The World Competes

Most people like to see other people overcome tragedy. Perhaps this is why we root for the underdog at times. Perhaps its because we all face difficult situations, and if someone else can overcome difficulties, then maybe we can too.

One of the most powerful stories of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics is the story of Joannie Rochette, a figure skater from Canada. Her mother died on Sunday, only two days before she was to skate in her short program. While nobody could blame her if she dropped out, Joannie decided to continue.

On Tuesday night, Joannie skated beautifully; in fact, she skated her way to third place. With tears in her eyes as she left the ice, you couldn’t help but to imagine how she must have felt.

She completed the figure skating competition on Thursday with the free skate, and again, skated wonderfully. She ended up winning the bronze medal.

You can’t help but to admire her. It’s the stuff of what Olympic Visa Commercials are made of.