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Nonprofit Blog Carnival: Lessons from the Olympics

My 5 Favourite Olympic Moments

The Olympic Opening Ceremony is on Friday and so I wanted to share some of my favourite Olympic moments and why I found them so inspiring. It's not strictly fundraising related, but I hope you'll find my picks interesting and thought provoking.

I'd love to hear your favourite Olympic moment, so do leave me a comment!

Steve Redgrave wins his 5th Gold medal

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I remember sitting up past midnight to watch Sir Steve go for his fifth rowing gold medal in Sydney in 2000.

After giving people 'permission to shoot me' if they saw him in a boat after Atlanta 1996, Redgrave changed his mind and came back to win his fifth gold medal.

Why it inspires me:Redgrave's determination, competiveness, focus and ability to remain at the top of his sport for nearly 20 years remains unsurpassed.

Read the full Redgrave story at the Guardian.

Usain Bolt smashes the 100m and 200m World Records

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The Beijing Olympics was the most expensive and spectacular in history and the standout moment for me was Usain Bolt in the 100m and 200m finals where he smashed the world record in both events.

After two decades of drug scandals around the 100m's, which had left the public falling out of love with the sport, Bolt's performance reverberated around the world.

Why it inspires me:The thing I love about Usain is his attitude. He does everything with a smile on his face and reminds me that you have to let your hair down sometimes and not always be serious - though it does help when you're as talented as he is!

Read the full story and background to Bolt's achievements at the Guardian.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos salute in Mexico 1968

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Although this happened a decade before I was born, I recently watched an excellent BBC documentary called 'Black Power Salute' about Smith's and Carlos' protest in 1968.

It was a touching, emotional and powerful documentary that showed the impact and ramifications of their brave decision to make a political statement on the podium. One part of the story I didn't know was the part Australian athlete Peter Norman, who was also ostracised by Australian athletics for supporting the protest.

Why it inspires me: Standing up for your beliefs, even when you know that you are likely to vilified, is incredibly brave. Whatever your politics the impact of their protest was undeniable and a catalyst for further protest and, ultimately, change.

Again, you can read the full story on the Guardian website.

Britain dominating the track cycling in Beijing

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The track cycling has always been one of my favourite Olympic events and I remember Chris Boardman winning gold in Barcelona. The Beijing Olympics represents the high point of British success and they won an unprecedented 14 medals with Sir Chris Hoy collecting three gold medals.

It was great seeing a British team being so dominant and the story of their success is fascinating. 

Why it inspires me: I could listen to David Brailsford (British Cycling Performance Director) all day. His philisophy of 'the aggregation of marginal gains' underpinned the success of the team and can be applied to almost any business or non-profit.

The idea of constantly striving to make 1% improvements to ultimately give yourself an edge is very appealing.  It's in stark contrast to someone like Dick Flosbury, who, in another great Olympic moment, transformed his sport through innovation- the Fosbury flop.

Derek Redmond breaks down in the 400m semi-final in 1992

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My last selection is unashamedly sentimental and emotional. It still brings a tear to my eye when I watch it.

In the semi-final of the 400m Derek Redmond tears his hamstring in the early stages of the race. He lies down on the track before he gets up and tries to hobble on. He is clearly in agony. His father then races on to the track and tries to persuade him to stop, but Redmond is determined to finish and so his dad helps him round the track and over the finishing line.

Why it inspires me: The determination to finish even though he is beat is inspiring, but what really makes this memorable for me is his dad helping him. One of the other athletes summed up it up far better than I ever could when they said:

"Long after the names of the medallists have faded from our minds, you will be remembered for having finished, for having tried so hard, for having a father to demonstrate the strength of his love for his son. I thank you, and I will always remember your race and I will always remember you – the purest, most courageous example of grit and determination I have seen."

Again you read the full story on the Guardian website.

 

All images are also taken from the Guardian website and their 50 stunning Olympic moments series.

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