I can honestly say that I don’t think I have ever in my entire life sat and watched the Olympics and before this week I didn’t really understand why most did. I mean I get that it is a team representing our country and we of course want them to win, but there are some sports that well I just didn’t care to watch on TV but was of course proud when we won. So I started watching the Olympics this week and I was pleasantly surprised. My favorite parts of the Olympics are not the games themselves but the interviews and learning the back-stories of the athletes.

Today I watched an interview with Kayla Harrison who won the US their first judo gold medal in Olympic History. Impressive right? Well that’s not even the beginning of her story. Here is what I think is even more impressive, Kayla is a survivor! Kayla was a victim of childhood sexual abuse by her then judo coach and she somehow found a way to fight past the depression, the three painful years of silence and hurt, and found the bravery to not only move past this horrible event but to also expose the coach and share her story. In her interview today after her win Kayla said “ I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, but going through this has made me the women that I am and that makes this win that much sweeter”

Then there was John Orozco the male Gymnast competing this year and his story. John lives with his working class family in the Bronx. As a young child he would hear his parents talking about how to pay the mortgage and felt he could help. Without telling his parents he went to the gym where he practiced and asked for work, when he brought his first check home instead of buying something new and shiny for himself he gave it to his parents and said “here use this for the mortgage”.

There are so many amazing stories that I am blown away by our Olympic team, not just because they are Olympians but because they are people just like you and me who sometimes against all odds took life by the balls and made it happen one way or another.

I started to realize that we are looking up to all the wrong people. So many of us have the wrong role models. I look at these stories and our Olympians and these are the people I want to be like, these are my role models. In a world where people look up to the likes of Kim Kardashian and countless other celebs, I think it’s time we take a look at the real heroes, the real role models that not only do amazing things, but that share their stories with us, so that we can grow and learn, all while hoping just maybe they can make a difference in someone else’s life. I mean isn’t that what life should be all about?

Put’s a whole new meaning to “Go for gold” for me.