The Olympics: Fighting the Good Fight at the Games of Hope

Have you been following the Tokyo Summer Olympics?

Throughout history, especially in movies, sports competitions have always been used to inspire and motivate us. Remember Rocky Balboa training to fight the Russian villain Ivan Drago? Do you remember how that scene made you feel? Inspired and hopeful for the underdog, I’m sure. I still listen to the theme song from Rocky, “Gonna Fly Now,” whenever I need to be inspired or motivated.

Similarly, as I watched the Olympics broadcast over the last two weeks, I was filled with a powerful sense of hope. And I feel this is an important message the Olympics brings us this year. Despite everything going on in the world, especially with COVID, hope is still very much present.

Quite aptly, the motto of the Tokyo Games is “United by Emotion.” Together we have faced the COVID crisis, and together we have fought to overcome it.

I am especially in awe of The Refugee Olympic Team (EOR), with 29 athletes from 11 countries competing in 12 sports. Each, a superstar in their own right, rising from the dust amidst unbelievable adversity. While it’s easy to get swept up by a deep sense of outrage for what they’ve endured, I would instead focus on the positive of how they’ve fought their way to where they are now.

I also find some athletes such incredible beacons of light to all of us.

Rose Nathike Lokonyen, for instance, is an unstoppable powerhouse. Rose is originally from South Sudan and fled when she was just eight years old due to the violence in her home country. Rose’s story is long and winding, from Sudan to a refugee camp in Kenya and subsequently getting picked as part of the first Refugee Olympic Team. Rose is also a massive advocate for the transformational power of sports for refugees.

Another of the 10 athletes who represented the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team at Rio 2016 is Anjelina Nadai Lohalith. Just like Rose, Anjelina fled South Sudan In 2002 to a Kenyan refugee camp. Then there’s Yusra Mardini, the remarkable swimmer of Syrian descent. This trailblazer is such a treat to watch.

After all, as Rose Nathike Lokonyen advocates, sports is way more than just something you do to compete in. Especially to these refugees, sports is life-altering and transcends barriers. Many big brands have also created campaigns that spotlight these athletes’ powerful stories to inspire hope in audiences. Nike’s “Best Day Ever” campaign, P&G’s “Lead with Love” campaign and SK-II’s animated anthology series, “VS” are great examples of this.

These fantastic athletes are bound to have an immense feeling of achievement and pride. And this feeling will continue to motivate them to continue to make their mark and be a symbol of hope to us all.

I know the feeling of achievement and the impression it makes on a young life. Although I don’t consider myself an athlete, I remember participating in the School Sports Day – Track & Field category for Shot Put, Discus and Javelin. I may not have been fast enough to compete in sprints or agile enough to compete in long and high jump events. Still, clearly, I had a strong inclination towards any sport that required throwing something!

I remember the feeling of participating in these events so vividly. In that defining moment, it’s just you and your sheer determination to do your best and give it everything you’ve got. And those moments are pretty darn special! And more than the trophies, those moments are reminders of how determined and tenacious I was and still am. Another underdog conquering challenges!

So when I tune in to the Olympics, I’m not just tuning in to follow the sports I love. I recognise the tremendous impact these games have on my life and the lives of everyone around the world. It is just what we need right now as we are all fighting for hope, and we will not be defeated!