ANNA MONICA / L’Observateur / September 20, 2000

There may be something wrong with me. When the Emmy awards, orwhatever they are, were recently awarded on TV I didn’t watch nor had I seen any of those programs. I don’t watch the Academy Awards, either, becauseusually I haven’t seen any of those movies or know who the stars are.

Besides, on Oscar night I don’t have any use for those women with dresses open down to their belly buttons and some of the big stars who play big parts on screen but can do little but giggle or blubber at the microphone on stage.

Oh well.

If you watched TV at all this past week you know the Olympics are on. Now,that’s my kind of show, and any year it comes on I feel privileged to still be here to see it. Most forms of art and entertainment are good, depending onyour pleasure, but for me athletics is my favorite form of entertainment – to watch or to feebly attempt doing.

Opening night of the Olympics was absolutely inspiring, especially the parade of nations when the athletes come in representing their countries. The lookon the faces of these young people and their coaches tell of their feelings of pride, accomplishment and nationalism. For all of them, getting where theywere at that moment was the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, competition and triumph over frustration and sometimes, physical ailments.

The athletes have my admiration and attention for the next two weeks, and when they are on that podium receiving a medal and their national anthem plays, what a moment! Anyone who has even just taken a walk knows that any form of physical challenge takes an act of will. Movement is one thing, but overcomingobstacles as well is another. This year’s Olympics has a deaf swimmer, anasthmatic swimmer, athletes who are older or recovering from accident injuries, a cyclist who has overcome cancer, some grieving the recent deaths of loved ones and other determined, physically challenged athletes.

Today’s victor can face physical defeat tomorrow, though, as we saw a 1956 champion female runner, an Australian favorite, who had the privilege of being one of about five women bringing in the Olympic torch on opening night.

Only, on this night, she carried it not on her feet but in a wheelchair because she has multiple sclerosis. Fame may be fleeting, but memories of trainingand accomplishments are never forgotten.

My sister, Maria, always says, “I hate the agony of defeat.” So do I, but Ibelieve anyone who tries wins.

Most of us are not world-class athletes, but we can still relate to them, no matter how much better they are. At our own level we work on physicalfitness in our own way, and even if some are weekend recreational athletes only it is still takes work and dedication. Plus, we have our disappointments,too. For instance, a number of us locals play USTA (United States TennisAssociation) tennis. One of the members of the team I play on, Martha Leachof LaPlace, was really enthusiastic and wanted to play as much tennis as possible. That was cut short when she suffered a shoulder injury last week.Another team member, Linda Montegut, had an injury that will detain her for several weeks. That’s a real disappointment for them and for the entireteam.

A bunch of us were out there this past weekend playing in a tennis tournament at Belle Terre. Most of us didn’t win, but in a way we did becausewe were out there where a whole lot of people couldn’t be. We will do it again,and in between tennis, some of us will be walking, running, cycling, doing aerobics or lifting weights. So, we don’t hear the cheer of the crowd or makebig bucks, but we, even if the most amateurish of the amateurs, have the will and the heart. Being able to do anything athletic is a payoff for us.I am a regular contributor to the Olympics and will be “bug-eyed” at the end of these two weeks, just as I was during the U.S. Tennis Open.OK – so it’s my thing. Meanwhile, you enjoy whatever it is you enjoy.

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