As the sun sets on Beijing National Stadium on Friday, August 8, a legendary flame will be rekindled with 17 traditional words: “I proclaim open the Olympic Games of Beijing, celebrating the XXIX Olympiad of the Modern Era.”

With that simple declaration, the longest running saga in the history of man (a lofty ideal born on the Peloponnesian plain 27 centuries ago), begins again. For 16 days, a weary world will turn away from crises, conflict and strife and look to the Olympic arena, where young men and women will reach deep within to find their best, and in doing so, encourage us to look for the best within ourselves.

Such is the heritage of the ancient Greeks, whose culture gave the world the ideal of democracy and inspired mankind to do better, to reach farther, to excel.

From their inception, the Games were intended to play homage to the athlete – never to a nation or ideology. Despite political interference and protests in this “imperfect” world, the effort to do so continues. Nationalism plays a role, but a far smaller role in an athlete’s motivation than many believe. I know I was a club rower, training hard and experiencing success long before I was a Canadian rower!

Team pride and love of one’s country may help an athlete past the point of exhaustion – to bend the oar one more time or to pick themselves up from the canvas and continue the fight, but for most athletes there is a little something “special” that keeps their personal Olympic “torch” going, not just at the Games themselves but through the rigors of training and training camps, the pressure of time trials and Olympic qualifying events, while leaving friends, families and other less-worldly dreams behind.

There are athletes whose success can lead to thousands of dollars in endorsements, sponsorships and gifts, but for most athletes it is their dream, their individual sacrifices and that hint of glory at the moment of victory that propels them forward. How many athletes compete at the Olympics and how many have achieved fame and fortune because of it? There are far more athletes than there are gold medals! Do you remember the names of many Olympic athletes? I am sure you looked at my name and said, “Who?” They walk among us!

Take Canada’s Olympic diver, Blythe Hartley, whose inspiration to get back in the pool is derived from her brother’s display of strength, integrity and character in his battle with cancer. There are a number of athletes whose stories may parallel hers.

And Travis Cross, the 84kg wrestler, while following his Olympic “dream” found the gruelling schedule of working four days and leaving his pregnant wife to travel to a training venue and couch-surf among friends for another four days, beginning to crush him. His strength and encouragement comes from his community and their overwhelming support of their Olympic hopeful – his dream has become their dream. How often do we hear the tale of families, sports club and communities being united in their efforts to support their hometown Olympian?

Canada’s 800 metre man, Gary Reed, an athlete who gains financially by his success, is fuelled by his own abilities and his mother`s strength and encouragement. His hunger to train, succeed, and win the physically and mentally tough 800m race, is no different to his days of impoverished living. Money does not diminish his motivation.

Many athletes have struggled with funding and the rigors of training while holding down a job. I cannot think of any athlete I know whose drive was weakened through financial support. Funding made my life financially easier and allowed more time to train but certainly did not quell my desire to each day be better than I was the day before. Kyle Shewfelt, Athens gold medallist in gymnastics, enduring painful surgery and rehab after a tragic landing shattered bones in his legs, fought back his negative thoughts while doggedly training himself back into top shape, saying, “Right now, nothing is more important than my sport.”

There are countless athletes with stories of courage and perseverance, overcoming injuries, accidents and personal tragedies to carry on their dreams. It is characteristics such as these, and more, that make up an Olympic athlete. Come August, which young man or woman among the thousands of athletes gathered in Beijing, will in a moment of supreme achievement, surpass the best and revel in their moment of glory?

Every Olympics has produced its magic moments, the unexpected displays of fortitude and courage no one could have predicted. The world has often seen an unknown emerge as victor or a contender return from a setback to stand proudly upon the victory platform.

The beauty of the Olympics, of course, is that anyone can win. Forecasting winners, particularly by nation, has often proved to be a futile effort, but here are a few Canadian athletes to watch for this summer.

