| I am not a die-hard sports enthusiast, but confess | | | | accompany this sport! Imagine four |
| I enjoyed watching the winter Olympics held in | | | | Newfoundlanders winning the gold - talk about a |
| Turino Italy. It was nice to watch something | | | | party when they get home!There is the luge |
| positive and motivational for a change and to | | | | where, depending on the event, one or two |
| delight in some truly amazing and generous acts. I | | | | people lie on their backs on a sled going down a |
| find the wide variety of sports showcased | | | | tight twisty run ... feet first. You might think that |
| fascinating, proving there is a lot one can do in | | | | is scary enough until you see those in the |
| cold climates of winter!Consider the spectrum of | | | | skeleton event, maybe appropriately named. |
| sports. There are the many varieties of skiing. | | | | These athletes go down a steep ice track, on a |
| The downhill event has skiers reaching speeds of | | | | sled, that has no brakes, headfirst. Hmmm ... |
| 140 kilometers per hour (87 mph), you get | | | | where do they find people to do this?Then there |
| speeding tickets for going that fast in a car! | | | | is ice hockey. Grown men and women strap on |
| Imagine what it takes to be a ski jumper as you | | | | boots with blades on the bottom, use curved |
| attempt to imitate flight and defy gravity the | | | | sticks to shoot a hard rubber disk in the |
| longest once you are airborne. Picture the | | | | opponents net. This happens as they skate at up |
| freestyle skiers who twist and turn in the air so | | | | to 50 km per hour (30 mph) and shoot the puck |
| fast I don't know how the commentators can | | | | at over 150 km per hour (95 mph) while |
| describe their incredible aerial feats. The | | | | maneuvering around on ice. A shame both the |
| cross-country skiers have tremendous endurance, | | | | NHL laden U.S.A. and Canadian teams didn't even |
| and some stop to shoot rifles while trying to | | | | make it to the semi-finals. Perhaps too much |
| manage their beating hearts and gasping lungs.We | | | | talent, not enough "team".Over the 17-day period, |
| were witness to a newer Olympic event that | | | | 2,500 athletes from 85 nations competed for 84 |
| debuted in Nagano in 1998, snowboarding. I think | | | | medals in seven sports. We shared the pride of |
| the snowboarders had the most fun creating their | | | | those on the podium as they smiled or cried as |
| lexicon when they speak of a McTwist, Fakie, | | | | their national anthem played before the world. |
| Duckfoot, an Ollie or a Nollie! Didn't it just used to | | | | Two single acts at this twentieth Olympic Games |
| be Narly ... or was that suffer speak and I've just | | | | stand out in my mind and will for many years.I |
| dated myself?There are those flashy speed | | | | applaud gold medalist Joey Cheek, the USA speed |
| skaters in their skin-tight outfits who fly around | | | | skater for donating his $25,000 bonus to Right to |
| an oval ice surface at up to 60 km per hour (37 | | | | Play, an organization of former Olympic, |
| mph) battling G forces in the turns. The figure | | | | Paralympic and professional athletes worldwide |
| skaters entertained us with their dance routines | | | | who support using sport for development, health |
| and inspiring jumps. They also showed | | | | and peace. Good for you Joey, you are an |
| tremendous grit when Zhang Dan a Chinese pairs | | | | inspiration to many.Perhaps the defining moment |
| figure skater had a spectacular fall which made | | | | of the Games was when Sara Renner, a Canadian |
| anyone watching cringe. To our disbelief, this 20 | | | | broke her ski pole in a cross-country team sprint |
| year old got up, completed the routine, and won | | | | event. A Norwegian coach gave her a pole to |
| the silver medal. Awesome.We can't forget the | | | | finish the race. She and teammate Beckie Scott |
| curlers. A sport many find strange, but appreciate | | | | went on to win the silver medal. To me this |
| the accuracy involved in curling your rock down a | | | | unselfish act defines sportsmanship and is hard |
| 44 meter (49 yard) ice surface and trying to hit | | | | evidence the true Olympic spirit lives on. See you |
| a bulls eye with two sweepers helping control | | | | in Vancouver in 2010.Clayton Shold has 25 years |
| speed and direction of a heavy stone, while you | | | | of experience helping sales professionals increase |
| opponent is attempting to block you or knock | | | | their revenue and productivity. He can be reached |
| you on every throw. Lots of yelling and physics | | | | at claytonshold@cogeco. |