The World According to Tim: The Thrill of Victory and the Joy of Effort Are Always Possible… The Agony of Defeat Is Never Inevitable!

Photo Above: Kinzang Lhamo of Bhutan was the last place finisher in the 2024 Women’s Olympic Marathon and she got a standing ovation!

During the recent 2024 Paris Olympics, Mike Tirico - NBC Sports commentator, made reference to the famed introduction to the Wide World of Sports (1961-1998) narrated by Jim McKay:

“Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport... the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat... the human drama of athletic competition... This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!”

“The thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat.” It is a theme that tends to constantly play out, again and again - not only in the Olympics and sport but in all competitive environments and in life! Who of us, athlete or not, has NOT experienced both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat?

We often assume that when there is a victorious winner there must be a defeated loser. But, as the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close, that myth was demonstrably debunked.

The women’s Olympic Marathon was the final competitive event of the 2024 Olympic Games. It was, I would say, the perfect finish! I’m not referring to the excitement as Sifan Hassan and Tigst Assefa approached the finish line shoulder to shoulder. Nor to Hassan’s last-minute surge to pull away from Assefa to be the first female marathoner to cross the finish line in Olympic-record time and earn the gold medal.

The best of the Olympic Spirit was yet to come, nearly ninety minutes later. Most of the competing marathoners had long left the finish area as Kinzang Lhamo, a Bhutan athlete who qualified as a universality entrant (designed to allow athletes from underrepresented countries to participate) approached the finish line. She would be the last place woman marathoner and the final Olympic athlete to participate in these games. Fittingly, she received a standing ovation as she crossed the line!

Announcer: “She has taken nearly four hours for this marathon, but she is getting every bit the respect of those who contested gold, silver, and bronze!”

Yes, there was an Olympic athlete at the center of this story who deserved the recognition that every Olympic athlete deserves. But this story is just as much about the whole of humanity! The mass of spectators who recognized the effort put forth by Lhamo and acknowledged her accomplishment is equally deserving of the very applause and standing ovation that they were giving Lhamo!

Announcer: “This is extraordinary! This is a great moment of life sport!”

I urge you to take the time to truly appreciate this incredible moment in sport and in life! Just click on the button below and at least view the final 3:00 (starting at about 3:30)! It truly is an extraordinary moment in sport and in life!!!

CLICK HERE to view YouTube video!

The Olympic theme is “Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together” (or the Latin “Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter”). But, as Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics stated, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win, but to take part.” And, as the International Olympic Committee’s website points out, “Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort.”

The thrill of victory” is not limited just to those who become the fastest, highest, strongest or to those who stand on the podium to receive medals of gold, silver, or bronze. Victory is available to all who “take part” and all who experience “the joy found in effort.” Lhamo along with the crowd that cheered her across the finish is one of the most powerful examples that that I have ever seen in my life that victory is always possible and defeat is never inevitable.

This is the excitement and the joy that I hope area cancer patients/survivors experience through their involvement in SCCCF’s Survive, Thrive & Be Fit activities! If you are looking for ways to experience “the thrill of victory” or “the joy of effort” without fear of “the agony of defeat”… COME JOIN US!

CONSIDER THESE CURRENT/UPCOMING ST&BF OPPORTUNITIES:

ST&BF Yard Game Olympics at the 3rd Annual WANDER-thon – Join us later this month at the 3rd Annual WANDER-thon fundraising event for SCCCF and participate in a variety of activities, including the ST&BF Yard Game Olympics with four individual events (Axe Throw, Cornhole, Disc Golf Putting, Golf– Closest to the Pin) and two team events (Bocce Ball, Rollorz). Other Activities (“Wander the Wonderful Gardens”, “Gentle Yoga for Cancer Survivors”, Qigong for Cancer Survivors”, “Steps to Survivorship”) will also be offered!

Survive Thrive & Be Fit - Steps to Survivorship (September Marathon Challenge & “We Walk (or Jog) on Wednesdays”): Let’s commemorate Lhamo’s “great moment in life sport”! Although relatively few can complete a marathon distance (26.2 miles) in under four hours, what about completing one in 780 hours (by spreading that distance out over 30 days in September)? That’s less than a mile a day! More details below! Plus, meet us on the Shoreline 400 Trail every Monday for group walk/jog starts!

ST&BF Active Survivors of Sheboygan (A.S.S.) & CUMULATIVE Events – Commit to “take part” and “make the effort” each and every month throughout the year... and you’ll earn something far more valuable than a gold medal – a healthier body, the joy of participation, and the satisfaction that comes from doing your best!

ST&BF “Indoor Row Group” – Several members of the ST&BF Indoor Row Group expressed that they were inspired by the Olympic rowers. Watch for details about the ST&BF’s Indoor Row Group TENTH SEASON (starting November1st) as we train for our 10th Annual Lake Michigan Crossing (March, 2025)! CLICK HERE for an article titled, “Inspired by Olympic Rowing? Here Are 4 Benefits of Rowing Machines That Go Beyond a Strong Upper Body.”

“The Thrill of Victory… and the Agony of Defeat”

For those of you who remember the infamous Wide World of Sports Introduction (including ski jumper Vinko Bogataj’s harrowing crash), here’s an interesting story you may want to read (click the link below):

https://www.sportscasting.com/news/the-agony-of-defeat-vinko-bogataj-wiped-out-50-years-ago/