As is the case with any Olympics, of the summer or winter variety, the United States consistently puts together a strong team that competes with the best athletes from around the world. The 2012 Summer Olympics were no exception. 530 American athletes from 25 sports enthralled the interest of the nation and media for just under a three week period. While it is certainly very impressive and unifying for the nation to witness our team dominate, I personally am always shocked by the interest of the casual American, many of whom do not have any interest in sports. One can not help but wonder what it is that attracts millions of American citizens to their televisions to watch our athletes compete against those from around the world. Does it give us a confounding sense of patriotism that is not experienced by anything else? Or is it that one cannot help but be drawn to watching our athletes, who put in endless hours of preparation for four years, which leads to a very heightened sense of pride. Whatever the case may be, our nation's athletes outwilled and outworked their international counterparts to dominate the medal count.
Any athlete who is afforded the opportunity to represent his/her nation is undoubtedly extremely physically gifted. That being said, the endless hours of hardwork that are contributed by each and every athlete who partakes in any event, cannot be discounted. Physically and mentally excruciating preparation are a staple of every athlete's daily routine for years leading up to their event. This may not sound that crazy for the household names like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin, or Serena Williams, all of whom participate in more than one event. However, many of the 530 Americans who train for endless hours are often putting in all that work for what could be an event that lasts for less than a minute. To put that into perspective try to think of another occupation in which a worker puts invests that much hard work and time for (often) no monetary compensation. These athletes lay it all on the line for a few minutes of pride. It may seem like more comes out of it, but with the exception of a few athletes who land large advertisement spots (like Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Lyukin) there lies no fiscal reward at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps it is this selflessness, hard work, and leadership that emotionally grips the millions of Americans to their television screens for three weeks. It is in a sense the "American Dream": that one can acheive whatever they want if they work hard enough for it.
We as Americans are unique from citizens of all of the other countries around the world. While we (especially men) surely value sports more than other nations (thanks in part to the media), there is something special about the Olympics. I have primary, first-hand evidence from my mother and sister, both of whom are not sports fans. Even they, this past summer, watched the Olympics and when I asked why they could not provide a clear answer. While I have theorized about this answer in the past couple paragraphs, I still do not have a sure answer. Until one is discovered, I will stick by the reasons presented. Americans have a distinct and profound pride for our athletes that is unmatched by any other nation. For those three weeks this past summer, millions of Americans vicariously felt the same pride that our athletes worked their whole lives for. As an athlete and fan myself, I can certainly relate and do indeed respect that hard work that some of the best athletes in the world work their whole lives for.
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