I love watching the Olympics, especially the Summer Games.  I enjoy sports that I don’t follow at other times, but I especially cherish the stories of human determination and triumph.  There were so many special moments these past couple of weeks at the London Games; at the risk of overlooking others and to in no way diminish them,  here are a few of my personal favorites:

Michael Phelps (swimming).   No, he wasn’t “done” yet!  22 medals and 18 gold, really?!

Usain Bolt (sprinter).  He wasn’t done either.  He should change his first name to Lightning!

Aly Raisman (gymnast). Her gold medal performance in the floor exercise left me speechless.

Charlotte Dujardin (equestrian).  Her gold medal ride in the individual dressage was sheer Magic on Horseback!

David Boudia  (10m platform diving).  He steadily stole the show when least expected.

Gabby Douglas (gymnastics).  She was truly a 4 foot 11 inch “flying squirrel” and the heart of the   “Fab 5” American women’s team!

and the list goes on….

What each of these remarkable athletes exemplifies is ability to Finish Strong. In fact, they seemed to become stronger and stronger the deeper they went into the competition.  In some cases, others faded down the stretch, but not them.

Thousands of hours in practice and preparation brought them to the Olympic stage and they made the most of that opportunity.  In each case, however, that moment began with a decision long before to start something and to stick with it.  Their example illustrates dramatically that:

• Nothing happens without a decision to start.
• The point of starting is to finish.
• The discipline to plan, practice and persevere (often when no one else is watching) determines the potential outcome.
• The point of finishing is to Finish Strong!

We can all take these lessons from the World of Sport and apply them to the Game of Life.  Enjoy the Journey and Finish Strong!