Great article. I am a proud Canadian and I have fond memories of screaming with excitement and joy when our Canadian swimmers like Alex Baumann, Victor Davis, Mark Tewskbury, Mary-Anne Limpert, etc. won medals in the past. I agree with the author of the article. As I watch this year's Olympics, and listen to our athletes being interviewed however; I get the impression that most of them are happy just to "beat the CANADIAN record" or to "get a personal best". They seem to be competing within Canada, rather than adopting the mentality of taking on the rest of the world. How do we foster that competitive spirit - that hunger to be the best in the world? More training facilities can help, but the swimmers have to be more aggressive in their goals on a daily basis, and not settle for second (or 12th) best. Being the best within Canada doesn't mean much when you're at an international competition like the Olympics.
Fantastic article. That's a really interesting point about Canadian culture and competitiveness.
Sand of an open sea.
The strong
sands of an open
sea give an
illusion to that
beautiful sunset,
while a gentle
delight reappears,
suddenly, where
a glimmer outshines....
Francesco Sinibaldi
