I like stories about athletes. An athlete is someone who by definition does their absolute best only to risk being beaten. I guess that's why I like stories about them. Everything is on the line and losing is at least a 50% chance, if not more.
Maybe that's why I cheer. Who didn't like Rocky? He lost in the first film but we cheered him anyway. We have stories like Disney's Cool Running's, a move based on the real life events surrounding the Jamaican Bobsled Team in the Olympics. They wrecked and then carried their sled across the finish line. Then there is Eric Liddell. He put his faith ahead of personal glory, and apparently sacrificed his shot at Olympic gold. Then by Devine decree he obtained a more perfect crown.
I cheer for those kinds of stories. I shouted yes at a movie screen for Rocky. I remember clapping in my easy chair for a bunch of crazy Jamaicans. Eric Liddell is an inspiration. There is this little guy:
Watch Boy With Cerebral Palsy Cast Aside Walking Aid And Finish A Triathlon Like The Champ He Is
Bailey Matthews, an 8-year-old who has cerebral palsy, completed a triathlon in England last weekend, discarding his walking aid before crossing the finish line to a roaring crowd, the Yorkshire Post reported.
“That was his way of finishing in style and showing everyone what he could do,” Bailey’s mother, Julie Hardcastle, told the news outlet. “It was the response from the crowd that pushed him to do that.”
The young athlete from Nottinghamshire, England, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 18 months old. Though the condition affects Bailey’s motor skills, making certain tasks and movements difficult, his father, Jonathan Matthews, adapted a walking frame so his son could participate in physical activities -- including last weekend’s triathlon.
Bailey’s self-determination led him to complete the Castle Howard Triathlon in North Yorkshire on Saturday, which, for the children’s race, included a 100-meter swim, 4,000-meter bike ride and 1,300-meter run, according to the event’s website. The events take place on the castle’s grounds, with one parent allowed to help young competitors with the race.
Hundreds of spectators waited at the end of the course and cheered on Bailey’s incredible achievement. He used his custom walking frame during the race, but cast it aside for the final stretch, crossing the finish line with pride and glory.
I love stories like this one. I think lots of people are so fed up with all the rotten things going on in society right now, pretty much all over the world, that we/they feel the need to cheer on folks like this little boy.
ReplyDeleteHe is never going to forget that day for as long as he lives.