Passion, devotion, and the motivation to push, push your body to the limits. To push, to endure, to win: win and triumph!
The country’s weight upon your shoulders. The screams and chants of “USA, USA!” begins to fade into the icy cool background as you line up.
Staring down the competition, you ready yourself for the adventure of a life time. This is the games, the Olympic games.
The Winter Olympic games took place this year of 2014 in Sochi, Russia. As Utahns, we were lucky enough to have our own athletes participate in these games:
Ted Ligety, Alpine Skiing, Park City--6th
Steve Holcomb, Bobsled, Park City---Bronze
Joss Christensen, Freeskiing, Park City---Gold
Noelle Pikus-Pace, Skeleton, Orem---Silver
Lindsey Van, Ski Jumping, Park City--15th
Sarah Hendrickson, Ski Jumping, Park City--Gold
Jessica Jerome, Ski Jumping, Park City--12th
These athletes made all the more difference in helping with the games. Many triumphed, yet all felt blessed, being honored to have represented our country and to have participated in such a competition.
The nation supported them the whole way. Emma Black, a junior here at Juab, said “I really liked the figure skating, and the couples skating. I thought it was cool, yeah, that's definitely something I’ll remember!”
When asking Brayden Elsmore his favorite part of the Sochi Games he responded “The half pipe was pretty cool, because they do really awesome tricks.”
Yet there's more to these games than meets the eye, as when interviewing senior Jaimee Beard she said “I really loved watching behind the scenes of everything, and watching all the interviews, seeing what they had to do!”
Gold medalist Joss Christensen said on CNN how much he was thankful to the U.S ski team, thanking them and realizing that their support was what made all the more difference. Watching the rest of the interview, he said it was crazy how many people believed in him. Humble and submissive, our very own Park City Utahn placed overall.
According to source USSA, gold medalist Sarah Hendrickson, a ski jumper, said that every day and every time she was in the gym she envisioned what it would be like when she was back on the hills. She also told all viewers that she couldn't have done any of this without her coaches and supporters! Her training began from her very own hometown, Park City, Ut.
The joy and excitement of silver medalist Noelle Pikus was exciting to watch. Bursting with energy, I watched her when they announced the winners, and she jumped the chairs to her family screaming “We did it!”
She had her loving family and husband at her side the whole time. In a quote to NBC, Pikus said “I came, I saw, I conquered, it wasn't just me crossing that finish line, it was we, WE did it!”
We also had these Utahns who represented team U.S.A in the Paralympic Games:
2014 U.S. Paralympic Team (unofficial team list)
Keith Gabel, Adaptive Snowboard X, Ogden
Nicole Roundy, Adaptive Snowboard X, Bountiful
Stephani Victor, Adaptive Alpine Skiing, Park City
Tyler Burdick, Adaptive Snowboard X, Salt Lake City
Danelle Umstead, Adaptive Alpine Skiing, Park City
Greg Shaw, Sled Hockey, Salt Lake City
Erik Bayindirli, Adaptive Alpine Skiing, Park City
Nicole Roundy, Adaptive Snowboard X, Park City
Cristina Albert, Adaptive Snowboard X, Holladay
Tyler Burdick, Adaptive Snowboard X, Salt Lake City
Megan Harmon, Adaptive Snowboard X, Heber City
Overall as a country, our athletes made us proud bringing home twenty-eight medals from the Sochi Games. Their dedication and devotion left an impression on all our hearts and spirits in a way we will never forget!
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