Today is one of those days in sport I will remember for awhile to come. It started out with the finish to The Open Championship where Darren Clarke's story tugged at even the toughest man's heart strings. Tears were flowing as he was smiling and joking about leaving his final putt short…just by a touch.
At 42, never winning a Major….and to finally take one, that is performing under pressure.
And then, onto the Women's World Cup final. AMAZING! Soccer was the sport I always wanted to play but it never fit in with my swimming schedule. Therefore, during the game, I was constantly annoying people with my questions…Does a corner kick often result in a goal? Why was that offsides?…and on and on.
We had a pack of people over to cheer on the good ole RED, WHITE and BLUE. Such a great excuse to have a party…and what a show Japan and the USA served up! I attempted to dress up like Abby Wambach. The only wig I had was jet black and extremely pouffy! But, I felt the part and would oooo and ahhh over every miss and scream my head off when the USA scored. Someone said to me after, "That pressure was just too much at the end. So unfair for those girls." I responded with, "That is the kind of pressure that every athlete LIVES for! The only bummer is they wish it turned out differently." What a thrill. What a joy to witness and celebrate with our friends. I remember where I was when the US Women won the World Cup in 1999. I was in the airport waiting for my flight which was magically delayed. I remember where I was when Mary Lou won nailed her vault to win the all-around in the '84 games.
Today, I watched an amazing group of golfers and an amazing group of women soccer players spark the dream of a generation of young athletes. I watched little boys and little girls (2 being my own) become inspired by the gracious, passionate and full of heart play on the field/course today. What a privilege to cheer them on! Congrats to all and good luck to the next set of champions!
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