It was heartening to be introduced to little-known small nations whose athletes surfed skillfully in the great ocean waves , and to notice that others were swimming from their large southern continent of Australia . The parade of competitors sailing down the Seine aroused spectator curiosity as they passed under age-old bridges and viewed famous buildings and sculptures . It raised speculation on whether their neighboring countries had similar scenes and cultures .

Did they progress , digress , cooperate or demolish each other ? Lucky us , that we see the remnants , nay , the results and continuation , of the physical landscape that has influenced their , and maybe our , side of the world .

Who are these boatloads of cheering people sailing on the Seine ? These are the Olympians , come to show their skills !!

To be an Olympian , these representative athletes have already shown their mettle in maintaining their physical and mental fitness , by practicing and testing their skills through months or even years of preparation . One may conjecture that they are already heroes in body and spirit . Thus , we expect a competition of winners !!

by TERESITA BACANI-OROPILLA , MD

It is noteworthy that each individual contestant or team has avid families , fans and countries that acknowledge them as exclusively theirs . These boost the athletes to perform at their best for these enthusiastic faithful boosters . And , as human nature would have it , rivalries , which can be intense , occur among the top starters . Or , they join to cheer a common goal .

As everybody loves a winner , the celebrations of victorious contenders can be lavish and widespread . These may spread beyond local boundaries and encourage new friendships and connections . What a way to reopen dormant relationships in rejoicing a common triumph !

Case in point : the winning of gold medals by Lee Kiefer and her foil fencing teammates has caused rejoicing at her University of Kentucky medical school , her hometown of Lexington , her widespread family members in the U . S . and the Philippines and the Team USA Olympic members by adding to the country ’ s overall gold medal count ! And she has brought pride to all Americans who cheered her on ! Ditto her teammates , who likewise celebrated their winning in their own way and in their own place . Lee is my granddaughter , and our family has enjoyed to the hilt our celebrations of her victorious prowess !

Those who did not bring home the medals of victory likewise enjoyed the heady experience of testing their own skills among peers . Families , friends and supporters who otherwise would not have planned to travel , did so to their delight . No losers , these !

The ancient Greeks were on to something good when they decided to meet and compete peacefully . Lucky are we that their idea and example have been passed on for generations !

May we , in turn , pass it on faithfully to those that follow us ! Dr . Bacani-Oropilla is a retired pediatrician and psychiatrist .

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