The Olympics are a powerful thing. Extremely talented individuals from all walks of life and all countries of the globe come together for a chance to prove their strength and win the coveted gold medal. While the Olympics are happening, they are all anyone talks about. Countries unite in pride as their champions stand on the podium, the speakers blaring the national anthem. When your country wins a medal, everyone is filled with pride. For a brief time during the Olympics, we are united. But why is it only during the Olympics that this occurs?
One week ago, my newsfeed was filled with terror reports, articles analyzing race relations, and political propaganda. Though none of these have necessarily stopped, now the majority of articles I see are about Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, and Katie Ledecky. Everyone knows which celebrity Biles has a major crush on. I've also seen news about athletes from other nations, like a BuzzFeed article about two gymnasts taking a selfie together. The two female gymnasts featured are from North and South Korea.
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The article centered on the ability of the Olympics to bring people together. But it isn't only athletes that the Olympics are bringing together. ABC News shared that two chefs working to feed the athletes during the Olympics have started an effort to feed the poor in Rio. Instead of discarding surplus food, the chefs began an initiative to serve it to the hungry people of the nation hosting the games. The idea caught on, and the movement grew quickly. Even after the games are over, sponsors have pledged donations to this cause and the City of Rio has donated the building they have been using thus far to the group for the next ten years.
The last paragraph of the article however, strikes a very different tone from the rest of the article. The article concludes by adding in, almost like a post script, "Many Brazilians protested for improvements in education and health care, the AP reported, rather than high spending on mega-sporting events."
Imagine that. There are people in Rio that were not as excited about the Olympics as we are! It's crazy right? I mean, yes they may be starving or sick, but at least they have the Olympics nearby!
Many of the athletes from other nations are staying in accommodations in the city of Rio De Janeiro for the duration of the games. The USA's men's and women's basketball teams are an exception. Instead of mingling with the rest of the athletes and people of Rio, they have spared no expense and are staying on a luxury cruise ship, docked just outside the city. USA Today gave an exclusive look inside the ship, which also includes "a pool deck, panoramic lounge areas, fitness center, and luxurious guest sites."
I would imagine that very few Olympic athletes from the US are concerning themselves with what is happening to the excess food after they are served at the Olympics. It is incredible that while we are so united, so many are still overlooked.
The Olympics have brought awareness to just some of these inequalities. But as soon as the games are over, these issues will sink back into obscurity. When the closing ceremony is finished, we will no longer be a global community. We will forget that we were competitors but also friends, and we won't remember how united we all can be until the next games.
During the Olympics, we are all united. We all manage to be proud of our country while recognizing and respecting other nations. Imagine if we thought like this even when the games were over. Imagine how much better the world would be. Now go out, and be the change.
