Tag Archives: winter olympics

Did the Olympics Inspire You?

While the Olympic games may be behind us now (at least until the Summer Games in 2012), the Olympic spirit may stick with you long after the Closing Ceremonies. And you don’t have to be an Olympic-level athlete to let the Games inspire you to better health! Olympic Inspiration Number One: introduction to new sports. It seems like they add new sports to the Games each year — one I’d never seen or heard of before this year was ski cross. But it sure looked like fun: four athletes side-by-side on a course that includes turns, jumps, and fast-paced passes. … Continue reading →

The Disneyfication of the Olympics

Thousands of people around the world cram into their local roads, to contribute to the joyous roar of the crowd as a runner pounds past, bearing a flickering flame above their heads. Athletes become celebrities, grinning at the world first from a podium amidst a colorful snowstorm of confetti, then from orange cereal boxes under the fluorescent glow of the grocery store. Today the Olympics are synonymous with fanfare. I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty tonight at the opening ceremony in Vancouver. What few people know is that before the 1960 Winter Olympics, and Walt Disney’s involvement in them, the … Continue reading →