Lyndsay Leatherman didn’t expect to get the letter. Nor did Damon Lurvey expect third place. Even Rachael Fleming would never have guessed she would be where she is at today. Each of these three students, although participating in completely different events, has one thing in common. An Olympic Dream.
We are amidst the 2014 Winter Olympics with many awards dangling in the air of the hopeful Olympians. One huge success was the recent gold victory of Meryl Davis and Charlie White winning the first ever gold for Ice Dancing doubles. At the age of 9, when the duo first came together being Olympic champions wasn’t even a goal. A lot like Leatherman, 12, in fact. Last December Leatherman received a letter inviting her to the Junior Olympics this summer. “I’m really excited. I’m going for Javelin. Only the best teens in the U.S. get the offer, then they have to try out and if you do good enough in the juniors, you have a chance at the real.” Before the surprise letter, Leatherman hadn’t even considered competing it.
Then there’s other long time, famous competitors such as Shaun White. He took up snowboarding at the age of six to follow his older brother and didn’t stop gaining momentum from then on, joining the USA Olympic team as soon as he hit requirement. This last weekend, Lurvey attended a Strongman Competition in Kenewick. “At the competition we lifted weird implements and heavy weights. I was really just competing for the experience,” says Lurvey. He never could have guessed he would be placing third overall.
A few years ago, Fleming would never have dreamed she’d be running for fun. Let alone preparing for the real deal 26.2 marathon. The big preparation is mainly following a training plan in my daily run and drinking a lot of water. “I am an aspiring marathon runner and I think that this might be the first step in the path of my Olympic dreams,” Fleming says smiling.
Each of these students had one other thing in common with one preacher, Ethelbert Talbot, in speaking of the Olympics; “The important thing in these Olympiads is not so much winning as taking part.”