For all my fellow athletes out there, I’m sure I can speak for most of us when I say we have all dreamed of wearing that red white and blue in the Olympics, whether it was a realistic dream or not. So for me, amateur athlete that I am, there is nothing as goose-bumpy, anxiety-causing, pride-filling, and exciting as the Olympics. It is a chance for the athletes to represent so much more than themselves. A chance to wear their national colors, and compete for the honor and glory of our country. I can’t imagine how special it would be to walk through the Olympic Village past so many legendary athletes, or to process in during Opening Ceremonies.

Every Olympics, my dad always laughs at me because regardless of the event, whenever I see an American competing, I scream at the TV, treating his or her victory as if it is my own. Yesterday I was watching the semifinals of archery, where the US men won their semi handily, and they hit every bullseye, I would only get more pumped up (you can imagine how intense the finals got…). Sometimes I even watch events that don’t have any Americans in them just because I like the sport. Trust me when I say my enthusiasm for the Olympics can get overwhelming sometimes, I get very competitive when it comes to sports.

My point in embarrassing myself like this is by saying that the Olympics are not only a life-long, dream-come-true for the athletes representing the United States, they are a means by which all of us amateurs can vicariously live through those competing in Rio. Every time the National Anthem is played as someone stands up on the medal podium, tears well up in my eyes, too. Every interview the athletes give, I chuckle along as if I know him or her. The Olympics are so much more than just the biggest and most desired stage of competition. They are unifying. We, as Americans can come together to root for our country. The greatest country in the world. We can unite to witness some of the most intense and exciting competition, we can win those gold medals with our athletes, we can wear that red, white, and blue.

So for those of you out there who don’t care, or don’t like sports, or don’t make a point to watch the Olympics, stop what you’re doing, go straight to your TV and record the next event. Right now. You don’t have to know anything about any sport to support those who are representing us (I still don’t know all the rules of air rifle shooting, or how "trampoline" is a sport, but you better believe I will be watching copious amounts of both). I can promise you one thing, as soon as you watch your first event, you’ll be hooked.