Are you an Olympic junkie? The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are promising to be a 16-day adrenaline rush.
Holding Our Breath
The Olympics are an edge-of-your-seat, hold-your-breath binge of agony and ecstasy. Do you adopt the Canadian athletes into your family? We do. From the opening to the closing ceremonies we’ll talk about them using their first name and some by their nickname, just like they are our kids.
We think about their families who supported and sacrificed for them in their Olympic quest. COVID prevented parents from attending in person but they find a way through technology to feel like they are there except for the hugs.
By the time we tuned in Saturday morning, Canada already had a medal in the Women’s 3000M. Tears and cheers for Isabelle Wiedemann. Canada’s first was her first – a life time dream come true. 
Sunday night was heartbreak for Rachel Homan and John Morris as their Olympic dream died in an extra end loss in mixed doubles curling to Italy. The difference between winning and going home? 1mm.
Melissa Lotholz
We’re cheering on Melissa Lotholz, a pilot in Women’s Bobsleigh and her brakewoman, Sara Villani. Mel is the queen of Barrhead, Alberta, plays keyboard and has the vocal chops to lead a church worship service. She is a veteran of the PeyongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.
Melissa at the opening ceremonies
Mel and Sara will compete in the 2-Women event on Friday, February 18 @ 5 am & 6:30 am. Then again the next morning Saturday, February 19 @ 5 am & 6:30 am MST.
Results are from the total times of these 4 runs.
What does it mean to be Olympic?
Melissa explained to Global’s Quinn Phillips, “I’ve learned so much as a person, and grown and developed character and leadership skills and those kinds of things.Those are the wins that wherever you end up in a race or on a sled, or whatever, that’s the stuff that is the true gold.”
Spencer and Parker Foo
In 2007, John Foo brought his wife, Diane and three sons, Parker, Spencer, and Brayden to the church we pastored in Edmonton. We followed Parker and Spence in their journeys through the AJHL, NCAA, drafted by the NHL’s Flames and Blackhawks and then travelling to China to play for the Chinese Olympic Hockey Team. This is the first time China has competed in ice hockey at the Olympic level.
They open up against the USA on February 10th and play Canada on February 13th. The experience will be epic for the Foos. On the 13th we’ll be cheering for the Canadians on the Chinese team.
Be Olympic
To be Olympic is about hard work, sacrifice, and dedication to a dream. Canadian Olympians show what it means to push yourself and give your all.
A New Testament writer used the image of Olympians to challenge followers of Jesus to go for gold.
“You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.”
(1 Corinthians 9:24-26, The Message)
Be Olympic.
Go Canada! Go Mel, Parker, Spence and all your compatriots!
Are you an Olympic junkie? What is your favourite Winter Olympic sport? Be Olympic and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.
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All the sports are equal when it comes to the Olympics. I cheer for every athlete, especially the Canadians. I rejoice with the winners and those who did not win a medal. I cry with those whose dreams are shattered, Justine Lapointe. Her sisters words to her in the hug heart wrenching.
Remembering a day 8 or more years ago I was helping in the advanced polls across from the ball fields in Barrhead. And out the window on a very cool rainy day was a girl running up and down the bleachers, soaking wet, up and down up and down. Doing running starts over and over again. I thought who in the world would be out there in this weather. Later I saw who it was, realized it is a future Olympian, Melissa Lotholz.
Running as to win the prize.
I have heard the sacrifices so many have made to get to this place in the Olympic ring.
They are all winners, whether they have a medal around their neck or not.
What’s not to love?
Love it all but we are total curling junkies!
What an great memory, Teresa. Melissa is a hero. She is a get’er done kind of human. Even training centre shut downs and not being able to train with her teammates didn’t stoop her from improvising. When I think of pausing, thinking of her helps me push through.
I’m normally right there being an Olympic junkie, watching as many moments as I can and catching up when I can’t. But this year is different. My attentions have been captivated elsewhere, cheering on Canadian heroes of another kind. I’m having a hard time reconciling our nations participation in games in a country under a governance model that is the antithesis of everything I believe in. And I’m confused by citizens of democratic nations choosing to compete under that country’s flag. Is the glory of competing and love of a sport greater than standing up for values of freedom, justice and equality? I’m not an athlete so I don’t know. Just asking…
I was reading today about some of the issues in China. The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) has urged supporters to commit to a “prayer boycott” of China’s Olympics. “The Olympics are always filled with wonderful pageantry and inspiring athletic accomplishments. But let’s not forget what the host government doesn’t want us to see: imprisoned pastors, destroyed church buildings, and a complete lack of religious freedom. I hope every Christian will use each event and every Olympic update as a reminder to pray for our persecuted family members in China as the Scriptures instruct us to do.” Todd Nettleton
Good reminder. I wonder if most, or even every country in the world that has hosted an Olympics, including Canada, has present or past behaviour that is unjust or discriminatory.