London2012: The Many Faces That Inspire

I realize how lucky I am! Never did I imagine in my wildest of dreams, that  a day shall come when I witness with my entire being, the “Greatest Games on Earth”: The Olympics. The realization dawned on me not when I moved to London 4 years ago, not when the BBC moved their studios to the Olympic Park, but when I took delivery of a white envelope from Royal Mail. My tickets had arrived! I was going to the Olympics!

With those tickets in hand, I was going to be part of a historic moment. I was going to tell myself and to those who know me “I was there at the Games”. Probably put a picture or two on my Facebook page, upload a dozen videos, tweet from the venues: basically, milk the social media to announce my good fortune.

And then the games began! Can London top Beijing’s spectacle? I didn’t think so. I thought I’d let the opening ceremony pass and probably go cycling instead (Wiggins had already inspired me even before his won the Time-Trials). No luck there. The Opening ceremony virtually imposed itself on me. Danny Boyle wanted it to start at 9:30 pm to vow the audience. And Boyle! Did he do it or what! The story of Britain through the ages was indeed a spectacle. But what caught my fancy, rather moved me, was the sight of ‘young athletes’ chosen and mentored by Britain’s greatest Olympians to light the beautiful Olympic cauldron. London2012 had lived upto its tagline: Inspire a Generation!

As days rolled, athletes upon athletes shone. Some by winning in a spectacular fashion, some by losing with grace. Some young and new, for whom this was their first moment in spotlight. Some veterans who had been there, done that and were seeking another shot at glory before they took a final bow. Some from the mightiest nations with all the resources in the world and some from the tiniest nations that one would struggle to locate on the Atlas.

All of them had one story to tell: Of Grit, Determination, Success, Failure, Endurance and Winning. As I sat through watching the games, hearing their extraordinary stories, the choices they made, the blood, sweat and tears that goes on to make them what they are, I was moved. Suddenly, The Olympics was not about “being at the Games”. It was much more. It was about being shaken and stirred by their stories, about learning from them, about emulating them, about being inspired!

What makes a Kath Granger come back for her fourth Olympics just to realize her dream of winning a Gold? What makes a Laura Trott emerge from a collapsed lung to being a double gold winner in cycling? How does Helen Glover take up rowing just 4 years ago and become a champion? What does it take for Kirani ‘Jaguar’ James to come from a tiny island nation of Grenada and win a gold? Why did Oscar Pistorious (Blade Runner) run in a 400m race in the Olympics against “able-bodied”men? In short, how do these remarkable people inspire ordinary people? How do they rise above their situations and achieve their dreams. This, to me, was the true excitement of the Olympics.

Here I am then, writing a blog on these extraordinary people, instead of posting some blurry photographs of myself at the Olympic games. Wise idea, don’t you think? And my blog fittingly is named “Inspiring generations: Stories of triumph from the Olympic Games and beyond”. I say ‘beyond’ because I’d eventually like to feature stories outside the Games. Stories of ordinary inspirational people.

When I first thought of the idea of the blog, I thought I’d write based on what was publicly available. Then something wicked struck me. How about I interview the athletes myself? My own voice sounded quite crazy to me. Yeah right! Like they have all the time in the world to speak to some random person who plans to write a blog. For god’s sake, she does not have one already!

However, in the spirit of the Olympics, I decided to give it a try. And how!

One young man who impressed me through the Games, even when he was carrying the flag for his country with a contingent of five at the Opening  was nineteen year old Kirani James of Grenada, who won the gold for Men’s 400m. I wrote to Olympics Grenada about my intention to write a story on Kirani, who put me in touch his agent Renaldo Nehemiah (a former athlete and world’s best hurdler in the 70s and 80s). Renaldo was kind enough to allow me some time with the young Kirani and his coach Harvey Glance(Olympic Gold medalist in 1976). And there I was, out of nowhere, having a chat with Kirani and coach Glance.  I cannot thank them enough.

So watch out for my next post: The story of Kirani James. This blog is my humble attempt to  bring out the stories of inspirational people, of positive role models in an attempt to carry the Spirit of Olympics forward: To Inspire a Generation!