Celebrate the Olympics?

As we’re a site that focuses on the love of a body in motion it seems pretty obvious what our topic would be this week, yes? What’s more inspiring than watching top-notch athletes perform at the biggest show in town? Rio de Janeiro spent billions towards updating infrastructure and NBC spent billions for the rights to broadcast the games – so it makes sense to see what all the fuss is about, yes?

I actually haven’t seen any of the Rio Olympics simply because I don’t watch regular TV. I guess I’ll have to wait for videos to start popping up on YouTube. Last night I started wondering if I was missing out on 2016’s biggest show, but on the heels of that my cynical side says, What’s the point of it all anyway? How much impact do those athletes honestly have on my motivation to get/stay active? Beyond the thrill of watching contestants battle their guts out for a medal, is there any lasting effect of the Olympics, besides giant stadiums?

Maybe I find it hard to get excited because I don’t follow any sports, or root for any major team – so it feels false to show enthusiasm for a sports show that only happens every 4 years. C’mon, you say. Sports show? It’s where amazing athletes get recognition for years of hard work, and we get inspired by what a human body is capable of with the right training, so get excited, woman!

But alas, I remain unmoved. I don’t feel part of the show, and really don’t care who gets the highest medal count. If anything, I hope the underdogs displace long-time winners off the podiums – let the light shine on more than a few favorites.

[Img.Src: 100 metres final, London Olympics, 1948]