An Obsession of Olympic Proportions...

I am obsessed with the Olympics! There's nothing better than having something to watch on tv every night and cheering on your country to win the gold.  

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I still remember the first Olympics I watched as a child. I was eight years old and the Summer Olympics were being held in Atlanta, Georgia. 


I have vague memories of heading out to route 1 in Dinwiddie to watch the Olympic torch make its way to Atlanta. 


My first Olympic love was gymnastics. I remember watching the "Magnificent 7" win the team gold in womens' gymnastics. I decided at that moment I was going to be a gymnast. I even had a folder with USA's gymnastics team on it. For the next two years, my parents paid for me and my sisters to take gymnastics. As most of you know, I'm athletically challenged. It did not work out well. I was not fearless enough for gymnastics. 

Be glad I used this photo instead of my old gymnastics recital photos.
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Next came the Winter Olympics of 1998. I decided that figure skating was going to be my thing and I watched Tara Lipinski win the gold. That school year, I attended every skate night my elementary school sponsored at the roller skating rink in efforts to eventually become a figure skater. I never could master that whole not-falling-down thing.

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I've followed those two events in all the Olympics since then along with many others. I watched Michael Phelps win his numerous gold medals in Beijing. I watched the USA ice hockey team attempt to overtake Canada in the Winter Olympics. Last night I watched the USA women's gymnastics take the gold for the first time since 1996 when I first fell in love with the Olympics. 

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The Olympics make me want to accomplish something (mostly on the athletic front). I always get so emotional listening to the athletes' back stories and watching their hard work result in medals.


What are your favorite Olympic sports? What are your thoughts on the Olympics?