The 5 Rings

A couple of weeks ago, our family ventured to Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach, CA for a swim meet. Certain parts were largely the same as at any meet. An announcer calling out heat numbers, the smell of chlorine in the air (which I love), plus wet towels and lycra clad kids everywhere. The meet was open to anyone, so long as they met minimum qualifying times. Anyone also happened to include several Olympians with a passport stamp from Beijing including Katie Hoff, Jason Lezak and some guy named Michael Phelps. 

We generally have a rule with our daughters. No TV on a school night, which only gets broken for random select occasions including major national news events, ACC College Basketball and once every two years, the Olympics. For me, the timing of the Winter Olympics could not be more perfect. The volatile map of what these athletes have faced to become the worlds best is both staggering and inspiring. For nearly all of them, every waking and sleeping moment for the past several years has been dedicated by an opportunity of a few minutes. One by one, they each step forward and take their shot at destiny. 

Back at Belmont, my oldest daughter is called out of the stands by her coach, who walks her to meet and spend a few moments with his friend, Jason Lezak: the Savior of the Men's Relay in Beijing. Two years ago, Jason's moment with destiny came and he nailed it. Behind by a body length, he chased down one of the top swimmers in the world to touch first. The swimming equivalent of lifting a car above his head. Magic of the 5 Rings. My daughter returns to us floating above the ground because she has met royalty. Then there's Michael, the most celebrated olympic athlete on the planet, standing 30 feet from us wet from warm up. No entourage, no logos. As he takes his place to start, what strikes me is all the corporate sponsorship and PR hype is vacant. He's just a guy with no place to hide, no lip-sync track or second take parachute and 7 others gunning for his place as the best. 16 lung burning laps later, he proves he is yet again. 

That night my daughter writes on her bedroom wall "Push Hard to make JO's (junior olympics) and I just smile knowing it's the first of many notes to come. 

 Jason Lezak with my girls

Phelps after winning the 400 IM