Being an Olympic athlete is often the pinnacle of many of these people’s lives. But what happens if the world expects an individual one to dominate a particular Summer or Winter games… and they don’t? What if they come home with more silvers than gold… or none at all? Shawn Johnson, a female gymnast got a taste of that when she competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It all started when she got a hug after winning a silver medal.
It was meant as a kind gesture, but those can often be the worst. What would have happened to Johnson if the person presenting her with a silver medal hadn’t hugged her and said “I’m sorry.” Sorry? Sorry for what? Johnson was the second-best in the WORLD at this sport and she got an apology? That’s where the winner culture can REALLY mess with people’s minds. She wrestled with it for a long time before she got a message from God: Let go.
The Buffalo Bills can commiserate. They made four straight Super Bowls. They won none. Does anybody remember that they made it there? That they spent season after season grinding out games, with players running into each other at high speeds? That one or more of them have already shown signs of dementia? No, they are just thought of as losers. The sports world is a harsh one. Johnson already knows that well… but she doesn’t care anymore. She has a higher calling.
Johnson got married in 2016 to Andrew East. She looked so happy and serene in the video of her wedding. I’m glad that she was able to push all those negative thoughts and letting other people dictate what she felt. We live in a world where technology enables us to immediately post what we think about a certain celebrity, athlete or politician. That it might actually hurt them doesn’t seem to enter our minds. Johnson is now listening to something better.
Wasn’t this an incredibly soul-baring video? What did you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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