Going for Gold

Apparently I’m very ethnocentric. I didn’t really realize this about myself until I started watching this year’s Olympics, but I quickly learned that if it’s not someone from the United States skiing, skating, luging, or hockeying, I can’t really be bothered to care.

Or so I thought.

I was killing time last night, just waiting for it to be time for bed after a really crummy day at work, when I happened to catch the tail end of the men’s freestyle skiing moguls (I have no idea what that means, but it looks like hell on your knees) where I watched defending gold medalist, Canadian Alex Bilodeau complete his run. I’m told he did well. I couldn’t really tell. Unless the skier falls, every run looks exactly the same to me. What alerted me to the fact that Alex’s performance was especially good was the fact that commentator Johnny Moseley (remember him?!) got very excited.

But Johnny wasn’t the only thrilled spectator. As Alex crossed the finish line, the cameras cut to his brother Frederic and my Grinch-like heart grew almost as quickly as my jean size has recently.  

Brotherly Love

Frederic Bilodeau is a precious, precious man. And, according to his brother, he has the heart of a skier. Unfortunately, his body is afflicted with cerebral palsy, which makes skiing a bit difficult. In fact, according to his doctors, he shouldn’t even be walking. But he has the spirit of a fighter; and the joy on his face as he watched his brother compete was enough to bring a tear to my eye…or maybe that was the vodka.

Regardless, watching Frederic cheer on his little brother and then seeing the embrace the two shared afterwards, well, it was enough to thaw even the Grinchiest heart among us. It was so beautiful, in fact, that it almost made me forgive Canada for Justin Bieber.

Almost.