REAL COOL STORIES (week ended 1/19/19)
In sports – there were two stories that hit me this week.
First, the floor exercise routine of UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi went viral. Lots of major sports news this week, but nothing tops this performance. The speed, power and agility of Katelyn are incredible but that’s only part of the story. Her energy, enthusiasm and pure joy were off the charts.
Watch this roughly 2-minute video on YouTube (link below). It had over 19 million views when I checked. You will agree it is an amazing performance. The average human MAY be able to do one or two of the awesome moves during the routine. While I know very little about gymnastics, the tumbling passes looked extremely difficult. They were effortlessly completed by Katelyn. The perfect score of 10 appeared totally justified. If I was a judge, 11 would have too low!
Now watch again. Focus this time on listening and seeing the precise choreography of the music with the movements. And the music – Michael Jackson, Tina Turner and Earth Wind & Fire – WOW!
Sorry, one more view - this time focus on her teammates in the background. The love for Katelyn is evident. They are mimicking her routine as she performs. The roar of applause and fist pumping after her first tumbling run were terrific.
Katelyn beat the world’s best gymnast (Simone Biles) at the 2013 American Cup. She was a rising star, but pressure and many injuries nearly made Katelyn quit the sport. What a loss that would have been!
Thank you Katelyn for bringing so much joy to your performance and the sport of gymnastics.
A real cool story indeed!
Link to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ic7RNS4Dfo&t=50s
Second, a “1 Big Thing” from one of my favorite sportscasters – Scott Van Pelt. SVP hosts ESPNs SportsCenter. The show is all about highlights, interviews, many awesome segments (Bad Beats – about tough gambling losses is my favorite!) and guests. The “1 Big Thing” segment is also a fav of mine. This week SVP talked about the 31st anniversary of his father’s death. The talk was heartfelt and emotional. We all have lost someone and had difficulty with grief.
Watch and think about his advice.
A real cool story from SVP
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOFGfwTx4sk