Going for the Gold

Although I've been seeing a lot of traffic about the Olympics like the U.S.A. girl's gymnastic's team, which was amazing, the Olympics often has many powerful stories that don't make it onto prime time television. One of those was archery. Even though it may not have been as spectacular or quick-paced as some of the other sports, it was the quiet moments of tension that made the archery finals so interesting. 

You are shown close-ups of the athletes going through a range of emotions shot after shot as they fight against the other team, the elements and their own nerves. I learned that I don't really watch the Olympics to see how many golds our country can win. What makes the Olympics captivating is the courage and conviction that people manage to pull out when under pressure. I saw this most clearly in Ki Bo-bae's performance during the women's team archery final between South Korea and China.

I was sketching as I watched the final. At one point, I saw Ki Bo-bae go up to take a shot. However, this time, I saw her hit by a wave of pressure as she loaded her bow. She pensively looked at the target, thinking of the shot ahead. Then, she exhaled a sigh of stress and and readied her bow. As it passed in front of her face, I saw the most amazing thing happen. Any pressure, fear, doubt or insecurity wiped from her complexion and there was a serene confidence that could only be born out of years of experience. She let loose her arrow, and the rest is history.

Unknown to me, this was the last shot of the tournament. She was literally shooting for the gold medal, not only for herself but her teammates and her country. Wow.