Have you seen this video of US gymnast Aly Raisman’s mom and dad as they watch their child prodigy complete her uneven bars routine at the Olympic Games?
NBC showed Ricky and Lynn Raisman debut their own choreographed routine in the bleachers last night during its primetime coverage.
If medals were given out for the most amusing ways parents of Olympians dealt with nervous energy, Ma and Pa Raisman would have taken home the gold last night.
London is nearly a half world away from my living room, yet I could feel their stress as I sat glued to my TV screen.
Sure, I am a parent of a young daughter, who happens to love cartwheeling through our living and dining rooms, but I don’t think you have to be a mom or dad to relate to the anxiety the Raismans felt last night.
Just ask the millions of folks who’ve clicked on the YouTube link and snickered as they’ve watched Ricky and Lynn bob, weave, squirm, wince, and roll their torsos in near perfect unison while their daughter competed on the world stage.
The Raismans looked like synchronized swimmers (minus the water) in their bleacher seats. The only break I witnessed was when Rick shot out of his seat and pumped his fist in the air when Aly stuck her dismount.
I can barely stand to watch my daughter sing during her school’s children’s Mass—-and that’s with 20 other kids standing next to her—-so imagining what it is like watching your child compete at the Olympics after years of blood, sweat, tears and incredible sacrifice is unfathomable to me.
Other parents of Olympians admitted to NBC’s Bob Costas that they can only watch their kids perform through tiny slits in the fingers they place over their eyes, while still others say they get so nervous they stand outside the venue until their child has completed his or her event.
Clearly, parents deal with the stress of watching their children reach for their dreams in a variety of ways. Sadly, some people, who viewed the Raisman’s public display of jitters, felt the need to poke fun at them. A few went so far as to call the dedicated parents “crazy,” “eccentric” and “over the top.”
Their daughter is competing in the Olympics for crying out loud. Do the stakes get any higher for an athlete?
I’m all for the Raismans working through their anxiety with their patented harmonized and hilarious moves. In fact, I can’t wait for Aly to make a run for individual all-around gold.
How would you react if your child were competing for Olympic hardware?
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