The Spirit of the Olympics: Real Stories from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
While those of us watching the Olympic Games at home may get the benefit of close-ups and slow-motion replays, there’s so much more to the “Olympic experience” than what makes the headlines.
24Life had the chance to find out what we’re missing from Holly Martinez and Naeemah Brown, who were among 24 Hour Fitness team members, who traveled to the Rio 2016 Olympics Games. Take a look …
The Opening Ceremony …
“By far the coolest thing I have ever seen and my cheeks hurt from smiling. When I saw others wearing USA attire, I got the chills. I can’t even put into words the emotions that flooded my body as the show started. The USA had the most amount of athletes competing, but Brazil still had the loudest welcome. One thing I won’t forget is how Brazilians booed Argentina almost as loud as they cheered for Brazil. I’m told it was because of the soccer matches between the two, but wow, it was intense. This was an event like no other, and I will never forget it.” – Holly Martinez
The overall experience …
“The highlight of my trip was the spirit of the Olympics — a spirit that seemed to manifest itself by way of pride and unity across country lines. From the very first day you entered the country, you immediately experienced an unreal level of pride from everyone for their home countries. People wore matching outfits, carried their country’s flag, and even wrapped their babies in flags. As you walked along the beach or went to events, people were just oozing with pride for their countries.” – Naeemah Brown
The Brazilian people …
“Brazilians love their country. I learned that if you’re at an event where Brazil is playing, you need to bring ear plugs! The Brazilian people have so much pride for Brazil and are so proud to see their athletes compete. While at the men’s gymnastics finals, a group of USA supporters and I were chanting, “USA! USA!” for only a few seconds. The entire arena could hear us, and this caused the Brazil fans to begin cheering for their country, drowning out any chance of hearing the USA fans. And eventually you can’t help but begin cheering with them, because the feelings you get are incredible.” – Holly Martinez
The Olympic athletes …
“This trip revealed that the Olympic Games are only a moment in an almost life-long dedication to training. This I knew, but never actually saw it as a reality until now. I had the privilege of working at the High Performance Training Centers (24 Hour Fitness is the Official Sponsor of Team USA), where athletes are up early morning working in the hot sun to achieve what most deem impossible. I saw people in the best shape I have ever seen — still pushing themselves, despite the years of training they’ve done leading up to this. These athletes had dedicated their lives to achieving a level of greatness beyond what most people could ask for or even imagine.” – Naeemah Brown
The Olympic events …
“I will never forget the weightlifting event. It was one athlete’s last attempt for a world record weight and his own PR at his fourth Olympics. First hand, I got to experience him putting his heart and soul into that last effort. You could see the weight of his country and his own goals on his shoulders as he walked up to the bar. His attempt was a miss, but he still walked away with gold! As he fell to his knees with tears streaming from his face, every person in the place had to stand to their feet and share in the pure love for sport and the people of his country that these tears were displaying. The best part was that he ended it by taking off his shoes and leaving them under the bar, signifying his retirement – while also opening the door to the next generation to fill his shoes.” – Naeemah Brown
The Rio 2016 Olympic Games continues through August 21. For more insight, check out these two stories about some of the athletes competing: Inside the daily routines of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Athletes and Mindset tips from Team USA Contenders.