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