Hey Oxygen Friends and Fans,

I love the Olympics! The team spirit, the dedication, and the competitive spirit. I watch very little TV most of the time, but the TV is on all day during the Olympic Games. I look most forward to the gymnastics, but I find myself being drawn in to sports that I didn't even know existed at the Olympics! (ie. Kayaking!) I have found that after a few days of watching the athletes, their passion and dedication has added a boost to my passion and dedication for training. I can't help but think of all the years of gymnastics meets, track meets, cheerleading competitions, and fitness competitions. My competitive spark has definitely been re-lit. 

This is my sister and I both taking first place at a gymnastics meet. 

As I was watching the mens gymnastics last night I said to my sister "I can't imagine training for four years for one competition." She laughed and said "Dork, you did! You trained 24/7 from 1996-2000 for the Ms Galaxy title." I laughed and while it was no gold medal, it sure did feel like it when I won in 2000! I'll never forget how it felt after I ran the obstacle course and heard my time. I smoked it and went into the swimsuit round knowing I couldn't have dieted any harder. It was awesome, but wow, was it some serious work. 

In the end, it's amazing what we can achieve when we combine dedication, passion, and hard work. Keep that in mind as you do your next workout and give it a little extra kick! 

Check out the intensity on my face....fierce! Perhaps they should have monkey bars as an Olympic sport!!