The 2018 Winter Olympics have come to an end.  Competitors from all over the world were in Pyeongchang, South Korea competing in a wide variety of winter sports.  There was an impressive number of young competitors and one of them was a 17-year-old girl from California.  Her name is Chloe Kim.  She started snowboarding at 4-years-old and has been snowboarding ever since!  Her parents are South Korean immigrants which means they were born in South Korea and moved here to the United States of America.

For Chloe, taking part in the 2018 Winter Olympics was a dream come true but what made it even more special was that this year the Olympics took place in South Korea, her family’s home country!  Chloe’s family watched and cheered her on as she gave the best snowboarding performance of her life!

Chloe says she loves snowboarding and has been dedicated to the sport for almost her entire life!  Not only is Chloe an amazing athlete, but she is also kind, funny, and really fun to be around!  That makes her a star!

Did you watch any of the 2018 Winter Olympics?  What was your favorite sport to watch?  Do you play any sports?  What do you love to do?  Keep up the great work and don’t forget to have fun!

On February 10, 2018, Red Gerard, only 17 years old, won a USA Olympic Gold Medal.  Red lives right up the road from us here at The Scoop and we are so proud of him!  The athletes who are currently competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea are the best in the world.  Many of these athletes (called “Olympians”) have been asked what it feels like to be competing at the Olympic Games – the highest achievement a person can attain in the world of sports! While most of the competitors talk about wanting to do their personal best and wanting to win a medal, one message from these athletes has been repeated over and over again: The experience alone is a dream come true.  Just being at the Olympic Games and competing with all the other athletes is an amazing feeling for which they are grateful.

What do these competitors have in common?  First of all, they are all committed to doing their best through hard work and determination.  They practice.  And they practice.  And they practice some more.  When they fall, they pick themselves up.  And then, they try harder.  They study and they train and they spend many, many hours focused on whatever it is they want to achieve.  They work well with others and also do whatever it takes to become the best they can be.

Guess what?  You don’t have to be competing at the Olympics to do your personal best and to be whatever it is you want to be.  Be yourself.  Practice.  Focus.  Recognize the things you need to improve and then work to improve them.  Recognize the things you do well and be proud of them.  Congratulate others for their efforts and for their successes.  Enjoy the moment.  Enjoy the ride.  Because the ride is what it’s all about!

Do you know?

• Where South Korea is?  Can you find it on a map?  What time is it there right now?
• Have you ever worked really hard at something and achieved your goal?  What was it?  How did you do it?
• Have you ever worked really hard at something and did not achieve your goal?  What was it?  Did you reach your goal yet?  If so, how?  If not, what other things can you try to get closer to your goal?
• Has anybody ever told you what a great job you did at something?  How did that make you feel?
• Try telling more people what a great job they did at something or if they need some support, what can you say to make them smile?  Is this something you can do for someone every day?  Try it and see what happens!