By Shelley Bennett
Watching the Olympics has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. Since Nadia Comaneci won a gold medal in 1976 with my mom, brother, and grandma gathered around the TV, I was hooked.
I briefly entertained the idea of becoming an Olympic ice skater, but the first winter on actual ice skates quickly changed my mind. It was cold! And my ankles hurt! So, I became content with being an ardent spectator.
Every four years brought new names and interests. Mark Spitz, US Men’s Hockey, Dorothy Hamill, Eric Heiden, and Brian Boitano. Nancy Kerrigan, Mary Lou Retton, Scott Hamilton, Apolo Ohno, and the Dream Team of ’92.
And it wasn’t just the U.S. athletes. Remember Eddie the Eagle? The Jamaican Bob Sled team? Elvis Stojko, the Canadian ice skater? The famous British ice dancers Torville and Dean?
I was drawn into the behind-the-scenes stories of the athletes, Olympic Villages, and Opening Ceremonies. I couldn’t wait to see the official uniforms. The theme music brought goosebumps to my arms. I loved “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”
It was no surprise to pick up my 3-month-old son after school one day and find him propped up in his bouncy seat watching the summer games of 2000 with “Poppa” Larry. The obsession started all over again with Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson, Usain Bolt, and of course Shawn White.
Shawn White was just nineteen back in 2006 when our family first noticed him. With his wild mane of red hair and big smile, we couldn’t help but love him and become fans like the rest of the world. Both Landon and Jake were entranced and learned the lingo of snowboarding.
Every three to four years, we looked forward to seeing new tricks and interviews with the Flying Tomato. The boys would be glued to the TV watching each run and celebrating during the medal ceremony.
Last week was Shaun White’s last chance at an Olympic medal. Both boys messaged me about the bittersweet feeling of watching his last run. Later, I caught the rerun and saw several pics of an emotional Shawn White giving his thanks to snowboarding. I don’t even know who won the gold, just that it was the end of an era.
Shawn thanked the sport that he has received so much from, but I would like to thank Shawn White for giving my family something to talk about. Someone to cheer for, to admire, to learn from.
Remember when news was ‘newsy’? When you read about weddings, family events and engagement announcements in the newspaper? If you have something that might be newsworthy, please submit it to [email protected] and I’ll do my best to include it here in “The Good Stuff.”
