Olympic story - Samia and Abdi - Did you miss it?

I have loved the Olympics since before I can remember.

There is something so special about such an international event. As a kid, I would imagine myself 4 years from then, what my life would be like, and what the athletes would be like. Four years was so long and would include so many changes for all us.

I love watching new, young athletes starting their careers, at the same time that dedicated legends are ending theirs. Standing ovations for the amazing beginners, and for the "elders" (many younger than I am now!) ready to move to a new phase in life. Somehow, for me, it carried an important rhythm to my life, to everyone's lives.

It is fun now to share these games with my kids, as my mom did with me. To cheer for our country as we win, and to hold our breath as we lose. There is something so awe-inspiring to watch people who dedicate so much of their lives to their physical strength and abilities. To be honest, I can't really relate, unless I stretch their dedication to compare to how much of my life I dedicate to the things I care about.

So as the games end, I imagine where we will all be in 4 years, when the summer Olympics comes to us once again.

And then I came across this article. I am so thankful for stories of people like Samia Yusuf Omar and Abdi Said Ibrahim from Somalia. They rip us out of the comfort of our living room couches. They teach us so much about sacrifice, dedication, and character. To read their stories and what they've gone through in their country to be Olympic athletes leaves me speechless. In this country with stadiums, swimming pools, organized sports everywhere, and coaches looking for young people to train, it is hard to imagine what these two, and so many others go through every day to train in their sport.

During special times like the Olympics, we still need to remember the inequity in this world. To break world records makes some athletes the best in the world. I would never want to take any of their glory from them. But these are the athletes that had the opportunity to train and dream along a path made available to them. I'm absolutely sure there are world records that will never be made because the athletes without these chances are held back by war, extreme poverty, famine, disease and the devastation of their families because of all of these tragedies.

The Olympics are full of stories of hope and dreams, and the incredible attainment of goals in the face of adversity. The stories make us all feel like we have the ability to be champions - at something, anyway. But we must remember that the playing fields are not equal. We live in a world where some have meticulously cared-for playing fields, while some have only rugged, makeshift playing fields. And then there are our brothers and sisters who won't actually see a playing field until they leave their land and visit someone else's.

And athletes like Samia and Abdi should keep the rest of us humble, and should keep us focused on the international work that truly matters, long after the Olympic trials fade from our memories.