Women's Gymnastics (Spoiler Alert!)

SO excited about this.

I'm a little disappointed I found out unexpectedly on the internet,

but I am SO looking forward to watching the routines this evening.

Women's gymnastics--especially during the Olympics--is AWESOME.

Something about watching 16-year-old super athletes risk their lives flipping around on 4-inch beams and unparallel bars is inspiring. These girls dedicate their ENTIRE adolescent life to the sport. It's a make or break culture, and one where only the toughest can survive. It's the perfect example of survival of the fittest. It's not so much the intensity and cut throaty-ness that inspires, but rather the commitment and give-all attitude these young women live with. In hearing their back stories, we learn many of them go to their parents begging to quit. Sure, there's some psychological issues going on with parents who live vicariously through their children--but--somehow these girls find the strength to push and push and push until, one day, they've one the Gold Medal. I'm not sure how they deal with the anticlimatic transition into "real life" (aka life without gymnastics 9 hours a day), but for now, these girls have fulfilled a life-long dream. And it is a direct result of years and years of sacrifice, consistent effort, hard work, and courage.

Watching them motivates me to find something I can fight just as hard for.