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TURNER'S TWO CENTS: Inspired By Olympic Her-oics!
Perhaps it’s because my mother and the various women around whom I grew up (grandmothers, aunts, teachers, women in church, parents of friends, etc.) were industrious, kind-hearted and noble Ladies.
Perhaps it’s because I’ve always been attracted to women who are confident, strong and can handle their business.
I suppose a mélange of all these factors is why I was especially inspired by the heroics of women athletes at the just-concluded Olympic Games in Beijing.
41-year-old swimmer Dara Torres amazed us all by competing to silver medal greatness against women half her age. But Torres proved to be a champion out of the pool as well. When an opponent discovered that her swimsuit was damaged, Torres went to the officials and urged them to delay the start of the race so that the other swimmer could change her suit and, therefore, be at her best in the water.
Another champion in and out of the pool was Brenda Villa, the three-time Olympian and child of hard-working Mexican immigrants, who led our women’s water polo team to a hard-fought silver medal. Along with being a dominant force in the H2O, Villa is like Maya Angelou’s poetic heroine – not “built to suit a fashion model’s size” but radiating “phenomenal” confidence, pride and joy.
When it came to grace in the midst of defeat, a high standard was set by Lolo Jones who experienced one of the greatest personal tragedies of the Games. Jones was literally a few steps away from a gold medal in the 100 meter final when her heel clipped the next to last hurdle and she went tumbling onto the track. Jones made no excuses (unlike Lauryn Williams who spoke of voodoo curses after dropping the baton in the anchor leg of the women’s 4 x 100 relay) and accepted her failure with exemplary dignity. Said Jones: “You have to be over all 10 (hurdles) or you’re not meant to be champion. Today I was not meant to be the champion.” After she left the track, Jones gave in to the shattering emotion of the moment, leaned back against a wall, and let go the agonized tears to which she was entitled.
Like Jones, 400 meter great Sanya Richards showed us how to lose with class. Then she showed us how to win with sheer determination. Richards was the overwhelming favorite in the 400, but a bad hamstring slowed her step, forcing her to settle for bronze. When Richards raised her bowed head after a moment’s mourning, the TV camera caught an unexpected expression on her face: something like anger and a refusal to accept this as her defining Olympic moment.
Four days later, Richards was blazing down the track in the anchor leg of the 4 x 400 relay. There was so much daylight between her and the Russian sprinter that a second place finish seemed inevitable. But Sister Sanya wasn’t trying to hear that. She reached way down deep into her spirit and found that intangible faith, that inexplicable motivation that lies within each of us and empowers us to do the seemingly impossible. Richards swooped on her opponent, methodically closed and extended her lead by several steps. As she blasted across the finish line, Sanya pumped her baton-clenched fist in a brief, dignified and well-deserved personal celebration. Then, she immediately joined her teammates for a congratulatory huddle and prayer. When the NBC correspondent interviewed the team minutes later and asked Richards to explain what had just happened, Sanya said simply that she had decided that she would not lose again.
Every Olympics gives us towering moments of triumph and tragedy. The few examples I’ve mentioned here hit home with me and I’ll cite them often to will inspire my daughters and other girls in our circle. I also hope that witnessing these great heroines will inspire within boys and men a deeper respect and admiration for girls and women everywhere.
Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.
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