Inspire - Day 26 of the 30 paintings in 30 Days

"Inspire" - 18" x 24" acrylic on paper - $295

I only watched a small portion of the Winter Olympics these past couple of weeks but Sunday night I watched the closing ceremony for the event and literally choked up with pride and admiration.  What an accomplishment these young athletes have achieved!

I can't begin to imagine the years they've trained to be where they are today.  All of the pain, sweat and tears simply for an event that is generally over with in minutes.   

Where do they go from here?  I'm sure some will move on to huge endorsements, fame and fortune.  Others will continue to train so they can compete again in another Olympics.  Most will go home a hero to their nation, family and friends.  And others may leave feeling huge guilt from defeat, not knowing their presence changed the lives of so many people watching from afar.

For me, each and every one of the participants are gold-medal heroes and have every reason to be proud, because getting where they did was a huge feat.  The years of training sacrifices have paid off and led them to the zenith of athletic events.

What true inspirations, each and every one of these amazing athletes, and I thank them all for sharing their journey with us.