Grace, Grit, Guts and Glory
I hope you didn’t miss last night’s Olympic moment. That was incredible. I was crying, and in awe of man’s capacity for courage last night.
I’m talking about figure skating at it’s most heroic. And it was demonstrated last night in a way that left me breathless.
Remember the team I wrote about on Saturday. Not only did Shen and Zhao skate almost flawlessly after he ruptured his Achilles tendon just six months ago – they got onto the podium.
But that was only the beginning of a most memorable event.
Overcoming obstacles was main theme last night. Tatiana Totmianina’s terrifying fall last year, could have left her paralyzed. Instead she and her partner, Maxim Marinin have been undefeated going into the Olympics, topping off their career by becoming Olympic Champions last night.
But what about those dang Zhangs.
They’re not related. Though, after hearing that both had visited with their families for no more than one week since the ages of thirteen, they might as well be.
I’ve followed figure skating since I was a girl. The Zhang’s planned attempt at a throw quadruple salchow was already mega courageous. But, courage and bravery were surpassed on the ice rink after Dan Zhang landed in a split, a most painful landing position on the ice. She could barely skate off the ice, but decided after five minutes to continue with the long program.
And our first Olympic hero was born. Not only did the Zhangs take off where they left off, which was near the beginning of their program, they completed All their elements to thunderous applause. Nobody, could believe it. In fact their training partners could hardly watch.
Dan Zhang later said, ‘We are challenging the extreme limits of what a human being can do. I had to turn four revolutions in the air and a huge distance and then I hit the boards. You can only imagine how painful that would be.’
It was a moment to remember. And it upstaged everything else that had happened that night.
Some people think skating is for sissies. Well, after last night, we all know, figure skating is a sport, pure and simple.
As Tatiana said in her press conference: ‘Skating is dangerous but so many bad falls happen in practice, so people don't necessarily know how dangerous it is. It's not just people holding hands, skating around and having feelings.’
All of us benefit from watching such marvelous bravery. Because all of us have that capacity within ourselves. It’s not reserved for some special group of people. It is just that few people have the courage to explore and achieve their limitless capacity for greatness.
What I now realize is that, by applauding another person’s courage, we are recognizing that courage within ourselves.
That’s what made last night a celebration of human greatness.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
P.S. ‘Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.’ –John Quincy Adams. There is no better manual for exploring the untouched depths of your courage and perseverance than the one offered only at Prosperous Artist. Get your copy Now.
I’m talking about figure skating at it’s most heroic. And it was demonstrated last night in a way that left me breathless.
Remember the team I wrote about on Saturday. Not only did Shen and Zhao skate almost flawlessly after he ruptured his Achilles tendon just six months ago – they got onto the podium.
But that was only the beginning of a most memorable event.
Overcoming obstacles was main theme last night. Tatiana Totmianina’s terrifying fall last year, could have left her paralyzed. Instead she and her partner, Maxim Marinin have been undefeated going into the Olympics, topping off their career by becoming Olympic Champions last night.
But what about those dang Zhangs.
They’re not related. Though, after hearing that both had visited with their families for no more than one week since the ages of thirteen, they might as well be.
I’ve followed figure skating since I was a girl. The Zhang’s planned attempt at a throw quadruple salchow was already mega courageous. But, courage and bravery were surpassed on the ice rink after Dan Zhang landed in a split, a most painful landing position on the ice. She could barely skate off the ice, but decided after five minutes to continue with the long program.
And our first Olympic hero was born. Not only did the Zhangs take off where they left off, which was near the beginning of their program, they completed All their elements to thunderous applause. Nobody, could believe it. In fact their training partners could hardly watch.
Dan Zhang later said, ‘We are challenging the extreme limits of what a human being can do. I had to turn four revolutions in the air and a huge distance and then I hit the boards. You can only imagine how painful that would be.’
It was a moment to remember. And it upstaged everything else that had happened that night.
Some people think skating is for sissies. Well, after last night, we all know, figure skating is a sport, pure and simple.
As Tatiana said in her press conference: ‘Skating is dangerous but so many bad falls happen in practice, so people don't necessarily know how dangerous it is. It's not just people holding hands, skating around and having feelings.’
All of us benefit from watching such marvelous bravery. Because all of us have that capacity within ourselves. It’s not reserved for some special group of people. It is just that few people have the courage to explore and achieve their limitless capacity for greatness.
What I now realize is that, by applauding another person’s courage, we are recognizing that courage within ourselves.
That’s what made last night a celebration of human greatness.
Warm Regards,
Tania Gabrielle French
P.S. ‘Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.’ –John Quincy Adams. There is no better manual for exploring the untouched depths of your courage and perseverance than the one offered only at Prosperous Artist. Get your copy Now.
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