a successful combination-Olympic Games

A SUCCESSFUL COMBINATION

“Olympic and Paralympic cauldron ‘petals’
sent as gifts to competing nations”

http://www.london2012.com/news/articles/olympic-and-paralympic-cauldron-petals-
sent-gifts-competing-nations.html

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With the success of the 2012 London Olympic Games, the athletes themselves not only received their medals and recognition, but each competing country also took a part of London home with them. As quoted from the article presented “…they each received a copper petal-inscribed with the name of their country and the words ‘XXX Olympics London 2012’”. The 2012 Olympics were one of the most memorable Summer Games in the history.

During the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, 204 hand crafted copper petals were lit to start the flaming of the cauldron, which would continue to burn until the end of the games. Out of the 204 petals, 164 represented the number of participating countries. This article briefly describes the creation and lighting of the cauldron, which is one of the most significant events of the Olympic Games. The main topic though of the article is how the competing countries took home their copper petals. These petals will remind the country, the athletes, the volunteers, the coaches and all those involved of the hard work, initiative and courage it took to get to and finish the 2012 London Olympic Games. The petal symbolizes hard work, success, ambition and enjoyment.

But how does this relate to being physically active and staying healthy? All of the athletes that partake in any of the sports need to be fit and active. Hard work and confidence is beneficial to achieve goals, and having a well balanced diet and healthy life style aids in achieving these goals. To even get into the Olympics is hard enough, but to stay at the highest level is something that only rare individuals can do. These amateur and professional athletes work all through their lives to become successful in the one thing they love; whether it’s swimming, volleyball or tennis, maintaining a fit body and healthy diet is essential.  In general, being healthy is always beneficial to anybody.

In my opinion this article has made me realize how hard the athletes actually worked for the opportunity to win a gold, silver or bronze medal. It has opened my eyes to see that I can achieve any goal if I work hard and keep a positive attitude. I’ve also learned that being healthy can benefit me physically and mentally. As seen in the short video, the feeling of accomplishing a life’s goal is wonderful and being able to share your success with the world is even better. The video shows all parts of the Olympics and gives viewers a perspective on the lives of the hard working athletes.