the details. It’s easy to just start watching any sport, even one you’ve never heard of before, (look up race walking), and be able to cheer someone on.

The stories of many of these Olympic athletes are also incredible and a great motivating force to watch and learn more. Many have overcome extreme adversity, injuries, tragedies, and more, but they have still persevered to make the most coveted of spots as a competitor in the Olympics. Their inspiration and undying motivation are enough to earn your admiration and engage you in the games to root them on or see how they did.

Finally, the Olympics are a source of national pride and unity. I know that, at least for me, I tune in each day to see how the United States of America is doing for medals and in events. Even those events where I know our country’s competitor is the underdog, I still root for them like I’m certain he or she will win it all.

There’s something about feeling like you’re involved in this great sort of national pride and global tradition that gets you addicted to watching the events, and you find yourself enjoying even the long medal ceremonies.

The Olympics are about coming together to watch your nation soar and watch people who have dedicated nearly their entire life to a sport excel. The summer Olympics in particular only come around once every four years, and you wouldn’t want to miss them!