For too long, the top one percent of athletes have dominated the screen during the Olympics. For too long, the Olympics have set unreasonable expectations for our children and our children’s children. It’s all fun and games to witness pure talent mixed with perfected diets topped with a sprinkle of toned muscles, but what about the rest of us? What about the famously unnamed, the perfectly ordinary and the wondrously terrible that make up the other 99 percent of the population?
Every child has their phase of staring in awe at the foot of the TV screen — eyes glued to the glowing athletes crowned in medals and showered with praise. Hopes and dreams of being the person to feel the mighty weight of a gold medal have floated in the back of our minds at least one point in our lives. The status of an Olympic athlete has reached a near untouchable level, leaving the average citizen to be seen as a lesser being in the face of otherworldly athletes. But, it does not have to be this way. The world is tired of feeling the shame upon comprehending the incredible skill of Olympians. Humanity has reached a modern era of pride in participation awards, and it is time to extend this mindset to the Olympics. These new games would shower the average athlete with praise and glory; one wouldn’t have to be the epitome of human athletic perfection in order to be admired.
Imagine an international stage lined with our neighbors and friends. Better yet, visualize the local grocer on the felted balance beam or your basket-weaving coach lined up at the 100-meter dash. Picture an acupuncturist cutting across frigid ice or a wedding planner clad in goggles and a speedo. In other words, envision an Olympic Games that, for once, depicts the average and glorifies the ordinary. The possible contestants are endless, and you could be one of them.
Not only this, but hidden talents would finally show their faces in front of an international audience. Coaches and peers alike would bear witness to raw talent being displayed on every platform. Contracts would be signed and hands would be shaken when the average citizen is allowed to feel what it’s like to make their nation proud. It is nearly inconceivable to imagine trying out for the Olympic Games nowadays, let alone accepted as a stable career prospect. But what if the requirements were simply a brave heart, a strong will, and a slight lack of common sense? Consider this my official application to join the Olympic gymnastics team.
