Olympic Sized Optimism for these Discouraging Times
Lindsey Vonn became one of my favorite athletes back in 2010, when she took the gold medal for Downhill Alpine Skiing – the first woman to do so for the US. I followed her career on and off the slopes and have always been in awe of her physical ability, tenacious style, and competitive nature. She’s passionate about skiing and fitness and is inspiring as a person. She’s fun to watch because of the way she competes as an apex athlete.
I follow sports because of the stories, and this was a set to be a great story. I got hyped up for the Winter Olympics when Vonn announced she would come out of retirement to participate. She was honoring her mom who passed away a few years ago, and tattered and torn at 41, was looking to show the world she still had the skills to compete with the best of the best.
2026 opened in chaos. Two US citizens were murdered on the street by ICE agents. Talks about an invasion of Iceland err, Greenland. An embarrassing display of diplomacy at Davos. Epstein. Childish and racist rants and postings on social media. Etc. I was feeling disheartened, and the Lindsey Vonn story was my silver lining, and the only reason I was planning to watch the Olympics.
It was a devastating sight when she crashed seconds into her first race. A cloud of snowy smoke billowed like an explosion as her agonizing screams echoed across the brilliant slopes, followed with an abrupt silence and her body going still. I have followed sports for decades and this was the most horrifying thing I had ever witnessed.
As medics tended to Vonn, a contingent of family and friends, fans and fellow athletes from a dozen-plus countries watched in a shared emotional silence that bled through the screen. It didn’t matter what languages they spoke, what holidays they observed, or what nations they represented. The games went away and humanity took over. As a star of the sport was airlifted off the mountain on a stretcher, the crowd gave her a touching ovation.
Lindsey Vonn is okay. She broke her leg, narrowly avoiding amputation. She had surgery and will need rehab and therapy to get better. She is Batman, so I expect a full recovery.
The trauma of the morning brought me back to the beauty of the Opening Ceremony. I watched all the countries get introduced, with their respective athletes smiling, waving flags, and taking in the moment. There was dancing, singing, and artistry. All in a foreign language that I don’t speak or understand. It was fun. It gave me hope.
The Games cross borders. They enable everyone to show pride and patriotism without animus. Every nation has culture, beauty, and amazing people within it. There are no S*holes. Terrible leaders do not define countries. It’s the people that live in them. The Olympics bring a global comradery that I wish would occur more often than two weeks every other year.
So, with my favorite player out, I found myself watching things I hadn’t paid attention to before. Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Biathlon. And a sport I had always mocked was suddenly something I couldn’t miss, Curling.
I loved that in every event, competitors congratulated the winners, while winners showed immense respect for their competition. It was a refreshing thing to behold, and a facet not often displayed. One of the best moments came after the curling medaling ceremony in which the three winning teams all posed for a selfie. It was something so benign yet made me indescribably happy.
The respect and appreciation amongst the athletes lifted my spirits. The Olympics showed me that we aren’t as different or divided as the media, social media, and (thoroughly exhausting) politicians would have us believe.
The games ended and the war in Iran started. I needed a return to Milano Cortina.
I had never watched the Paralympics and didn’t know anything about them. Immediately, I was hooked again, this time on multisport superstar Oksana Masters and her unbelievable story.
She was born in Ukraine, with radiation from nearby Chernobyl causing several birth defects – including limited use of her hands and eventual amputation of both her legs above the knees. Her parents abandoned her at an orphanage where she was severely abused. At age 7, she was adopted by an unmarried SUNY Buffalo professor who had no other children.
Oksana turned to sports as a method of rediscovering herself in a positive way – and changing the narrative of her life story. She said she wouldn’t have made it out of the orphanage alive and is grateful to her mom who is now her best friend, and it’s touching to see her cheering her on from the sidelines.
Watching Oksana compete was therapeutic. She’s an insane athletic force and a super inspirational figure. When her game face goes off, she’s always smiling, laughing, and joyously waving at the camera. She dominated the slopes of Cortina with 4 gold and 1 bronze medal. And with me being a fanboy every step of the way.
Watching the Olympics gave me a new appreciation for fitness and elite athleticism. Watching the Paralympics gave me a new appreciation for life.
Some people suck. Most people are good. You can’t be an Olympian, but you can win the gold for being a positive person every day.
Two great charities to support: the Lindsey Vonn Foundation which brings sports and opportunities to girls in underserved communities, and theSisters in Sports Foundation (co-founded by Oksana Masters) which supports female athletes with disabilities.
Ethos of Neptune
During a writing session in the doldrums of winter on a miserable February night, I decided a trip to the beach that summer would be in order. My first solo vacation experience in October 2012 had gone extremely well, so I was confidant in my abilities to travel and have fun on my own.
