*sighs*
Ahhh, the Olympics... such an addiction. I can't believe that it's already time for them, I remember in summer 2004 I thought it would be forever before another Olympics. And it's weird because the next time there are Olympics (summer 2008), I'll be done with college (undergrad, anyway). So weird that the time will apparently go that quickly.
I don't talk about her much, but it's true that ever since I was 10, maybe even 9 years old, one of my favorite people in the world has been Michelle Kwan.
I really really love her. And I know that lots of people do, that it's very mainstream to love her and perhaps even a bit cliched, but I think there's a lot of reasons why so many people do. I just love the way she presents herself, how she always manages to seem both driven and peaceful at the same time...she always seems friendly and optimistic, yet every once in a while someone tells a story about her breaking down or feeling lost or something. She's uplifted but human, emotional, and sentimental. Of course, I don't actually know her and have no way of knowing if the way she presents herself to the public is the way she really is, but there's just a sort of vibe that I get from her that I feel like I can both relate and aspire to.
So, it seems like her time with the Olympics has come to an end. I was someone who was happy that she got a chance to be put on the team- a part of me thought that it wasn't quite fair, but I was so tied to her that I was still happy for her. Even though she was going in with a lot of disadvantages this time around, I had a lingering hope/feeling that this was going to be her year. I woke up this morning at 8:30 and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I switched on the TV, and the first thing I saw was the breaking news that Michelle Kwan had stepped down from the team. I saw her speaking at the press conference and she was doing so calmly and with grace, even though you could see that she was hurting. Tonight I watched Olympic Ice on USA, and Bob Costas and Scott Hamilton were interviewing her, she was composed at the beginning and crying by the end, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't as well. I think the decision that she made was noble and the right thing- she was mature and fair enough to realize that she wasn't going to be able to perform at the necessary level for the Olympics, and she knew that there was someone out there who could, so she did the right thing. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for her, but she did it, and that will just be another reason for me to admire her. I also saw an interview with Emily Hughes, and she's so lively and happy and excited to be there, and I'm excited to see what she does- I hope that people will be able to see her for who she is and not just as someone who isn't Michelle Kwan.
Still, it's sad to see Michelle's Olympic days come to an end. I'll always look up to and respect her for all she's done over the years, for the incredible heart and spirit that she's had through it all. It's sad, but she's still around, and I'm happy that the world got to know her.
I don't talk about her much, but it's true that ever since I was 10, maybe even 9 years old, one of my favorite people in the world has been Michelle Kwan.
I really really love her. And I know that lots of people do, that it's very mainstream to love her and perhaps even a bit cliched, but I think there's a lot of reasons why so many people do. I just love the way she presents herself, how she always manages to seem both driven and peaceful at the same time...she always seems friendly and optimistic, yet every once in a while someone tells a story about her breaking down or feeling lost or something. She's uplifted but human, emotional, and sentimental. Of course, I don't actually know her and have no way of knowing if the way she presents herself to the public is the way she really is, but there's just a sort of vibe that I get from her that I feel like I can both relate and aspire to.
So, it seems like her time with the Olympics has come to an end. I was someone who was happy that she got a chance to be put on the team- a part of me thought that it wasn't quite fair, but I was so tied to her that I was still happy for her. Even though she was going in with a lot of disadvantages this time around, I had a lingering hope/feeling that this was going to be her year. I woke up this morning at 8:30 and couldn't fall back to sleep, so I switched on the TV, and the first thing I saw was the breaking news that Michelle Kwan had stepped down from the team. I saw her speaking at the press conference and she was doing so calmly and with grace, even though you could see that she was hurting. Tonight I watched Olympic Ice on USA, and Bob Costas and Scott Hamilton were interviewing her, she was composed at the beginning and crying by the end, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't as well. I think the decision that she made was noble and the right thing- she was mature and fair enough to realize that she wasn't going to be able to perform at the necessary level for the Olympics, and she knew that there was someone out there who could, so she did the right thing. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for her, but she did it, and that will just be another reason for me to admire her. I also saw an interview with Emily Hughes, and she's so lively and happy and excited to be there, and I'm excited to see what she does- I hope that people will be able to see her for who she is and not just as someone who isn't Michelle Kwan.
Still, it's sad to see Michelle's Olympic days come to an end. I'll always look up to and respect her for all she's done over the years, for the incredible heart and spirit that she's had through it all. It's sad, but she's still around, and I'm happy that the world got to know her.