Image: espnfrontrow.com

What I’m going to write in this post, I must admit, has absolutely nothing to do with the prompt; rather it fits the prompt’s title to a tee.

You see, yesterday I was fortunate enough to attend the Special Olympics World Games being held in Los Angeles. I had known for a few weeks that Mom, my younger sister Kelley, and I were planning on going. I was just looking forward to it, but more for the aspect of getting out of the house. I didn’t expect to be moved as much I was.

The three of us attended the swimming competition, which is one of my favorite events. The first thing I noticed was the athletes came in all shapes and sizes. It’s a refreshing change from the regular Olympics. You didn’t have to be oozing muscle to compete. The athletes were normal people, not ones that spent their life in the gym.

I asked Mom if she thought they were happier to win or just for the experience. You seriously couldn’t tell! The person who came in last looked just as happy as the person who was in first. And the athletes who had finished actually stayed in the pool to cheer on their competition. More than once I could feel my nose getting stuffy and eyes getting wet.

Overall, it was just so refreshing to watch people compete for the pure love of the sport, not because they’re hoping for a million-dollar contract or a Nike endorsement deal. After yesterday I don’t care if I never see another professional sporting event again—it will never compare to the sportsmanship and joy I witnessed in that pool.