Comment: Going for the gold

I don’t know Jordyn Wieber.

And yet, I can’t help but feel for her after seeing her individual Olympic dreams dashed well before they had even begun.

I’ve never met Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. And yet, I find myself on the edge of my seat every time they dive into the pool at the London Aquatics Centre.

Three months ago, the names Missy Franklin, Gabby Douglas and Ashton Eaton were merely that — just names. And yet, they’ve quickly become some of this summer’s most recognizable faces.

The 2012 Summer Olympics opened with a flourish July 27, uniting me with 529 new teammates and marking the start of my very first London adventure.

I couldn’t help but swell with pride as my new teammates and I gathered together in Olympic Stadium before dispersing for our various venues. The competition was about to begin.

Sure, it was shortly after the Magnificent Seven won gold in Atlanta that I attempted my final back tuck. Yes, it was a decade ago that I ran my final 200-meter dash. But no matter how long it’s been since my last cheerleading competition or track meet, the thrill of competition always remains.

Even though the closest I’ve come to London this summer is through my couch’s high definition vantage point, it’s as if I’ve been competing alongside them all along. Just ask my husband and son who have had the pleasure of putting up with my Olympic obsession.

Of course, I’ve never actually met any of my new teammates face to face. In fact the only Olympian I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know is Sarasota native Lacy Janson, who will begin competing in the women’s pole vault qualifier Aug. 4.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t know their backgrounds, their families and their crowning list of achievements.
There’s something to be said for pride. And this summer, the athletes of the XXX Olympiad, along with their families, friends and communities across the nation, are bursting with it.

Whether it’s pride for your school, your country or pride for an individual, you can’t help but be drawn to these athletes who have landed on sport’s biggest stage.

Now all I need is for Janson to bring a medal back home to Sarasota and my London adventure will be complete.