Cape Cod? Beautiful, but a gamble weather-wise, especially in June. Miami? Too far and too costly. So I settled for a midway point, and it became a life changing destination.
My first trip to Virginia Beach was in the summer of 2013. And I counted down the days until I went back. Little did I know, the return trip 3 years later would be so much more than just a 4 day get out of work excursion.
The original plan was to drive out on Monday, until I realized that would mean I would be spending my birthday in the car. I had stopped counting or caring about birthdays many years before, but still. It just didn’t seem right. So I did the 9 hour drive on Sunday, securing that I would wake up on my birthday with the sounds of the ocean and the comforts of a luxury hotel.
I woke up early on the morning of June 27, 2016 and quickly crossed Atlantic Ave to grab an overpriced Cold Brew from a popular coffee shop. Back to the hotel I went and immediately found myself sitting on the balcony of the 8th floor room, drink in hand, music crooning from my phone, and watching the sun make its rise up over the horizon.
Which just so happens to be the most amazing sight one can find. (I’m a water sign, deal with it.)
Prior to that morning, I had found myself in something of a bad place. More of a negative rut, actually. Mired in a mediocre job. Single for two years and zero in the way of prospects. I would look at all the “happy” couples and literally sear with hatred and envy. Uninvited and completely nonsensible animosity for people that I didn’t even know. And with my free time being occupied with the final semester of Grad School, I didn’t even have time to try and date anyway. Not that it seemed to matter.
I was moderately healthy. I went to the gym, and tried to eat right, but most of the time opted for quick and unhealthy garbage because it was easier. Tip – a 5:00am workout means nothing if a handful of hours later you’re inhaling greasy fried food and sugary packed treats.
Yes sir, it was a negative rut for sure. One that had taken place in my life for too long, but I had gotten too used to it to care.
And then, something happened.
There is no more a perfect place to be than watching the sun rise over the waves of the ocean. I had great music on. I had a strong caffeine buzz. And I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and searched my soul for peace.
I thought to myself; what was the biggest problem in my life? And it was at that very moment that I realized – The biggest problem was me.
And with that realization I decided once and for all that things were about to change – and for the better!
June 27 would now be celebrated as my own Personal New Year. And with it would come a set of resolutions. Not the lofty and standard set most offer up on January 1st when it’s so cold, dark, and miserable that they’ve gone by the wayside before the month even comes to an end.
A set of realistic, attainable, and measurable goals.
Commitments to myself.
First? A healthy body. I made a promise with myself to keep working out on a consistent basis. But more was needed. No more snacking. No more junk food. And no more meat. The benefits of a vegan diet were advantageous for sure. Shedding the excess poundage and eating and living a cleaner lifestyle would bring about positive changes, both internally and externally.
And no more negative thoughts! The creed would be a simple one; control what you can control. I think this is so important with everything that we do. So I asked myself what was bothering me in my life, and do I have control over it or not. Can I control my eating habits? You bet I can. Can I control finishing Grad School? Check. Can I control being single? Not really. So be happy with what you have and don’t expend negative energy dwelling over things you have no control over.
On the boardwalk below, some five-hundred yards or so from the hotel was the giant statue of King Neptune. The 34 foot bronze creation had been erected a decade or so ago and was now the anchor of Neptune Park, its ominous shadow cast over the infamous Virginia Beach Boardwalk.
I made an emotional connection with the statue, and with Neptune himself. I was at the halfway point of my life. I was going to make some changes. The second half of my life was going to be vastly different from the first half.
It’s easy to decide on changes when you are sitting on the balcony of an 8th floor hotel overlooking the ocean. The changes needed to come back to NY with me. Neptune would be my guide.
And thus, the Ethos Neptune was born.
Neptune carries a trident, and the Ethos would need to revolve around three fundamental pillars: Bettering oneself. Bettering your fellow man. Connecting with the environment.
The Ethos of Neptune is more than a religion…it’s a way of life…a way of bettering of your life.
Bettering Oneself
-controlling what you can control
-making time for your passion
-ridding your mind of negative thoughts and self-doubt
-taking chances and adapting to change
-continuous exercise for your mind and your body
-practice the ways of minimalism
-do not count age, rather, use your name day as your own personal New Year (reflect on the past year and set achievable goals for the coming year
Bettering your Fellow Man
-showing empathy in the face of adversity
-acting to benefit the community as a whole
-performing random acts of positive karma
Connecting with the Environment
-letting the waves of the ocean wash you clean (baptism by tide)
-showing a great appreciation and respect for nature
-finding your own place (the ocean, the summit of a mountain, or the bustling streets of your favorite city)
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