This week has officially kicked off the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and like many people around the world, I’m beyond excited to see the coverage of the Games posted all over social media.Yet, whenever some Olympian (my age especially) pops up on my Tiktok “For You Page,” I can’t help but think what it would be like if I could go to the Games as an Olympian.
Now, don’t be misled into believing I have substantial skills in any sport above a high school level, but I still experience FOMO (fear of missing out) when I see all the fun they’re having…and free lululemon clothes they’re getting. Honestly, it gives off the vibes of an extreme summer camp- and I’m here for it. Hear me out: you meet new people, eat all your meals in a common dining area, have teams based on who you room with, and of course, the endless amount of sport competitions going on. Obviously, there’s some substantial differences that make the Olympic Games so important and globally recognized to the point where people pay hundreds of dollars just to watch. Yet, even my literal family wouldn’t voluntarily watch me struggle my way through a ropes course at camp. Somehow I still feel like I’m missing out, as if I was supposed to go but at the last minute couldn’t.
Checking with other people my age, I am not alone in this boat. We’ve all had the same feeling, especially during the Summer Olympics last year. I think the main reason was because growing up, Olympians were these crazy adrenaline-pumped gods, and now we’re seeing them on Tiktok showing that they’re just like us. We’re all young adults going through all the basic struggles that come with growing up. They’re all applying for their first credit card, still getting random breakouts, realizing how expensive groceries are, and of course, the most popular problem of our generation: figuring out what the heck you want to do with your life. Seeing the athletes be real humans with flaws and struggles makes them so much more relatable. So the thought, “They’re just like me. So, if they can do it, why can’t I?” naturally occurred. I may have been a tad more affected by the FOMO than others, considering after what felt like the hundredth Tiktok of the Games I had seen, I did in fact Google the full list of Olympic sports seeing which I could pick up the easiest.
I give all the credit in the world to these athletes. To have trained their whole lives, missed out on countless birthday parties due to away tournaments on weekends, missed watching movies at school since they had to leave early for practices, and all the hours of pressure it puts on their minds and bodies. Knowing myself, I probably wouldn’t be able to dedicate myself to a single thing so extensively. Even though being part of these Games is completely unattainable for me, a girl continues to dream.