My Oma was an Olympic class swimmer in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the 1940 Games were canceled because of the outbreak of WWII, and by the time 1948 rolled around, she was married and had a son. I don't know if she ever regretted not having the chance to compete in the Games, as she had Alzheimers and died when I was 13. She never gave up on swimming, though; she passed on her knowledge and expertise to many a child by becoming a swimming instructor, and did that until her illness prevented her from continuing to do so. That is her legacy; she may not have won any medals, and her name may not be widely known, but somewhere out there there are hundreds of people who were taught to swim by my Oma.
Personally, I just don't have the kind of dedication it takes to be an Olympic athlete. I like sports, but I couldn't focus on just one.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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