Beginning of Greatness

BOG: Beijing Olympic Games / Beginning of Greatness

It is hard to understand how something so remote as an international sports event could leave such a deep impact in the hearts of many around the world, particularly a Malaysian girl living and working in Singapore for the past 10 years.

From day 1 of the Games, she had her heart lost to the swimming event, barely missing a swimming event which ran for 10 consecutive days. For 10 days she could hardly concentrate on more pressing issues like work and school, with water and flying men and women filling her heart, mind and soul. When she closed her eyes she saw Michael Phelps, Kosuke Kitajima, Darra Tores and Libby Trickett. When she swims in the pool, she sees not her body limited by amateurism, but an expounded spirit able to contain international feats as her new-found water-agile heroes and heroines.

When the swimming events gave way to other sporting events, she found a replacement in water-related sports like the diving events. She found humility and outstanding consistency in a young Chinese diver, He Chong. He was sent to sports school by his construction worker father, simply because it was cheaper than a normal academic school. At fourteen he started diving internationally, but was soon sidelined from the national team due to poor performance. He worked hard in proving himself and within a short time, made his way back into the national team. At 21 this year, he did China and his dad proud by diving his way to gold.

What has the Games done to her? It has made it impossible for her to return to a mediocre life – to go back to what she used to do before the Games. To go back to History Channel, National Geographic or Discovery Travel and Living. To go back to a life of non-tv until the Games hit her world these past 2 weeks.

She is left lost not without a reason. She is left lost that she may find her way to unprecedented passion. A passion for the unachievable, made possible by the human will of perseverance and the tenacity of discipline. Sounds like hard work? It sure is. The road up is never easy.