Olympic Sized Motivation!

Ok...who else is obsessed with the Olympics? I'm a far bigger fan of the summer games than the winter - purely because I was a gymnast-nerd in my former years, and sports that involved layering up to stay warm have never been my cup of tea. Nonetheless, regardless of the season, when I hear that Olympic Games theme song, I'm hooked! I've also realized how equally (possibly more) obsessed my HUSBAND is with the games! He's got the schedule all figured out and knows the favorites and everything!

Even more than watching the actual events, I absolutely LOVE hearing the athlete back stories. So many of them have come from such impossible backgrounds have have persevered to achieve their dream of competing at the Olympics. You hear about families who have moved across the country so their future Olympian could train with the best, athletes who have overcome what should have been career ending injuries to compete again at the highest level, and even athletes who can continue to perform at such a high level year after year to participate in 3, 4 and even 5 Olympic games!  I don't know about you, but watching and hearing about these Olympians always gives me a little push in the right direction. Sometimes I just feel extra lazy because I'm cuddled on the couch while those athletes are kicking butt! But it has pushed me out the door a few extra times to get my workout on, and I love thinking through the workouts that each individual sport requires for their athletes to train at their best. It's a personal trainer thing I guess. 

Here are a few quotes from past Olympians that might help you get off the couch and start working towards some of your goals! 

‘Breathe, believe, and battle.’ My former coach, Troy Tanner, told us that before each match. Breathe—be in the moment. Believe—have faith that you can rise above it. Battle—you gotta be prepared to go for as long as it takes.”  ~ Kerri Walsh, two-time beach volleyball Olympic gold medalist

“Nobody needs to prove to anybody what they’re worthy of, just the person that they look at in the mirror. That’s the only person you need to answer to. “ ~ Picabo Street, U.S. alpine skiing Olympian.

• "Focus, discipline, hard work, goal setting and, of course, the thrill of finally achieving your goals. These are all lessons in life." ~ Kristi Yamaguchi, former Olympic figure skating champion

"'Falling in life is inevitable—staying down is optional.'" ~ Carrie Johnson, two-time Olympic kayaker

And this one because it made me giggle! 

"They picked me for a doping test. They simply cannot believe that such a great body can be built without any banned stuff." ~ Zoltan Szcesi, Hungarian water polo player

And in case you haven't been glued to NBC like we have been, here have been a few of my favorite moments in the first few days. 

Source: NY Daily News

Not a "favorite" moment - but heart-wrenching! U.S. Skier Heidi Kloser tore her ACL and BROKE HER FEMUR (umm...that's a HUGE bone to break. Ouch!) during a warm-up run last Thursday. She won't get to compete in the Olympics but was still in the Olympic spirit at the Opening Ceremonies on Friday. I have a feeling this won't be the last we hear about Heidi. Get well soon! 

Source: ABC News

Ashley Wagner (US Figure Skater) is "not impressed" with her scores after an awesome performance! I loved this especially because I've been known to be ultra-expressive and not very good at hiding my emotions. I can't skate but at least I can make faces like a pro! 

Source: USA Today

The Skiathlon has been so much fun to watch! It has to be the most physically demanding winter sport, and the top athletes push every race to the very finish. This pile of smiling and exhausted athletes is the norm for the finish line of the skiathlon. It kind of makes you think about how you could have pushed that last 5K a little harder, doesn't it? 

Source: theguardian.com

Sochi is the first Olympics to host the "Slopestyle" event where snowboarders take on a more skateboard style, heading through an "extreme park" full of jumps and rails. The US made a gold medal sweep, with Sage Kotsenburg taking home the men's gold and Jamie Anderson taking the women's. Go Team USA! 

what about you?

What is your favorite Olympic sport to watch? 
What motivates you the most while watching?