Cropped transparent version of Image:Olympic flag.svg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we move into the home stretch at the Olympics I have to make an admission. I’m addicted to the stories that come of the games more than I am the games themselves. I love the stories of the underdogs beating the odds. I love the pictures and video of people whose sacrifice and effort is written across their face as the medal is put around their neck. I love to hear about the families who put everything on the line for the chance of fulfilling a dream.

You can site there and tell me you don’t care about that part, but I’m will to bet you watch them too. It’s not hard to get a bit wrapped in stories like Kayla Harrison, Oscar Pistorius, and Gabby Douglas. They are the stories of overcoming the odds, making sacrifices that most of us cannot and finding support from people who sometimes believe in the athletes before the athletes are able to believe in themselves. They are the stories of the triumph of the human spirit. They are the stories that games should be about.

I appreciate the records being broken, and I will openly admit to keep an eye on the medal count. But at the end of the day it’s the stories I’m tuning in for.

Congratulations to all the athletes who participated in the London Games. No matter where you finished you are a champion.

Related articles

• Kayla Harrison Overcomes History of Sexual Abuse, Wins Gold (thehollywoodgossip.com)
• Oscar Pistorius: Inspirational Track and Field Star Advances in 400-Meter Dash (bleacherreport.com)
• The best stories of the Olympics (examiner.com)
• Olympics on TV Feed Gold-Medal Need for Storytelling (http://www.jsonline.com)