2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics: My Final Thoughts

I remember the torch coming through Bradford, the small town where I live. I remember those emotions, though that’s all I had thought towards the Olympics. I wasn’t going to watch the games, could really care less at first. I didn’t even watch the opening ceremonies, as it didn’t seem as to something that would appeal to me.

Though that all changed in one moment as I was flipping through channels and peered into the Snowboard cross race, which turned into Gold for Canada. But it wasn’t due to the fact that the Gold medal hooked me—it was due to the sport of Snowboard racing. The spirit of the type of competition, how it went down.

So with that said, I peered into the girl’s bobsled competition, in which as the action picked up, as it got down to the wire, I found myself cheering. I was hooked into the excitement and of course that turned out well as it was Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse winning the Gold medal.

Through these Olympics and being brought into the action, I have some final thoughts towards these Olympics.

Everybody has talked about pride in their country and that is something I felt. The Olympic Medal ceremonies for the girl’s bobsledders—when they raised the Canadian flag to symbolize the Gold and Silver medals, I felt tears coming to my eyes, pride in my country.

I also felt proud of Humphries and Moyse for winning that Gold medal, for showcasing how good they were in bobsledding because for anyone whose a fan or has read their biography, this should actually be a surprise that it’s their first and first ever medal for Canada in Bobsledding. These girls have proven around the world that they’re the best, Moyse pointless times, yet never won Olympic medals till now.

I also felt pride in my country for being the host of the games and how well that went off. Everybody has had positive things to say about the culture and surroundings that it rubbed off on me, making me feel proud to be a Canadian.

However, the most significant piece of the puzzle that showed me country pride was that of how the people came together in Canada to celebrate the Gold medals and the fact that 26.6 million people of a country with a population of 35 million watched the men’s Gold medal hockey game against the United States. If you add in those who were in Vancouver or out at other venues in groups, you’re probably up towards maybe even 28 million.

To see a country full of differences come together to celebrate showed that country unity is possible, that despite our diverse society we can come together.

In all this discussion, emotions have been discussed, yet the biggest showing of emotions had to be for figure skater Joannie Rochette. Just before the Olympics, Rochette’s mother died, yet she still said that she’d go on to skate in the Olympics. In both of Rochette’s performances, emotions were high as tears entered the eyes of many Canadians, yet also others from around the world, due to the courage and the fact she went on to perform.

Rochette is the inspiration, in my opinion, for this year’s Winter games for the inspiration that she brought to many. Her courage and aspirations to go on were beyond any level that anybody would’ve expected. Normally an athlete just touches people in their own country with their story, however she took it to another level and that is why she’ll be remembered for this beyond 2010.

In the competition, she won the Bronze Medal, which to many is like Gold for her due to this story. For her to be honored with the Terry Fox Award and the final flag bearer for Canada seemed fitting. Way to go, Joannie! We’re all proud of you.

Though, to close the article, I have to go back to why the Olympics were first created. Greece brought forth the Olympics as an offer of peace. They figured that getting the world’s athletes together and letting them unite would help the rest of the world unite. This proved to be true once again as rivalries were certainly brought forth with countries facing off against each other, yet it was in good sported competition by everybody.

It was good spirited competition all around with nothing really bad being said from one country to another. The wars, the arguments were all put aside for these 17 days as the world meant in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

In taking something away from the Olympics, as a world we should all look at that fact and how multi-cultural Canada is and see that we can all live in peace together. World Peace is possible, whether you believe it on the surface or not.