One of the most inspiring moments of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games was the performance of Jeremy Abbott in his short program.  Jeremy is the current US Men’s Figure Skating champion and was a contender for a medal in Sochi.  However, on Jeremy’s first big quadruple jump in his short program he fell, and fell hard.  He was in obvious pain, slammed into the wall on the edge of the rink, and laid there for at least 4 or 5 seconds.  5 seconds in the middle of a figure skating performance is an eternity.

Amazingly, Jeremy was able to somehow stand, regain his composure, and then with the crowd cheering him on, went on to miraculously complete the rest of his routine in amazing fashion.  This was an inspiring performance, showing great grit and determination in the face of pain and failure.

Interviewed after the skate, Jeremy said that he had always been a symbol of Perseverance, and that his entire career had been an example of sticking through tough patches and pushing through difficulties.  This is undoubtedly inspiring, and also reminds us that sport, and music, and art, and marching band, and every other endeavor is always about way more than medals and trophies and placements.  Thank you, Jeremy, for your amazing example, perseverance, and great style in the face of adversity.