There are only 3 days remaining until the Olympics 2008 Opening Games. All of the athletes have spent many years preparing for this famed event. It will be exciting to see the athletes compete. It is hard to imagine every detail that went into their preparation, but these are some of things that come to mind:
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Physical Preparation
As in any athletic event, athletes have rigorous training regimens. Over time, they develop skill and endurance. In the home stretch, as they get towards the Olympics events, they must also adjust to new environments and fight jet lag. They must also continue to train hard and prevent injuries as much as possible.
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Mental Preparation
In addition to the physical preparation, every athlete must be strong mentally. They must show confidence in what they do. They are bound to be mistakes or have mishaps, but they must be able to bounce back and compete. They talk through strategies with their coaches and team mates. They also must have a winning attitude to distinguish themselves as exceptional athletes.
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Self Motivation
They also have to keep motivated and keep focused. These are when coaches can be beneficial, but mostly motivation has to come from the athletes themselves. They must keep focused on their goals. There are intrinsic goals which are when athletes compete for the thrill and joy of the support. Also, there are extrinsic goals such as when the athletes compete for recognition and rewards.
It will be interesting to see stories that arise from the athletes in this year’s Olympics. Already one American athletes has made headlines. Eric Shanteau, an athlete who will be competing in the Swimming Olympics was diagnosed with testicular cancer a week before the Olympic trials. Luckily, the doctors determined that his cancer was treatable and had not spread. He will be putting off surgery until after Beijing, but will withdraw from the team if there’s any sign his cancer is spreading. He is motivated and determined to compete.
Olympic athletes can be very inspirational. I look forward to seeing the athletes in the Beijing Olympics.
