The 2022 Winter Olympics look much different this year. The Olympic games in Beijing have been riddled with controversy due to the Chinese Communist Party committing genocide in Xinjiang and the emerging reports of poor living conditions in the Olympic Village.
The tragic realities surrounding the games have cast an unfortunate shadow over what should have been a global celebration of athleticism and national pride. Fortunately, the women of Team USA, through their example and character, have shone through the darkness of this winter’s Olympic games.
Before securing spots on Team USA, skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Hannah Halvorsen both overcame challenges and obstacles with grace and courage.
Two years ago, Mikaela Shiffrin, a veteran Olympian, and gold medal winner, almost ended her skiing career.
In February 2020, Mikaela’s father, with whom she was extremely close, tragically suffered a head injury and suddenly passed away. Mikaela was devastated and took a break from skiing. She couldn’t get out of bed, was overwhelmed with grief, and didn’t know if she would ever compete again. Fortunately, Mikaela’s brother encouraged her to not give up.
Less than a year later, Mikaela returned to the slopes. She kept fighting, and today Mikaela is proudly representing the United States at the Olympic games once again.
Cross-country skier, Hannah Halvorsen, also almost gave up her lifelong dream of becoming a U.S. Olympian after suffering a devastating accident two years ago.
In November 2019, Hannah was hit by a car while she was crossing the street and suffered severe injuries including a skull fracture, bleeding in her brain, and a broken tibia.
Hannah knew how close she was to “being paralyzed, blind, or dead.” One month after the accident, she said, “I’ve realized what matters, doing what you love, with people you love, and that is skiing.”
Through hard work, determination, and a positive attitude, Hannah returned to skiing. In her second race since the accident, Hannah scored the first World Cup points of her career. Her resolve paid off. In January 2022, Hannah learned that she would be competing for Team USA in the 2022 Winter Olympics.
“As soon as I got the news, I immediately thought about how, two years ago, at this very time of year, I was relearning how to walk,” Hannah said. It took years of recovery, but finally, Hannah turned her dream into reality.
Both of these brave and heroic women embody the epitome of the American spirit.
America’s Olympians are not defined by their difficulties and challenges, but by their life experiences and unwavering determination to succeed.
For more commentary from Ambassador Gingrich, visit Gingrich360.com.
The USA athletes have shown that they condone the mistreatment and killing occurring in China to innocent people.I guess the cost of not competing in the olympics outweighs allegiance to decency.These are not hero’s , hero’s fight for justice they don’t turn their heads pretending nothing is wrong.
WELL said. Everyone are not heroes in my book, since they WILLFULLY WENT, and supported the genocide games…
IF they were worthy of being called heroes, they would have told the IOC To go “BUGGER OFF, we ain’t going!”
Team USA Women (and men) have trained their whole lives for this chance. They are not politicians or diplomats. They are athletes and the best in the world at that. I’m proud of our athletes. Why should they give up on their dream? China has been murdering its citizens for hundreds if not thousands of years. It’s my government that I’m ashamed of!
I don’t fault the athletes, amateurs who have trained and competed for years, hoping for this opportunity. How many of their critics can’t wait for the next NBA game?
Not me. I don’t watch the NBA/NFL/MLB or even hockey.
What a load of garbage. But first, let me make sure I understand this. Let’s see, when we risked our lives in ‘Nam, civilians called us everything in the book except human. They even went so far as to try to spit on us (never more than once). But these people reward a genocidal government by granting their destruction of the Uyghur race legitimacy by participating in the Genocide Olympics. And we are supposed to hail them as heroes?
Not me, not now, not ever.
And one more thing: De-fund the Department of Justice!!!
It takes a hero to sacrifice their own goals to stand for justice. What about the 18 year boys who were taken off high school graduation stage and sent to Vietnam. To fight for absolutely nothing! Theses are hero’s ! Not a bunch of athletes who choose to ignore injustices done to their fellow man.
ALL because “they want personal glory”