if you could be on an Olympic team

[dizzygirl]

I am watching the figure skating tonight on tv.. and I thought I'd post a topic about "your Olympic dream"

if you could do anything any sport in the olympics what would it be and why??

I would love to be able to do figure skating!! it is my absoulte favorite part of the olympics (that and the gymnastics) I would want to do figure skaiting b/c it amazes me how these young people/couples can move like!! it is so beautiful I think to watch.. and I cant imgaine how they can buzz around on ice skates when I can barely stand in my own 2 feet let alone put blades under them!!

al thsoe jumps and spins.. I get dizzy/motionsickness watching them turn and spin!!

but I if I could join the Olympic team for my country if would definately be the figure skating!! LOVE IT!!

[Wufflebear]

oh yes!! w/ a perfect body and in perfect shape...Definately figure skating...Pairs cause it seems so romantic...

Now w. my current body and in my current shape??? I was thinking perhaps the rock pusher in curling! THe mopping part just looks like too much energy. lol

Or maybe bobsled...I'd be one of the people in the middle...Little bit of pushing and ride....

(-;

[taylortotmom]

Oh yes, I would be a cute petite well-coordinated figure skater, too! Gosh, it makes me dizzy just thinking about it. I don't think I could even stand up on ice skates (or any other skates for that matter) now if I had to! But they are beautiful, aren't they? Oh, to have grace.....

Carmen

[morgan617]

hands down, figure skating...morgan

[Jacquie802]

I would want to be a skier!!!!

[Sunfish]

are only winter sports allowed? eh well...i'll make up the rules and say no

i'd say my first choice would be rowing, second swimming, then triathlon.

i guess for me i can't get away from some of the competitive sports i've already had a hand in (in days gone by) and some successes.

i've coached (swimming) at the pool where several olympians have trained though & know 3 of them, so i think that's as close as i'm going to come

but i can dream....there's a 52/3 year old luger this year so who knows???

me

[halmad85]

I'm another one who would LOVE to be a figure skater. My mom used to take me skating in the frozen basketball court at my elementary school. It was sooo much fun. Then I would always take my little sister to another iced area near our house. We loved pretending we were the amazing figure skaters. Ahhh...those were the days.

[dizzygirl]

hey very cool Melissa!! ANY sport or olympic is cool!!

[hockeykid]

Hockey player definitely. I used to play hockey before I got sick, and I will again when I get better. It's just a matter of time.

[Michelle Sawicki]

I would do luge. That looks like such a rush.

Michelle

[MomtoGiuliana]

Cross-country skiier.

Katherine

[gdomaracki]

I would definately have to be a gymnast

[Ernie]

Hi,

I would like synchronize swimming, gymnastics and figure skating.

[dawn]

Figure skating, probably as a couple with a really cute partner.

When I was little the couple across the street had 7 children. They had a lot next to their house and every winter they would flood it and we all had a huge skating rink. I would go home for supper and eat on the bottom step of the entryway so I could leave my skates on and hurry back over there. LOL

God Bless You Bob for that memory. He spent hours and hours holding the garden hose.

Dawn

[Sophia3]

Equestrian Grand Prix Dressage. Jumping is fun but the cross country I PERSONALLY think is cruel for the horses.

But I LOVE the elegance and the discipline of the art of high school dressage..the shoulder ins, the piaffe, the cantering where the horse changes leads with EACH STRIDE across the ring.

All boring stuff if you are not into horses. It would be a dream just to RIDE such a well schooled horse. 30 years ago I did VERY VERY basic training level Dressage.

But we can dream, right?

[blackbirdsings]

Sophie, are you still riding? If you are, you should see if anybody has a horse that does at least Prix St. George dressage that is older, a schoolmaster and a total "packer." Have them lounge you some and than you can go off the line if you are comfy and not bouncing. The Grand Prix horses will have ALOT more lift and ooomph to them, than the low level horses.

