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Comin' To A TV Screen Near You: The Summer Olympics! (By Ronee' Le-Anne, aged 11 1/2) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
Ronee' is tickled pink that the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, being held in Athens, Greece, this year, have started. She has always loved the Olympics, both the winter and summer games.
Last night, our family sat around the rec room of our house, our eyes glued to the action on the TV screen. The Olympic Games, being held this year in Athens, Greece, began last night in earnest, with much pageantry and fanfare, signalling the start of yet another Olympiad.
The last time the (Summer) Olympics were on, I was only 7 1/2 years old, just a little kid. The Olympics were then held in Sydney, Australia, and I was wishing I was there because two of my friends, Roberto Sormiento, and his wife, M'Buti, were there, watching the Olympics, and I was a tad jealous! (They also went to the Salt Lake City Winter Games two years ago, but that is another story. Anyway, they have been to TWO Olympics, while I have been to NONE! GRRRRR! >:( ) I remember watching the gymnastics competition, as well as the swimming, diving, and track and field events, but my favorite competition in the Olympics was (and still is) the gymnastics competition. I always wished that I could be in the Olympics, but because of my physical disabilities, that seemed like an impossible dream for me. I didn't think that my body could stand all that excessive practice or abuse as I treid to whip it into shape. But then mama told me about the Paralympics, which is an Olympics competition for disabled people, so maybe there is a chance that I could be in an Olympics AFTER all. That would be too cool, especially if I could win a gold medal (ANY medal, really!) for the United States of America! :)
My entire family is as Olympics-crazy as I am, and a lot of that is because of Gemini, my big sister. She is an award-winning gymnast, and she is very good at gymnastics. She has won medals (even GOLD ones!), trophies, and ribbons for her skills on the floor, the balance beam, and the uneven parallel bars, and she can do all those fancy flips, just like the Olympic gymnasts, and she makes it all look so easy! She has won gold medals for her gymnastic skills, and she has won several important meets, including several on the NATIONAL level! In fact, she wants to be IN the Olympics, and so she practices every day at the gymnastic club here in town; and she practices every day except Sunday. She has a coach that works with her, and together, they learn new routines and tricks, and they work together so she can improve on her skills as her gymnast and become better at what she does. (If you ask me, she is already pretty darn good! :) ) Maybe, when she is older, she CAN be in the Olympics and win a medal. That would be too cool: my sister winning a GOLD medal for the United States Olympic team! :)
Anyway, the opening ceremonies were nothing short of spectacular. There were over 200 different nations competing, with the Americans having one of the largest number of athletes competing, and they even had people from Iraq competing, as well as people from places I have never even HEARD of! The Greeks, of course (they were the home team), got the most applause; when they entered the stadium (the host nation always enters last, in either the winter OR summer games), the stadium erupted into thunderous applause. The torch then entered the stadium, and a guy named Niklaus Kaklamankis (he is a sailing champion, and of course, he is a Greek! LOL) lit up the torch. When the torch was lit, the fireworks went off, and the cameras flashed in a sea of diamonds, and it was soooo cool! I was like "Yeah! Yeah! Alright!" I was hootin' and hollerin', waving my fist in the air, and clapping like crazy; and mama and daddy both glared at me. :) I couldn't help it; I was caught up in the excitement of the moment, and I got a little excited! LOL
Johnny was a little sad though: this may be the last Olympics he ever sees, and he felt sad and afraid. I felt sorry for him because while most people enjoy the Olympics, Johnny was feeling sad because this may be the last Olympics he will ever see before he dies. He isn't expected to live beyond the age of 13/14, and I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. I couldn't imagine what must have been going through his mind, but when I realized what he must have been thinking, tears pricked at my own eyes, and I felt sad right along with him. That has got to be so hard! Knowing that you may not live long enough to see another Olympics, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it from happening.
Tomorrow, the first Olympic medals will be handed out, and the competition officially gets underway. There will be 14 days of competition, with over 200 nations vying for medals; and it is anyone's guess as to who will triumph during THIS, the 2004 Summer Olympic Games being held in Athens, Greece! Hopefully, the United States will bring home some gold (or even silver and bronze!), and hopefully, nothing bad or stupid will happen! I pray that the Olympics go off without a hitch, and I pray that God watches over the competing nations and their athletes!
What a wonderful and heartfelt story, dear Karen.
I am not much into sports, but the Olympics is something special, I agree.
Good work.
All the best to you
Amira
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Last night, our family sat around the rec room of our house, our eyes glued to the action on the TV screen. The Olympic Games, being held this year in Athens, Greece, began last night in earnest, with much pageantry and fanfare, signalling the start of yet another Olympiad.