_{• Gail Cort is a three-time Olympian, having represented Canada at the Summer Olympics in 1976, 1980 and 1984 in rowing. On two of those occasions, she just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth both times.}

Name: Perdita Felicien

Sport: Track and Field

Event to Watch: 100m Hurdles

Past Performance Highlights: Silver medallist in last year’s World Championships and former world champion.

What Makes Her Special: Despite the disaster of the 2004 Athens Games, where she crashed to the track in the 100m hurdles, Felicien has battled her psychological demons to get back to the top of her sport. “I have this little mantra that I say: I don’t rely on coaches; I don’t rely on drugs; I don’t rely on the latest technology; I don’t rely on any of those things because I have to rely on me first.” The only question now is, will she have fully recovered from the stress fracture injury that she suffered in the winter? If she has, Felicien is a genuine medal prospect.

Name: Adam van Koeverden

Sport: Kayak

Events to Watch: 500m, 1000m

Past Performance Highlights: He is the reigning world and Olympic champion in the 500 metre event and won silver in the 1000m in last year’s World Championships.

What Makes Him Special: van Koeverden has the freakish physiological qualities that can make a winner and an attitude to match. He classifies himself a “fan of sport… a student of sport” who just wants to “go out… and see how hard I can go.” In his words, “It’s like running a tightrope. Sometimes, it’s just about holding your breath and running across with your eyes closed. Sometimes it’s just about getting it done.”

 

Name: Brent Hayden

Sport: Swimming

Event to Watch: 100m Freestyle

Past Performance Highlights: Co-world champion in the 100m freestyle and 2006 Pan Pacific gold medallist in the 100m freestyle.

What Makes Him Special: In his words, “I think I come across as pretty timid, not very competitive, but inside I swim every race like I want to win it. I’m not really one for talking smack about my competitors like some people like to do. I’m going to get in there and put up a fight against anybody who says they can beat me.”

Name: Simon Whitfield

Sport/Event: Triathlon

Past Performance Highlights: Gold medallist, 2000 Sydney Olympics, ranked second in the world.

What Makes Him Special: He has an easy smile and deprecating sense of humour, but says Whitfield, “I’ve been relentless. I think that’s been my key, I’m obsessed and relentless.”

Name: Blythe Hartley

Sport: Diving

Event to Watch: 3m

Past Performance Highlights: Bronze medallist in 3m synchro, 2004 Athens Olympics, twice world champion in 1m.

What Makes Her Special: Hartley has been on a medal winning streak at events this year, which is a very special one as she has dedicated her 2008 season to her older brother Strachan who died of cancer last year, aged 30.  “Blythe executes her dives with the highest amplitude in the world; her dives are powerful and can be compared to men’s diving,” says her coach Igor Paskov.  

Name: Tyler Christopher

Sport: Track and Field

Event to Watch: 400m

Past Performance Highlights: Bronze medallist, Pan Am Games, world indoor champion.

What Makes Him Special: Named outstanding overall athelete by Athletics Canada in 2005, Christopher’s star is on the rise. At the last Pan Am Games, he brought home a bronze despite slowing to a near dead stop at the beginning when he thought it was a false start.  He is considered a medal favourite in Beijing.

Name: Jessica Zelinka

Sport: Track and Field

Event to Watch: Heptathlon

Past Performance Highlights: Gold medallist, Pan Am Games, ranked fourth in the world.

What Makes Her Special: Recovering from a foot injury last year, Zelinka has bounced back into form. Despite her share of worries due to the injury, she has maintained her positive attitude. “All that matters this year is August,’’ said Zelinka, who’ll compete in the heptathlon during the first two days of the Beijing Olympics. “Everything is based around that.”

Name: Kyle Hamilton

Sport: Rowing

Event to Watch: Men’s Eight

Past Performance Highlights: World championship titles in 2002, 2003 and 2007, finished 5th at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

What Makes Him Special: Hamilton, the ‘stroke’ for the men’s eight team and its most integral member, planned to retire after the last Olympics, but after a shock finish out of the medals, decided to give it another go. The crew currently runs the fastest boat in the world, and will challenge for gold.