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Are You Watching the USA Swimming 2012 Olympic Trials?

Posted by on Jun 30, 2012 in Featured | 2 comments

Our regular tv-watching habits have totally changed this week as the kids and I have been tuning in to the USA Swimming 2012 Olympic Trials.

usaswimmingshield

We’re a pretty noisy group while watching the trials – marveling over the endurance of these athletes, chatting about our own personal preferences for the different swim strokes, and cheering as one swimmer pulls away from all the others. It’s loud and fun and very exciting.

What’s funny is that I have a hard time watching the semi-final heats because I get so anxious, only to realize that “Wait, now they have to swim again!” Just because of that, I tend to focus more on the final heats, though my kids cheer just as eagerly for all of them.

I’ve been particularly touched by two trends emerging in this year’s USA Swimming Olympic Trials: how young some of these great athletes are, and how many first-time Olympians are joining the team. I find it so exciting!

And nothing can reduce me to a puddle of tears faster than seeing the family’s reactions in the stands. When Missy Franklin won her Olympic spot in the 100-meter backstroke, cameras went to her family, and their look of sheer disbelief, followed by beaming pride, had me bawling on my living room couch. How amazing to be sharing these precious moments with people who have worked so hard to achieve their dreams!

The USA Swimming 2012 Olympic Trials run through Monday, July 2. That night, at 7:30pm EST, The Motherhood and USA Swimming will be having a Twitter party to cheer swimmer Dara Torres on in real-time as she competes.

Here are some details:

  • Monday, July 2
  • 7:30pm EST – 8:30pm EST
  • there will be prizes!
  • follow the hashtag #SwimToday for all the action
And for more information on these last few days of trials, visit the Official USA Swimming website.

*Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with USA Swimming and The Motherhood. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.

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  • http://motheringfromscratch.com/ Mothering From Scratch

    {Melinda} Haven’t watched the Olympics yet, but I love them. Watching people who have worked hard and made so many sacrifices realize their dreams is so inspiring. My best Olympics memory is when Mary Lour Retton won the gold in 1984. Those moments are what it’s all about. 

    • http://treerootandtwig.com Stacey @ Tree, Root, and Twig

      My kids always wonder why I cry so much watching the Olympics (or anything competition-based, like American Idol even!), and it’s because of exactly what you said – being able to witness that moment when someone’s hard work and dreams come together. It’s just magical, and humbling, too. I think my favorite Olympics moment was Brian Boitano finishing his routine at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. You could just TELL that he left his heart out there and that he was so, so happy. I tear up just thinking about it. ;)