What has been your most inspirational moment so far in the 2012 Olympics? We've certainly had some awe-inspiring stories from the American athletes so far: Michael Phelps beating the record for the most overall medals; Rebecca Soni breaking the 2:20 time barrier for the women's 200m breast stroke; and of course Gabby Douglas--love that girl! But, the first Olympic moment to bring tears to my eyes this year was quite the opposite of a gold medal or shattering another world record.
If you haven't heard the story already, Liu Xiang was the Chinese superstar equivalent to Michael Phelps, but in the 100m hurdles. He missed qualifying for the Beijing Olympics completely, so this was his year to rightfully earn his medal--except he didn't. He tripped after the first hurdle due to an old injury and just like that, his Olympic career was over. But this race wasn't finished yet. He picks himself off the ground and hops, single-foot, to the last hurdle where he gives it a symbolic farewell kiss.
That's perhaps the most important lesson from the Olympics this year and for any race or fitness endeavor of yours. Finish what you start. Crawl, hop, claw your way to the finish line. If you're going out, go out admirably.
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