I have ridden many, many Grand Prix jumpers and dressage horses and the majority of them are a total blast. I find alot of them easy to ride, because they know their job, and have working brains. They tend to be more clever and more fun to play with, since some bore easily you can do fancy stuff and really switch things up fast. Riders do need to be in shape, have a soft hand, and a good seat/non-busy leg to ride the upper level horses. Some of the horses are okay will riders not at the top level and others will goof off and not be forgiving (that's why I mentioned a schoolmaster and a packer).

Flying leads changes on every stride...I had a jumper that LOVED to do those for fun. On some horses it feels like a small buck, but on good ones it feels a bit like skipping :-) Some horses feel more "loftier" than others...the dressage ones feel more lofty, but the top jumpers do too. It just varies.

Cross country really isn't cruel to the horses, nor is vaulting while I am on it. I find what people do to Saddlbreds cruel...the tail, the weights on hooves, the doping, etc. Cross country does take a certain mentality to get through courses (horses too!). I did it when I was young, but didn't ever care for it. So long as the horse is well-conditioned, and the rider knows what they are doing it's okay. It gets bad when you have poorly built courses, horses not conditioned and ignorant riders. That's when you see the bad crashes, horses overworked, etc.

I'd say its time I halt and salute at X and leave the arena. Good luck :-)

[Gracefulprincess]

I would have to choose snowboarding. I watched all the snowboarding events and was just simply amazed, especially when they did the half pint. How does a 5 ft girl get so high up in the air? and do all those tricks?? It would be so cool to try it.

[OCsunshine]

Figure skating.

When I was young (age 11, 12, 13...) I took figure skating lessons weekly. I was learning to do spins and small waltz jumps and little tricks. It was SO MUCH FUN!

I was even in the small shows at the hotel where our ice rink is. Ahh.. those were the days...

Once I fell ill with Mono, NMH... and it all turned into CFIDS and a lifelong illness, the skating went down the drain, obviously. :-(

I have been once since then with my husband... I can go slowly around the rink once and then I feel terribly sick and have to stop.

GGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe I'll just get a nice frilly skating outfit and wear my compression hose and pretend around the house. HA HA HA :-D

[Sophia3]

Blackbirdsings

Hi! That is SO COOL you are into Grand Prix. I haven't had horses in almost 30 years and been way too ill to ride for 15 due to O.I. and balance issues!! (I too despise the Standardbred AND gaited Tennessee walker cruelty for the reasons you mentioned)

I have read where riding during tempi changes is a real challenge as it's like sitting and looking in good form while riding a bucking bronco!

I use to have a couple video clips of a horse show from Germany I think that showed these and the Piaffe. after a major computer crash, i lost the video and can NOT find them.

It's great just to touch base with somebody as I no longer know people in the horse biz. THAT SAID, if I did make a connection, I would probably love to sit and walk on a Grand Prix horse just to say I had done so. And if having a good balance day would love to do some half passes and easier stuff.

Leave the skipping Tempi for the balanced riders!

Thanks for your input!

Sophia

[yogini]

I am a traditional girl, so I love watching figure skating and gymastics. The other sport I really like is diving, because it is so elegant and graceful. I used to love watching Greg Louganis.

It's too bad that they show so many commercials and don't show the best stuff until so late at night, even with the tape delay. I really need my sleep, so I have missed most of the good stuff this year.

[blackbirdsings]

Sophie, Where are you located? If you really want to be on a horse, but have trouble sitting up...You could do theraputic vaulting :-) Somebody to lead the horse or lounge, two-four sidewalkers and they can put people up on the horse with you, if you need the extra help (very normal to do). I am with the largest theraputic vaulting program in the world, and we have "regular" vaulters too. It's far away from me, and I'm not doing it right now, but the benefits are huge. It's kinda like regular physical therapy BUT on a horse, more fun and less painful. If all you wanted to do, was be lifted up onto the horse, and lay down, walk around, that would be fine. You benefit from something that simple! People like the theraputic vaulting more than regular physical therapy, because they say it's more fun and not painful like the traditional kind (though they may still have to do both).

