Post Olympic Withdrawal by Jeff Tribe

 

Is anyone else dealing with post-Olympic withdrawal?

Tuning into televised coverage can be a dangerously-addictive rabbit hole to poke one’s head down, particularly on lap two of a 10,000-metre final. You know you’re going to be there for the duration and probably spin off into gymnastics or beach volleyball on a different network.

Perhaps its truly, diverse global nature, the biggest bragging rights on the planet, and the fact it only comes around once every four years make it so fascinating.  

It was hard to pick out a single highlight from Team Canada’s record-setting results. Who knew we’d own the hammer throw? That our soccer women would overcome scandal with an epic pool play performance. Or one would be as impressed with Marco Arop’s intelligence and quiet grace as with his 800-metre silver medal.

Well beyond the 27 medals won, there were memorable finishes that didn’t reach the podium, personal bests representing the culmination of years of training.

But one could be forgiven for celebrating Summer McIntosh’s incredible power in the pool, Phil Wizard’s athletic b-boy artistry, Skylar Park’s tenacious dedication to taekwondo, and Andre De Grasse’s anchor leg in the men’s 4-by-100-metre relay.

You knew Andre’s hamstring wasn’t anywhere where it needed to be, and the 100 and 200-metre events had been disappointing for him. But when teammates Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake and Brendon Rodney put that baton in his hand with a lead, he found one more golden performance within.

Andre, Skylar, Phil and Summer competed in very different events, but their final destination atop an Olympic medal podium contained shared elements. Each had put in the hard work to get there, staying consistent to what they needed to do to make their dream happen. And each had a compelling backstory. 

Skylar comes from a family where achieving taekwondo black belts are part of growing up, her father also her coach. Summer completed her own mother’s Olympic journey, dominating the 200-metre butterfly race her mom competed in years before. Phil was a kid who would ask permission to go to the washroom while in school, instead practicing moves that would lead to an Olympic gold medal in the hallway.

And Andre was a skinny kid who first got noticed when he showed up on a track in a pair of basketball shorts and running shoes, taking off from a standing start. He didn’t enjoy the competitive advantages in equipment or training his running mates had. 

But gosh, he was fast.

It’s those backstories, motivation and personal challenges that take Olympic and other competition beyond simple recording of times and judged totals into must-watch territory.

It certainly is a stretch to compare an author’s journey to that of an Olympian. It’s impossible to overemphasize the gap between tapping on a computer keyboard and the dramatically-dangerous artistry Ellie Black creates on a balance beam.

But there arguably are parallels. A novel is more marathon than sprint, requiring a level of tenacity and dedication to complete. And well beyond plot development, it’s the richness of the characters, their motivation and often challenging journies that turn mere words into what one hopes is a compelling reading experience.

That in a similar way to Andre De Grasse overcoming trials and tribulations in the 100 and 200-metre events, Sherry Strong, a young accountant, scarred and shaped by personal tragedy and poverty, may find her laser-focussed career plans derailed by finding love in the most unexpected of places. 

And that as Andre’s journey allowed each of us to share in Olympic gold in some small way, a novel also offers a break from the mundane challenges of everyday life into a space where even the happiest of endings are indeed possible.

Jeff Tribe is a career journalist whose passion project, ‘Accountant With Benefits’, is scheduled for release March 1, 2025.