More Good News for Old Olympians!!

Wonderful story today (Mon Aug 18 2008) from Bejing. The Silver Medal to Canada in equestrian team jumping, includes a first medal in NINE Olympics for61-year old Ian Millar!!!! Millar's story, reported by the CBC is worth mentioning:

"I remember back in the early '70s when I had a disastrous Grand Prix, my wife, Lynn, said to me, 'Don't worry, you're going to be a late bloomer.' That's what she said to me and I've always held that thought," said Millar. "And so the Olympics don't go well and I'd say, 'Lynn said I'm a late bloomer. I'll go to the next one.' And sure enough, guess what happened? I bloomed." The sad note? Millar's wife died from cancer earlier this year. "I had an angel riding with me, that's all I can say," said a teary Millar.

Last night, it was exciting to see 33 year old Oksana Chusovitina win Silver in Women's Vault, jumping for Germany (back at a "NORMAL" age for success in her sport, she was a Soviet star!). I'm loving the Bejing Games!

Saturday at Summer Olympics: Great Day for the Oldsters!!!

Spending WAY too much time in front of the TV watching the summer Olympics, but what a day this Saturday Aug. 16 has been!!!! Michael Phelps' Eight for Eight (they said 8 is a good luck number in China), and "Lightning" Bolt's 100m sprint, of course; but what gave me the most pleasure and excitement was seeing the success of so many "older" athletes: Two Silvers in swimming today for Dara Torres (41); a Gold for Jason Lezak (32) in the anchor leg of the 4x100 swimming relay that cemented Phelps' #8; and a 2:26.44 marathon Gold medal for Constantina Tomescu (38) of Romania. How much inspiration could you want in a single day!!!!! Wow. I'm exhausted just watching! Makes me wonder how many great athletes were NOT in prime time on tv today! Exemplars like these make it easier to believe that each of us, irrespective of age and specific ability can aspire to Citius, Altius, Fortius, and can hope to be a little better than yesterday.