On the Olympics
Disability and Determination is a weekly newsletter about my experience living with a rare disability…with a little bit of meditation, pop culture, and other random things thrown in. If you like this post, give me a like with the ❤️ symbol below. This will help me get discovered by others on Substack. Drop your email in the field at the bottom and click the Subscribe button to be notified of future posts, or if you want to contribute, I offer a paid subscription option (that includes extra monthly content), or you can Buy Me a Coffee ☕
The 2024 Summer Games in The City of Lights are fast approaching. I always thought it was kind of weird that I was such a big fan of the Olympics being that I’m disabled and could never even attempt to do a single event that’s included in the Olympic Games. It definitely can be said that the holding of physical prowess in such high regard contributes to the overall ableism that still runs so rampant in our society.
But concurrently, only a very small percentage of the population will ever actually make it to the Olympics. It takes immense physical strength and stamina that even most non-disabled people don’t have. So there are plenty of people watching the games and enjoying them, knowing full well they’d never be able to do any of those things they’re doing on TV.
It’s definitely hard when you rarely see yourself reflected back in things, but I also think it’s ok to enjoy something, even if you can’t directly relate to it, or might never be able to do it yourself. I love the Property Brothers, but I will for sure never be redoing a house. I think you can find the humanity in just about anything too, and there’s so much of that with the Olympics—from the athletes’ stories to the challenges they’ve had to overcome. It’s one of those things that gives me a feeling similar to being at a concert—that unifying feeling that people are all together, enjoying the same thing. And in the case of the Olympics, people literally all over the world are also taking part in watching them.
I love the actual events (gymnastics? Come on!)…but my particular favorite part of the Olympics is actually the Opening Ceremonies. They move me to tears almost every time. I just heard this week that Celine Dion is supposed to be performing at them this year too. If you have Amazon Prime and haven’t watched her documentary I Am yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a heartbreaking and extremely eye opening look at her struggle with Stiff Person Syndrome.
After that, I’m all about the gymnastics and the swimming. Another documentary recommendation: Simon Biles Rising on Netflix. She is such a badass in so many ways. I might actually catch some football (soccer) this year though since Welcome to Wrexham has converted me to a fan.
I usually haven’t been where the Olympics take place either, but I’ve actually been to Paris twice, so it’ll be cool to see a location I somewhat recognize.
Will you be tuning in to the 2024 Summer Games? If so, what events are you looking forward to watching? Any favorite athletes you’ll be cheering on?
What Made Me Happy This Week 🌞💞
Finding this book in the New Releases section at the library. A book about the female version of The Beatles (that were probably just as good and got way less credit for it)? Yes, please! Shout out to the youth that work at my local library and still wear masks too. You give me hope in the future.
The Other Fab Four: The Remarkable True Story of the Liverbirds, Britain’s First Female Rock Band by Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders. When you’re listening to your music on your phone and a song comes up from a band you love that you haven’t listened to in a long time, and it also fits your mood perfectly. I’ve seen 311 twice in concert, but was supposed to have seen them 4 times. That’s a story for another time though. This was that song this week:
The Olympics allow us to dream, even in contexts we'll never be able to experience. 99.9% of the world is unathletic or haven't played sports, and yet, when we watch these events, we dream of being on the podium. Same goes with being a singer or an actor or something else.
I love the sprints - 100m, 200m, etc.
I am wondering why you didn't mention the Paralympics at all. They will happen right after the regular Olympics are over—the regular Olympics moves out and the Paralympics starts a day or two later. The coverage of the Paralympics has gotten better and better over the last ten years or so.