The Amazing Joannie Rochette

last night was the Olympic anniversary.  it is hard to imagine that just one short year ago my but was planted on our pink leather couch watching TV for 17 days.  i knew who i wanted to see, and saw some new faces that i fell in love with.  last night the anniversary made me miss the Olympics.  those 17 days were inspiring, and made me proud to be an Canadian.  last night i saw some new faces that i just had to do some research on.  it turns out i am inspired, and just have to write about it.  i am sure you get by now that i am inspired by many, many athletes.  pretty much only athletes.  that's because i am an athlete.  i understand a bit of what they go through, and how they feel.  i am  not as hard core as them, but still understand what it takes to be an athlete.  i understand the commitment and dedication.  these Olympic athletes inspire me because of how strong headed they are.  nothing could tear them apart.  especially who i am about to tell you about...

you might know the name Joannie Rochette.  what an amazing girl.  her story is incredible.  she is a figure skater, and pretty good at it to.  two days before she was supposed to compete, she got word that her mom passed away of a heart attack.  her life was over, and she was at the Olympics.  the Olympics.  the Games that she has trained for four years for.  yeah those ones.  the amazing part is that she did skate.  after she announced that she was going to skate, that was all she said to the press.  from then on her life was private.  she didn't go around the press or anything.  could you imagine people asking you all these questions about your mom and what happened?  she needed to stay focused. focused on her performance and winning, of course.  she had enough distractions already.  Joannie did skate, and came in 3rd  in honor of her mom.  how amazing is that.  she explained that her mom taught her to be strong and brave in these situations.  i believe she was nothing but.  she was brave, strong, and determined.  she came to the Olympics to skate, and that's what she was going to do.  she came to win and she did - for her mom.  amazing, strong headed girl.  another of my favorite athletes, Jon Montgomery described Joannie as having shown "so much heart and determination at the 2010 Winter Games".  She was chosen as the flag bearer at the closing ceremonies and was voted female athlete of the year by the Canadian Press.  Well deserved I’d say!
That is what the Olympics are all about.
Another woman Olympic athlete to fall in love with.  to be inspired by...

~amy