Turning Bronze Into Gold

Dayton City Paper
Volume 13, Number 35, August 30-September 5, 2016


By: Marilynn Preston


http://www.daytoncitypaper.com/archives/2016/08/30/flipviewerxpress.html 
Pg. 29


This was an inspiring article to read. It was about a few people who competed in the Olympics and how they over came their losses, like a winner. Also about ones who think about others while competing.


The author had a couple of bold sections of her article called: Learn To Lose, Winning Isn't Everything, and Changing Lives is also an Olympic Sport. With those being highlighted, it makes you want to know what she's mentioning because it seems so positive.


Here are a few quotes and moments that I enjoyed from this article:


Learn to Lose
Kerri Walsh Jennings, a professional beach volleyball player and three-time Olympic gold medalist, and April Ross, also a professional beach volleyball player and Olympic silver medalist, lost to a Brazilian women's beach volleyball team. It was Kerri's first defeat and felt very devastated and took it very hard. According to The Los Angeles Times, "Jennings spent a sleepless night cursing and crying, beating herself up for playing poorly. Less than 24 hours later, she was back on the beach at Copacabana, playing another Brazilian team for the bronze." Keri and April ended up winning the game. "Walsh Jennings and Ross were ecstatic-hugging, kissing, reminding us all that winning third place is still winning," says Preston.


Winning Isn't Everything
James Chiengjiek is a refugee member that is living his dream. He fled his home in South Sudan so he wouldn't get recruited as a child soldier. So now he has won eighth in his heat for the men's 400-meter. He says, "My dream is to get good results at the Olympics and also to help people. Because I have been supported by someone, I also want to support someone."


Changing Lives is also an Olympic Sport
Simone Manuel is the first black woman to win a gold in swimming. She says, "For all the people after me who believe they can't do it, I want to be an inspiration to them that they can do it."


I believe the author used Enlightenment and Emotion. I think she enlightened the reader by giving real examples of how a winner can still lose like a winner. She showed us that it's okay to lose no matter how much of a winner you are. There's nothing worse than a sore loser, so for someone to get back up and try again is inspiring. Also, wanting to win to help others is so much more amazing. The author evoked emotion with simply quotes from the Olympic medalists. It's one thing to just mention someone may have said something, but to have direct quotes from them and to see how they reacted is also inspiring and makes me want to do better at what I do and to continue, no matter what.


Very encouraging.