Canada Owns the Podium

For the past two weeks I have cheered, laughed, and cried with Canada's Winter Olympic athletes. Watching Alexandre Bilodeau win Canada's first gold on Canadian soil was touching. Watching and appreciating four years of hard work to make a dream come true was inspirational. I must admit...I cried at practically all the medal ceremonies regardless of which country won medals. I loved watching the athlete interviews because it allowed me to share in their happiness. Something that all athletes thanked was the "Own the Podium" program. While some argue that "Own the Podium" was only put in place because the 2010 Olympics was on Canadian soil, but I think (or hope) that it is a step in the right direction.

When people think of Canada they think of igloos, beavers, lumberjacks, or peace keeping missions (as reinforced in the Closing Ceremonies, which, by the way, I though was hilarious). Canada has never really been at the top of the game in terms of sports. I know that it's stereotypical, but it's true. Just compare the amount of time and effort put into American high school sports programs, and Canadian high school sports programs. I thought it was surprising that Canada invested money into their athletes. To be honest, I'm not 100% sure how much money other countries invests in their athletes, but I get the impression that the amount of money that Canada has spent in the last decade or so does not compare to the large sum of money other countries continually invest in their athletes.

The reason why I am so excited, and happy about the excellent performance of Canada's athletes, regardless of what number they placed or how well/poorly they performed (because really, if you're good enough to make it to the Olympics, that's an accomplishment in itself), because of the amazing accomplishments made by Canada's Olympic athletes. My hope is that the record-breaking performances of our athletes will raise awareness for the excellent things that funding can do for Canadians regarding physical activity. It looks as if the "Own the Podium" program will continue on at least until the 2012 Summer Olympic games in London, England, but I hope that this program light the way towards more emphasis (and therefore more funding) being put into physical activity.