Vaulting is the safest equestrian sport! We have worked with people that are paralyzed on the horse, so anything is possible. The club I am talking about accepts everybody and believes in them no matter what the disability is. We have no tolerance of kids that bite or kick humans or horses, but other than that everybody is welcome.

Thought I would point this option out. I have OI but am fine riding..it's just standing in place that does me in.

Some tack shops rent movies for a very small price. Think international horsey competitions, hours of them...You can also buy World Equestrian Games vidoes with TONS of dressage rides on them. Very much worth the money.

Yes, you do have to be balanced on tempi changes. I used to ride ALL of the difficult, greenies or psycho horses that nobody else could ride. I got used to bucking, etc. so tempis are a joy, hehehe.

[Guest tearose]

I must be in a funk because I've been trying hard all day to come up with what I would choose. I can't do it! I can't imagine a sport I would choose cause I can't get past the feelings of how weak I am and would be trying to do a sport. I think, hmmm, maybe I should do luge cause you lay down!

Then I think well, if I didn't have POTS, what would I do? I couldn't manage on roller skates so I don't think I could have done ice skating. I've never been on skis. I don't particularly like the cold. As for summer, I not a good swimmer... okay, if pressed for a sport, with a few lessons and a warming wet suit so I don't get chilled...I guess I'll say that synchronized swimming would be my choice.

For a long while I was being silly and only came up with things like: start a new competitive categories like "standing still" or those who can "maintain constant body temperature" and I'd include wheelchair and seat/cane participants too! Maybe for those who infuse we'ld have an IV pole dancing competition!

Maybe I'll just be a spectator and cheer you all on....hey, now that may be my calling!

They serve fried dough so I can sit in the stands and eat that and cheer you on!

Yes! That is it. I'll be an Olympic Spectator!!!!

[dizzygirl]

tearose!! you are too funny!!

[Roselover]

Defineately either Equestrian - cross country/jumping and/or Diving- 3 meter springboard. I was on a diving team for several years in my youth. I always dreamt of being an equestrian olympian. Kinda hard though cause I never owned a horse! :-)

~Roselover

[Sophia3]

Rose

When in high school, I took riding lessons and never owned a horse for a couple of years after that.

It was a year before my teacher gave me a real compliment besides "well done". She was from Britain and from the old school of teaching. Not mean, but serious classic form and it was a dream come true to learn the basics of huntseat from a GENUINE British accent.

The lessons were very affordable but wore me out even back then and I was "healthy". Back then I took with a friend and now she has retired and her daughter teaches in group. I took one hour lesson alone when my friend was ill and it was TOO STRESSFUL!! See, my dysautonomia showed up even doing things I loved back then.

The stable and land was some of THE MOST PICTURESQUE in this county. BUT in the late 70's or early 80's..the power company won their fight to put in those tall, ugly extension wires for miles across the country side. The beautiful rolling hills and woods and outdoor arena, all now sit underneath the hum of those wires. I went to a horse show there, back in the late 90's before my teacher retired. She had a bunch of kids that didnt know how to try or have the passion.

I remember she gave me the ULTIMATE compliment decades later that day: I was one of her better students!!

She didn't mean by riding skills as I never was competitive or into showing (except two she forced me into!!) but I think she meant but taking it all seriously and WANTING to do well.

Sorry for the trip down memory lane. Also, used to you could lease horses before buying!!! or just to see if you wanted a horse. it was expensive back then but worth it. Full care back then was $75. Last I heard 10 years ago it was $250 a month!! yikes. I guess with inflation that is about right in 20 years.

P.S. I link with short videos of Lipizzaner and Airs above the Ground movements..sound and voice...pretty music, Strauss I believe.

http://www.lipizzaner.com/airs.asp