Two Olympians Stories
Everything is full of the Olympics right now. It’s on the news. It’s on TV. It’s on-line. It’s the topic of conversation in the line at the grocery store. We talk about who the favorite might be and which countries have the most gold. But, the thing that fascinates me the most is where these athletes come from. They each have a life, a story, of what made them who they are. Two that I read about today are Michael Phelps and Hope Solo.
Hope Solo plays for the US Women’s Soccer Team, favored to win the gold. She’s had her ups and downs in her career but that’s nothing compared to her childhood. Her relationship with her father, a con artist who served time in prison and lived on the streets, was tumultuous at best. Soccer lifted her out of turmoil as a child and her drive and determination brought her to the Olympics.
Michael Phelps (who hasn’t heard that name) had a difficult time in middle school–as so many do. He looked different and had trouble focusing due to ADHD. Some of his classmates used this to tease and bully him to the point that he lashed out and wound up being suspended. He threw himself into swimming which helped him focus and gave him a confidence in himself that help him to rise above the bullying.
Check out these articles about these two Olympians:
