The Olympics held every four years is not just an event that measures who is strongest or who can run/ swim/ fastest or jump / throw farthest and shoot dead centre. The games are also about the triumph of the human spirit and about individual or team talent bringing glory to entire nations. Each time, the Olympics also tells us amazing stories of triumph over adversity, and about the underprivileged making a stellar show. This time is no different.
There will be a refugee contingent
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There is to be a 10 member refugee contingent at Rio. Yusra Mardini is a swimmer from Syria, Anjelina Nadai Lohalith is an athlete who fled South Sudan, Rose Nathike Lokonyen is another athlete from South Sudan, Yolande Bukasa Mabika is a judo exponent from Congo. Six men from Syria, South Sudan and Ethiopia are also a part of the Refugee contingent. These are the men and women who will represent the millions of displaced refugees from all over the world.
Indian shooter overcomes Bells Palsy to participate
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According to the website Rio2016.com Indian shooter Prakash Nanjappa overcame tremendous odds to be a part of the Indian contingent in Rio today. Three years ago, he was diagnosed with Bells Palsy, a condition that paralyzed one half of his face and doctors told him his career as a shooter was over. Not only did he recover, his past performances (including a bronze at the 2013 world cup event in Changwon, Republic of Korea and silver medal at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Game) make him an Olympics medal hopeful for India.
Michael Phelps bounces back after DUI Arrest and Rehab
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Easily one of the best known swimmers in the world with his incredible personal tally of 22 medals, Michael Phelps made headlines for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested for drunk driving in September 2014. At the time he had admitted that he no longer wanted to be alive and also did 45 days in rehab. He has not touched alcohol since his arrest and has turned his life around to rebound and participate in this; likely his last Olympics.
The Irish men’s hockey team qualifies after over 100 years
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The team consists of amateurs: accountants, lawyers, IT workers. The thing that sets them apart is that the men managed to qualify for the Olympics based on sheer grit and determination. This is also the first time that Ireland has managed to qualify since 1908!
Thousands of international volunteers
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There will be about 50,000 volunteers at Rio and about one fifth of those are from various different countries; 156 countries in all. This makes the Rio Games the most culturally diverse programme of its kind. These volunteers are people who just wanted to be a part of the games any way they could be and will be helping at check-in desks, bus stops, in luggage support, at medical stations and giving directions or assisting media queries.
Author – Reena Daruwalla
